Jointing first face with thickness planer

[dav]

This is real simple, guys.  The thicker the stock, the shorter the board, and the straighter the board starting out, the less need for face jointing.

Many a piece of wood has been ruined by guys thinking they can use their planer as a jointer.

The biggest challenge is finding your flat board not so flat the next morning.  :-)

This!

I didn't realize how many people skip face jointing. Unless it's for an application that will straighten out bow during the assembly process, I always face joint. If I didn't, I'd never get "square" results. Most of the time, I do a face joint, then wait until the next day to see if it my "flat" board is still flat the next day.

[JGrout]

This!

I didn't realize how many people skip face jointing. Unless it's for an application that will straighten out bow during the assembly process, I always face joint. If I didn't, I'd never get "square" results. Most of the time, I do a face joint, then wait until the next day to see if it my "flat" board is still flat the next day.

I too am amazed by those who skip the most important step in assuring success in their endeavor(s) 

It is so simple and with such a variety of ways to accomplish the results it just seems a shame that people choose to "get by"  then later on wonder why there is an issue. 

Joe

[Phil Thien]

There is a good page on this over at the woodgears.ca site:

https://woodgears.ca/shop-tricks/flattening.html

Pretty much the method I now use.

Would I try to create one of Joe's entry doors using this method?  No.

Would I love a 12" planer/jointer in my basement?  Of course.

But for a lot of work I do, it is quite good enough.

And when I need super-flat, I just use my planer sled.

[GeorgeV]

I have been using hand planes (scrub, jack, etc) for years to remove the high and low spots in lumber before running it thru the planer to create a smooth surface. I gave my power jointer away several years ago and joint my edges by hand and have been able to prepare edges suitable for producing panels without difficulty.

The combination of hand planes and a surface planer is a useful combination.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

I have been using hand planes (scrub, jack, etc) for years to remove the high and low spots in lumber before running it thru the planer to create a smooth surface. I gave my power jointer away several years ago and joint my edges by hand and have been able to prepare edges suitable for producing panels without difficulty.

The combination of hand planes and a surface planer is a useful combination.

I do this if I want to work with a board that's wider than my 8" jointer.

Otherwise, I use my jointer first.

[HomerLee]

George wrote:

I have been using hand planes (scrub, jack, etc) for years to remove the high and low spots in lumber before running it thru the planer to create a smooth surface. I gave my power jointer away several years ago and joint my edges by hand and have been able to prepare edges suitable for producing panels without difficulty.

The combination of hand planes and a surface planer is a useful combination.

 My feelings exactly. Anything big, buy flat boards. I have a Grizzly parallelogram jointer that is great as far as jointers go. I've been wondering why I keep it, it just gathers dust. But as sure as I sell it I will find I need it.

I've been using a lot of highly figured wood. No sound in the shop is worse than the popping noise that tear out makes on a jointer. For joining wood the Freud "Glue Line Rip" blade on the table saw followed by a jointer plane works well and the sled with carefully placed shims is good for the planer.

[Dave Diaman]

I'm with Joe and Dav. I'm amazed at the number of people that don't joint their lumber first. When I teach classes that is the first step I teach everyone. Your lumber has to be flat and square or the project is going to fight you the whole way. I do have a sled for my planer that I will use as a last resort but I avoid it if possible. My feed rollers on my planer will push all but the thickest boars flat so just slamming wood through the planer is not an option. What ever goes in one end just comes out the other only thinner.

[JGrout]

I've been using a lot of highly figured wood. No sound in the shop is worse than the popping noise that tear out makes on a jointer. For joining wood the Freud "Glue Line Rip" blade on the table saw followed by a jointer plane works well and the sled with carefully placed shims is good for the planer.

IMO you are going too fast, the blades are dull or your cuts are far too deep. 

Same with your edges. 

Besides the key is to get a flat face not a finish ready face. This is another thing most miss along the way a jointer is for making stock flat 

the planer should be the nearly finished ( but not quite) machine 

HTH 

Joe

[WilliamHodge]

"the planer should be the nearly finished ( but not quite) machine 

HTH 

Joe "

This is my experience, too.

Sawn edges seem to be more square, and have no tear out, compared to jointed edges. One pass on the jointer, then two on the saw, make straight, smooth, wood. I think a sawn surface gives better glue surface than most jointed edges.

Lately my wholesaler has been selling concrete and gravel upstairs from where the wood is stored, or so it seems. I hit a lot of wood with Dad's Old Power Plane before it goes over the jointer. Still, my jointer looks like a striation machine right now. It still gets the wood flat.

William Hodge

[JGrout]

Lately my wholesaler has been selling concrete and gravel upstairs from where the wood is stored, or so it seems. I hit a lot of wood with Dad's Old Power Plane before it goes over the jointer. Still, my jointer looks like a striation machine right now. It still gets the wood flat.

William Hodge

I keep a steel wire brush next to my jointer for clean up 

I get some of my stock delivered and it comes over the mountain passes to get to me 

It is amazing how much road debris can infiltrate the curtain sided trailers 

Joe