Delta 6-1/8 Jointer $209.00 Good deal?
rodknee | Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I’m just begining to work with wood and for most projects it seems that I would need a jointer to true up the edges. Thats all a jointer does right, true up the edges.
I don’t want to sink alot of money into a jointer but still get a decent one, I know you get what you pay for . But I have been reading on different sites and it seems that people seem to like Delta tools alright. So on Sears.com they have a Delta 6-1/8 jointer, bench top, 2 blade cutterhead for $209.00 ( on sale ). You all think this one would be a good one for my money? I dont have alot of it 🙂
Replies
Yes, No, Maybe.
Yes it is better than nothing and it will do what it is advertised to do.
No it is not as good as some of the bigger heavier jointers and you will be limited by what you can do with it..
Maybe it would be a good idea to look for a used jointer. I bought a Rockwell/Delta 8" for $350 US. It was solid and in great shape. I have seen smaller 6" machines go for a lot less. Most of the tools in my shop are industrial quality and almost all were bought second hand for less than I would of paid for smaller home use tools.
Scott C. Frankland
"This all could have been prevented if their parents had just used birth control"
rodknee
I have one of those (paid $269). It lacks a lot in adjustability and the short length of the infeed/outfeed tables makes it difficult to joint longer pieces. However, it works fine for a hobbyist, and the small, portable size makes it usable in a small shop. If you anticipate making mostly smaller things, it should be fine.
However, finding a good used floor model of something larger would be better, if you have the space. If you are unsure, have you looked into router edge jointing or a better tqable saw blade.
And yes, you use the jointer to true up one edge and one face.
So can you successfully "true up the edges" with a router table or a good table saw?, You know untill I can afford a nicer jointer. Also, for the longest time i thought a planer "trued" the face. (Yes I am a newbie to all of this).
So besides keeping my open for a good used floor model, any suggestions for an affordable and good jointer? Because right around where I live I don't think there is a large second hand ww market. Just a small town where I am.
thanks rodknee
As Stan said, jointers are used to both "true up edges" (make the edge 90* to the face, and straight) and to flatten the face of a board. A 2-blade cutterhead on a benchtop jointer with a relatively short bed is certainly going to have its limitations. If you think you'll be doing hobby projects with mostly small-dimensioned wood and would be making fairly light use of the jointer, the bench-top might be OK, but if there's any chance you'll need it for more ... uhhhh, "normal" woodworking, you'd be much, much better off adding another $150 or so and getting a floor model, with a 3-knife cutterhead and 4-foot table.
If you need some time to save up, the edge jointing can be accomplished in the meantime with a router and a straightedge, or a tablesaw and an excellent "glue-line" blade (Freud, CMT, Forrest and others make them, they run from about $70 on up).
Grizzly makes an enclosed stand floor model jointer, 6"x47", 1HP motor, on sale through 9/1/03 for $305 + $55 shipping. If you live near Bellingham, WA, Muncy, PA, or Springfield, MO, you could go in and take a look.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 7/10/2003 11:18:04 PM ET by forestgirl
I was busy typing while my question was being answered. Thank you and I will look into that Grizzly. That does not sound like a bad deal at all. 'cause I am sure I will want to be doing "normal" ww projects :-]
Thanks
Edited 7/10/2003 11:26:26 PM ET by rodknee
rodknee
Agree with others to wait an get the bigger model. It will be much more stable and have longer bed (table) which is called for on longer stock. You can get a 6" floor model reasonable. I got a Sunhill for $325 plus $90 truck freight. The Bridge-Wood out of Pennsylvania is another bargain.
I did edge jointing on a router table until recently. A home-made split fence with a shim between the front fence and base fence works great for edges. I suggest you invest in a good router first, then a larger jointer latter. That's if you don't have a good router now. With a table and fence, or free-hand it will preform numerous functions that you will always require in the future as your WW skills progress.
The jointer trues edges an one face of stock. Stock that is run through a thickness planer that is cupped, bowed or twisted will remain that way. The thickness planer will reduce the thickness and square one side, but only if the down side of the stock has been flattened before it it put through the thicknesser. If it goes in cupped, it will come out cupped. It will come out thinner, though. Think of the jointer as a brother-sister act. Big brother jointer gets and edges and one face square, little sister planer thins an trims till the stock is finish ready. ha..ha..
