Comments on: Which Comes First: Planer or Jointer?- Question of the Week http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/ Education and entertainment for the modern woodworker. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:19:02 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Thomas Barclay http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-48353 Thomas Barclay Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:54:29 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-48353 Whereas I agree on the value of good hand tools (and really undrestanding how to use them), I'd disagree with you on the good + cheap part. A good bedrock design #4 plane will set you back hundreds of dollars, as an example. Crappy hand tools are bad - as a friend and I found out while taking part of the Fine Furniture making course at Rosewood Studios in Almonte, Ontario. He had a combination square that turned out not to be and it was a mid-priced brand (Not a Starrett, like the school was using for instance, which is a bit pricey but an excellent tool). You'll pay a fair bit if you want good planes, scrapers, draw knives, chisels, and so forth, but they are worth every penny. To be able to prepare boards for finish without touching a sander or sandpaper is amazing, as one example. I will also point out that you may have to or want to finish lumber with your hand tools, but taking a crooked, bowed, and twisted rough-sawn board to six-way square with a hand plane is a labour of love and time. Using a planer or jointer to get it there fast (and then a plane to get the finish beautiful) is much faster. So one can still see value in power tools. Find places like Rosewood, take a course from a fantastic teacher who knows hand tools thoroughly, and buy some good ones - you'll be amazed at the things you can do and how beautiful they en up being. Just expect them to take a bit longer to finish. Whereas I agree on the value of good hand tools (and really undrestanding how to use them), I’d disagree with you on the good + cheap part. A good bedrock design #4 plane will set you back hundreds of dollars, as an example.

Crappy hand tools are bad – as a friend and I found out while taking part of the Fine Furniture making course at Rosewood Studios in Almonte, Ontario. He had a combination square that turned out not to be and it was a mid-priced brand (Not a Starrett, like the school was using for instance, which is a bit pricey but an excellent tool).

You’ll pay a fair bit if you want good planes, scrapers, draw knives, chisels, and so forth, but they are worth every penny. To be able to prepare boards for finish without touching a sander or sandpaper is amazing, as one example.

I will also point out that you may have to or want to finish lumber with your hand tools, but taking a crooked, bowed, and twisted rough-sawn board to six-way square with a hand plane is a labour of love and time. Using a planer or jointer to get it there fast (and then a plane to get the finish beautiful) is much faster. So one can still see value in power tools.

Find places like Rosewood, take a course from a fantastic teacher who knows hand tools thoroughly, and buy some good ones – you’ll be amazed at the things you can do and how beautiful they en up being. Just expect them to take a bit longer to finish.

]]> By: Frank Kovach http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-47590 Frank Kovach Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:20:56 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-47590 Do you have a special sled or jig for that technique? I have never heard about it, but now it sounds so obviously simply brilliant that it has to work. But I can't quite picture in my head how you're holding the wood in place. Do you have a special sled or jig for that technique? I have never heard about it, but now it sounds so obviously simply brilliant that it has to work. But I can’t quite picture in my head how you’re holding the wood in place.

]]> By: Michael http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-42374 Michael Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:18:53 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-42374 I own neither a power jointer or power planer. I do most of my stock prep with hand planes. Part of the reason is cost, Part of the reason is space and the rest is noise. Even if you do go with power tools they will still not give you a finished surface that is ready for the finish of your choice. You will have to follow up with sandpaper or a smoothing hand plane. A good smoothing hand plane will clean up the tool marks left behind by the spinning blades. Once you learn the little tricks about sharpening the blade you will spend much less on sandpaper so the cost in the long run is the same or cheaper. The nice thing too about hand planes is that you can use them to joint an edge. So I would recomend getting a power planer if you have the funds and space. Supliment that with a jointer hand plane and a smoother hand plane. That should cover 90% of your stock preperation needs. I own neither a power jointer or power planer. I do most of my stock prep with hand planes. Part of the reason is cost, Part of the reason is space and the rest is noise.

Even if you do go with power tools they will still not give you a finished surface that is ready for the finish of your choice. You will have to follow up with sandpaper or a smoothing hand plane. A good smoothing hand plane will clean up the tool marks left behind by the spinning blades. Once you learn the little tricks about sharpening the blade you will spend much less on sandpaper so the cost in the long run is the same or cheaper.

The nice thing too about hand planes is that you can use them to joint an edge. So I would recomend getting a power planer if you have the funds and space. Supliment that with a jointer hand plane and a smoother hand plane. That should cover 90% of your stock preperation needs.

