Should I Buy a 6″ or 8″ Jointer? – Viewer Question
Jeff has a question about buying a jointer and asks:
I am setting up a woodworking hobby shop. Would you recommend a 6 or 8 inch jointer. Thanks.
And this was my response:
A 6″ jointer will certainly get you by. I know people who get along quite nicely with small benchtop jointers and even some crazy individuals who would rather use their #7 jointer plane to get the job done. Avoid the latter group as they are very sick individuals! Just kidding of course, but you see my point.
I owned a 6″ jointer for years before I had the opportunity to upgrade to the 8″ model. The reason I upgraded was simply one of efficiency. Nearly all the wood I purchase from my supplier comes in the 6-8″ range. As a result, I was always sacrificing a few inches to the woodworking gods in order to accommodate the 6″ bed. Having that extra 2″ saves me both materials and time, so it was a no-brainer for me.
Now keep in mind there are certain tricks of the trade that will allow you to flatten wider boards with a 6″ jointer. But these usually require more tools and more time. So in my opinion, the better long-term buy is the 8″. I can’t count the number of people I’ve heard utter the words, “I should have bought the 8″ model!” I’m not saying that’s you, because this all depends on your personal needs, wants, and budgetary restrictions. But if your name happens to be Average Joe Woodworker and you plan on being in it for the long haul, the 8″ jointer should be something for you to seriously consider. Hope that helps!
*** I know this is one of those topics where everyone has an opinion, and I can only offer one. So what do you folks think? 6″? 8″? Aircraft Carrier 20″? Or maybe just a few hand planes? Leave a comment!
The Video Archive
One of the biggest struggles in running this site is organizing old information. Once the videos drop off the front page, some folks really have a hard time finding them. So after banging my head into my computer screen for two days (ouch!), I came up with the new and improved Video Archive. The idea was to create a simple category-based list featuring thumbnails, quick descriptions, and of course a link to the video entry. So now its much easier for you to find those old episodes you’ve been looking for. There is a permanent link to the Archive in the navbar above near the search box.
You also might notice the page number organization right above this content. There is also one at the bottom of the page. Many people don’t realize that a blog is nothing more than a series of pages that lead all the way back to my first post several years ago. So you can now use those page numbers to navigate as far back as you’d like.
And if you want to peruse old articles, shop tours, and viewer submissions, you can do that with the category tree in the right column. I’m still working on a more convenient solution for that.
There really is no “perfect” solution out there, but hopefully we are taking a step in the right direction to help keep the site useful and easy to navigate for most users. Thanks everyone and have a great week!
Danny Byrd’s Shop – Shop Tour
This Viewer Shop comes from Danny Byrd who’s starting his own business. Let’s hear about his awesome shop!
My name is Danny Byrd I have a 24 year background in construction and the last 13 years as a commercial construction superintendent. I have been building furniture and cabinets for the last 12 years and teaching myself new techniques to improve my skills with every project. I have been laid off since last Sept. and haven’t had much luck finding another superintendent position, so I’ve been trying to make a start at my own woodworking business. The shop is a 26ft. x 40ft. pole building that I built in 2005. I framed in the walls to insulate and drywall. I also decided to frame and sheet the floor instead of concrete. It has a 200 amp independant service. It’s location is about 100′ from my back door. Tools are as follows, 5hp Delta unisaw, DJ20 jointer, 15″ x5 Delta planer, Powermatic 14″ bandsaw w/ 6″ riser block, Jet 18″ 3hp. band saw, Delta dust collector, Powermatic 79T mortise machine, Performax 22-44 plus drum sander, Delta model 52-625 belt/disc sander, Craftsman 17″ drill press, Delta 46-202p wood lathe, 10″ Makita miter saw, 60 gal. air comp. Shop Fox w1686 spindle sander and my router table. More hand tools and clamps, than I care to list.
You can visit Danny’s website at Byrdwoodworking.com.
Jewelry Chest – Viewer Project
This is a stunning jewelry chest submitted by Murat, let’s check it out:
This cabinet was my first big project. The toughest part for me was preparing the lumber since I do not have a planer, bandsaw or thickness planer. Also I wouldn’t have room to place them :) Unfortunately, there is no store that sells ready milled lumber. So, I had to buy rough lumber and mill it at a local shop. However, the end result did not please me. I had to wind up changing the project dimensions.
I used bubinga (inspired from your gadget station) and hard maple. I wanted to use figured maple but was unable to find any around here. The top and bottom pieces were dado jointed. The drawer shelves are doweled. The right side of the chest is for earrings. All four racks can be moved thanks to neodymium magnets. The left side of the chest is for necklaces. In the center there are five drawers. The bottom two drawers are bigger than the top three. The drawers have separators for rings, watches, bracelets, etc.
When you use a scraper on bubinga you get a very nice golden shiny surface even without finish. For the finish, I used wiping varnish (thanks for your formula) and applied four coats. After it dried I used antic wachs for wax all surfaces, especially on the drawers to ensure smooth movement.
Check it Out!
Premium Membership
Keep Up With TWW!
Shop our Affiliates
Latest Video
Proud to be Sponsored By:
Support our Advertisers