Have a good one an don't be afraid to ask questions, the experienced guys & gals will come to the rescue. I, like you am still learning..
sarge..jt
Thanks alot you all. So I think for know I will get a good router and table and try to true my edges that way untill I get into it more. Any recommendations?
I'd suggest that you make the router table and learn some woodworking as you go. I can't praise putting the router into a table saw extension enough. Buy a mounting plate to hold your router and put it into a laminate table extension. Laminate several layers of bitch or baltic birtch (better) plywood to make a thick, solid table for the router. Buy a commercial plate that will fit the router you'll put into the table. Put the extension on the right side if you're right handed, vise versa if your left handed. That's the side where you'll have the long side of boards you're cutting on the table saw.
If you put the router into the tablesaw extension, you'll have a rock solid mounting table, the use of the table saw fence, the use of the mitre gauge (maybe), and a longer extension on the table saw. All wins. And, you won't have a sepatate router table to take up floor or bench space.
Which router? Search the archives. There are almost as many "which router?" posts as "which table saw?" posts.
If you don't have a table saw, well, you might want to delay buying the jointer and get a good table saw.
rodknee
Forest Girl an telemike are correct. You can build a table cheaper than you can buy and have a better one. First is the router an for a first a combo kit would be best. You can use one base to mount to the table plate and the other as your free-hand an plunge for off the table applications.
Take you time an chose an plan carefully. It doesn't happen over-nite. Forrest Girl, telemike and all these old folks have been at it a while. This is my second day on the job and still on probation. ha..ha..
Good luck with your new venture...
sarge..jt
Rodknee, pay no attention to Sarge's comments about "experience" (he's the ol' pro around here)! And, he's got one the nicest shops. Truth be told, I did not make my router table, although I did make my fence. I bought the Lee Valley Veritas solid steel router table-top and fashioned a frame to hang it off my table saw. Cost new is $149, was lucky to get a used one.
The fence was fun to make, but I preferred the Veritas table with it's universal router-mounting clamps, innovative design, flat-forever steel and portability.
http://www.islandpastimes.com/Knots/VeritasRT1.htm
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=43885&category=1&SID=&ccurrency=2
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Some people spend all their time making tools while others make furniture. I think I know what category Sarge is in!!!
I wish I could post a picture of my table -- it would have all of your rolling on the floor. It's a piece of junk on which I've turned out perfectly good work for years. Ah, well, we all have different priorities.
boatman
I have a house full of furniture and a lot of shelters locally are full made with donated shorts from locals. Eight of my friends an I try to make about 400 wooden toys for needy kids each Xmas. Join us in mid-September. Bring your own no-doze.
I did do a 50' custom, round parts counter for our new facility at work the frist of the year. I also built new trophy cases for a new local High School I donated. Built a desk for the Scout-Master that was mine back in 1959. He still is the local Scout-Master after 50 years this year. Got an 18th Century micro-wave table (he..) working for the spouse right now.
Yep... In my spare time I make tools an love every minute of it. ha..ha..
Ya'll come to see us in September, ya hear..
sarge..jt
Sarge, do you know yet which toy you're making for this Christmas? Would you be willing to pass along ideas/plans from past Christmas's that we might copy over here on the Left Coast??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
First Lady of the Forest: Now comeon you know damn well that good old Santa Never gives his toy plans away..Leave it to you to always be the one to break the rules..ha ha...
ToolDoc
Jamie
It depends on what size, quanity an species of shorts we have by early September. There are a large number of people in-directly involved. Through community oraganizations an local WW clubs, they are aware we can use their shorts if they have them available. They save them all year and we designate a delivery roundavue in early Sept. We throw in a free southern barbeque, so it turns into a little social get-together.
Once we have the shorts consolidated an sorted in sizes and species, we make a pot of coffee and stare at the stock a while. Everyone has a note-pad and is jotting down ideas. When the coffee runs out, we compare notes and that's when it's decided what's on the Xmas menu for that year. We bring in a few more creative folks (women, local artist) for the planning session. We guys all are good with guy toys, but come up short on little girl toys.
