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I suspect you are talking about a jointer, not a planer. A jointer is used to flatten one side. Of course, you can run both sides over the jointer but, you will likely end up with the two sides not parallel with one another. Also, it will be difficult to flatten a wide board on a jointer that is narrower than the board. One common way to do this is to rip the board into as many strips as is needed so that they fit the jointer. Then flatten one side, square up the edges, and then glue them back together. Doing that, you are still left with getting the other side flat and parallel. Again, this is the job of the planer or a hand plane.
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Use a hand plane to knock of the high spots. Or shim your board on to a piece of plywood. That is put tape on the bottom of the board so the feed rollers on the planner can't flatten the board. Take real light cuts and maybe flip the boards shimming each time. Do not try to send the board just taped uo without the plywood. The tape will come off and gum up the works..
Maybe try the hand plane and the plywood.
Tom
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Location: New Zealand
Do you have a router?
If so, make a router bridge. Handy for flattening all sorts of odd and over-size boards.
You can make it any size you want really. Mine uses the rails and carriage from an old sawmill and could flatten 16ft x 5ft, but a smaller desktop jig like this one will be useful. He's correct that it's messy (and loud), but it works. Also good for highly figured woods that want to tear out in a planer.
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google Joint Boards Wider than Your Jointer WOOD magazine
and watch the video.
Simon
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Location: Wapakoneta, OH
It can be done on a jointer, Joe Grout was always bringing this technique up when he was posting here. Do as Simon suggested and search for the method. Do be careful as you have to remove the guard to do it.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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Find a fully equipped lumber yard or millwork shop indoor area. They should have wide jointers and planers. They will probably be happy to joint and plane your wide boards for a reasonable fee.
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Location: Elizabethtown, KY
include your town in your profile -- might be close to one of the folks here that could do it for you!
"Truth is a highway leading to freedom" --Kris Kristofferson
Wild Turkey
We may see the writing on the wall, but all we do is criticize the handwriting.
(joined 10/1999)
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I only have a 6” jointer too, even though I have a fully equipped shop and am a professional.
I simply do not want wide boards in my projects. The old growth wide timbers you see in antiques simply no longer exist, and honestly, one reason so few antiques still exist is because many of these wide boards warped, twisted, cracked or otherwise failed.
So I rip stock down to fit my jointer, process them to flat and true, then glue them up into the wide parts I need. With care you can glue them close enough to quickly sand or scrape them truly flat and they won’t surprise you in the future.