]]> By: thewoodwhisperer http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-12410 thewoodwhisperer Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:15:33 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-12410 Greg. The planer/jointer is just that, a planer AND a jointer. The machine actually "transforms" from one machine to the other. So if it has 12" blades on it, you have a 12" jointer in one mode, and a 12" planer in the other. And the trade-off is you get a super wide jointer, but you might be limited by the planer aspect. There are indeed some occasions when we plane things that are way wider than the capacity of our jointers. But for most shops, a 12" planer is more than adequate. You may want to find a store that has one of these machines in stock so you can see the tool for yourself in person. Greg. The planer/jointer is just that, a planer AND a jointer. The machine actually “transforms” from one machine to the other. So if it has 12″ blades on it, you have a 12″ jointer in one mode, and a 12″ planer in the other. And the trade-off is you get a super wide jointer, but you might be limited by the planer aspect. There are indeed some occasions when we plane things that are way wider than the capacity of our jointers. But for most shops, a 12″ planer is more than adequate. You may want to find a store that has one of these machines in stock so you can see the tool for yourself in person.

]]> By: Greg http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-12409 Greg Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:12:32 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-12409 (continued from above) I suppose, though, with the combo you cannot plane as wide boards as you can with a dedicated planer. (continued from above)
I suppose, though, with the combo you cannot plane as wide boards as you can with a dedicated planer.

]]> By: Greg http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-12408 Greg Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:03:21 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-12408 Can someone please provide some background info on the combo planer/jointer? I'm thinking it's a jointer that just also happens to have a wide-enough blade so that you can flatten the wide side of a board too. In the end, you can have 4 flat slides but don't have any guarantee that the sides would be parallel to each other...??? Is this all correct? I'm debating whether to start out with a planer (that seems to have been the most popular answer here versus a jointer) or getting a combo planer/jointer. Can someone please provide some background info on the combo planer/jointer? I’m thinking it’s a jointer that just also happens to have a wide-enough blade so that you can flatten the wide side of a board too. In the end, you can have 4 flat slides but don’t have any guarantee that the sides would be parallel to each other…??? Is this all correct?

I’m debating whether to start out with a planer (that seems to have been the most popular answer here versus a jointer) or getting a combo planer/jointer.

]]> By: Steve http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-10521 Steve Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:49:14 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-10521 I purchase my lumber S2S so having a jointer to flatten one side is never an issue. My big planer is a 30 YO Rockwell 24". My portable planer is a 20 YO Ryobi 10" that does all the small work, I love it. I can also plane rough lumber in it and it comes out flat, those little rubber rollers can't flatten a cupped board like the big Rockwell can. Instead of a jointer I just have a very nice, sharp blade on my small Delta TS. I rip one edge and it's as clean and straight as a jointer could ever be. I purchase my lumber S2S so having a jointer to flatten one side is never an issue. My big planer is a 30 YO Rockwell 24″. My portable planer is a 20 YO Ryobi 10″ that does all the small work, I love it. I can also plane rough lumber in it and it comes out flat, those little rubber rollers can’t flatten a cupped board like the big Rockwell can.

Instead of a jointer I just have a very nice, sharp blade on my small Delta TS. I rip one edge and it’s as clean and straight as a jointer could ever be.

]]> By: thewoodwhisperer http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-10386 thewoodwhisperer Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:25:11 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-10386 I would actually vote for the combo. They are really taking off in popularity and I do think you will enjoy the extra capacity for jointing. I would actually vote for the combo. They are really taking off in popularity and I do think you will enjoy the extra capacity for jointing.

]]> By: Bruce http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-10383 Bruce Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:43:31 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-10383 You guys have cover it, so new question. Without worrying about space. 12in planer/jointer combo [ie., Grizzly G0633, Jet JJP-12, Rojec MSP310M] or 15in planer and 6in/8in joiner. Does the 3 in difference on the planer make that much difference because either way the cost of purchase [new] is about the same. You guys have cover it, so new question. Without worrying about space. 12in planer/jointer combo [ie., Grizzly G0633, Jet JJP-12, Rojec MSP310M] or 15in planer and 6in/8in joiner. Does the 3 in difference on the planer make that much difference because either way the cost of purchase [new] is about the same.

]]> By: ScoopLV http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-9390 ScoopLV Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:24:06 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/which-comes-first-planer-or-jointer-question-of-the-week/#comment-9390 Don't forget to shop for used tools on CL and similar. You can often get two quality 10-year-old tools for the price of one new one. Get a copy of "Workshop Machines" by Taunton Press first if you don't know much about shop machines. Don’t forget to shop for used tools on CL and similar. You can often get two quality 10-year-old tools for the price of one new one. Get a copy of “Workshop Machines” by Taunton Press first if you don’t know much about shop machines.

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