I personally love bows an arrows with blunt tips an boomerangs. I get the feathers from a chicken processing plant in Gainesville. Ga. Hey, I'm a guy. Little guys an big guys think this way. "If you can throw it or shoot it, it's fantastic". ha..ha..
If you consider doing it out there, you will need to contact some of the local community service clubs an chruches to see if they have a program to distribute when the time comes. Also to find those that have a base of needy that depend on them. This is a year round deal an has to rely on many faucets. The short donations, the design an execution and the timely delivery. It requires a year round effort to keep everything running smoothly on all eight cylinders. Once you iniatially set it up an all those links that make up the big chain see the benefits, it's a piece of cake.
They all see that the effort that goes in, is worth the human reward that comes out. I spend some long hours during late Sept. till late Dec. with this. Down a lot of coffee and have a great time working wih my friends as I usually work alone. It's time consuming and requires dedicated effort to get good results. But, it's a better mental reward than watching Unga point at things on the Price is Right. I will say though, Unga is a great pointer! If she lived down south, she would make a great candidate for a "bird dog". ha..ha..
Have a lovely day, m'lady....
sarge..jt
I see what you mean about a year-'round effort! Would have to get to know many, many WWers around here to make that one work. Thanks for the explanation of the process though. There's an organization called Helpline here on the Island that coordinates most of the community help efforts.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
One of the great things about this forum is that you can get lots of great advice from many different sources. I agree with everything that has been posted in this discussion. A large floor model jointer is definitely superior to the Delta benchtop unit, and it is perfectly feasible to joint edges using a router table.
However, let me add that I own the Delta benchtop unit that you are considering, and I have gotten lots of great use out of it. My shop is set up in my double garage, and I like to park both vehicles in the garage in winter, so having the portable unit has been a great advantage for me.
I bought my jointer six or seven years ago, and have made a lot of fine furniture with it, but I know it's limitations, and mostly use it to joint boards less than five feet in length and less than six inches in width.
Would I like a larger floor model? Absolutely, in a heartbeat. But having that benchtop jointer (and a portable planer) has allowed me to buy rough lumber, and tackle a lot of projects that have turned out reasonably well. If you've got the space and the budget, buy the bigger jointer, you won't regret it. However, a couple of hundred bucks into the benchtop unit is not a huge expense, and I think you'll be pretty happy with the unit (if you know it's limitations and use it properly).
My two cents.
mercury
An a very valid presentation indeed. Be difficult to dispute the logical approach. Space is a big issue. Especially if you don't have it. I solved the problem by keeping junk cars so I can keep them outside an the nice tools inside. If the junk cars fail, you go to public transportation or walk. Or, just stay home an work with the nice tools in the space the dependable cars could have been. ha..ha..
Have a good evening...
sarge..jt
Rodknee, I was in a similar situation when I bought "my" jointer -- I wanted it one, couldn't afford one, and had a hard time justifying spending money for one. Turned out that a woodworking acquaintance had similar priorities for his $$. We ended up going in together on a scratch-n-dent Jet 6" jointer (he's very conscientious about his tools, so we get along well). Don't suppose you have a friend or acquaitance who might fall into that category?
Clarification on the face-jointing (echoing Sarge): A planer will make Face B parallel to Face A. If Face A isn't flat, planing Face B ====> still not flat. That's where the jointer (or a hand plane) comes in. You use the jointer to make Face A flat, and then that is the reference face for when you plane the wood. Got it? Good! (I struggled with understanding this too).
Good router and table: There are many good options for routers out there these days. The combo kits, where you get a fixed and a plunge base with the router, are cool and quite flexible. Or, the newish Milwaukee router with the above-the-table height adjustment capability. Not advisable to buy an underpowered (less than 1.5HP, better yet 2+HP) piece of inexpensive junk (read: Ryobi, Black&Decker, hope I'm not offending anyone). Porter Cable, Makita, Hitachi, Milwaukee, DeWalt are all good brands. Most here will recommend you build your own table and fence. There are dozens of plans out there, from a piece of plywood on top of a garbage can to an enclosed table with lots of drawers, dust collection and other bells and whistles.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 7/11/2003 1:26:25 AM ET by forestgirl
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