Jointer table extensions for long planks

Shopmade outfeed tables extend the length of a jointer's tables for long lumber.

Jan 28, 2015

I occasionally need to joint a board that’s 12 ft. or longer in my one-man shop—a difficult if not impossible task on my 8-in. jointer. These two jointer table extensions solve the problem. Make the tops from cabinet-grade birch plywood and glue plastic laminate to the bottom face of each piece. Rabbet one end to attach a clamp block and rout a groove down the center for a plywood strongback.

Then glue them in and add screws through the top, and add plastic laminate to the top. The plywood gussets are glued into a groove in the foot and sandwiched between the two uprights, then glued and screwed in place. Connect the top with a carriage bolt through the uprights and the strongback. Three adjustable feet on each base make it easy to fine-tune the tables’ height and align them with the jointer bed.

Phillip T. Kehoe, Tammany Parish, LA

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Comments

cmascolo | Dec 14, 2021 09:16pm | #1
I use roller stands to solve this problem. They don't need to support the piece along its entire length, as all the support will be focused on the jointer during the operation. Just set the roller stands a hair below the top surface of the infeed and outfeed table to prevent them from lifting the workpiece above the jointer tables. With a slight bit of down pressure past the knives on the outfeed table, you are able to hold the board down. The roller stand beyond just serves to catch the board coming off the end of the table, relieving you of having to support the entire board. It works fine with an 8" jointer and a 12' long board. Just did it, in fact, face and edge jointing 10' long 6/4 walnut. Pretty heavy stuff.