Do I have to joint/plan my own boards?
user-169833
| Posted in General Discussion on
Woodworking is expensive! I really want to undertake a woodworking project, but I’m hesitant to dump $1000 for a jointer and a planer to make sure the solid wood is workable.
Has anyone here ever bought wood over the internet and asked the vendor to joint and plane it to thickness for them? If so, was the wood flat enough?
Any other suggestions for avoiding the cost of buying a jointer and planer?
I have a table saw, router and drill press. So, I can do a lot of operations post jointing and planing. I just don’t have $1000 to throw into this hobby at the moment.
Replies
The problem your going to run into is differances in location and climate conditions. If you pick your material up locally and have the vender mill it down to dimention, you will be OK. But if the material has to climatize, your work is for knot.
Ray
I tried to get by without a jointer and planer for awhile. Could not believe how much easier life was after I bought them. If you think you'll be doing woodworking for at least a year, go ahead and buy them! You can often find used tools, especially jointers, on Craig's list if you're in or near a city. Ask around here about what to look for in a used jointer. As far as a planer goes, if you can't afford a $350 machine, look at the smaller ones or older models. Just be sure it has a head-lock (e.g., don't get a small Grizzly planer).
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Just a couple ideas you might try.
There must be someone near you who has these tools sitting idle a good portion of the time. Try woodworking clubs, senior centers (a lot of us old guys have tools and time and love to work wood for the fun of it), high school/community college shop teachers, maybe even some millwork shops. Check the yellow pages and tool supply houses for postings.
Buy your materials from someone who also works the material and maybe for a slight add on fee they can do what you need.
These forums prove that most woodworkers will go out of their way to help find solutions or share their experiences.
Too, one can always do it the old way. Planes. Slower, more satisfying, less expensive. The hobby/interest can be many things and expense can be a problem.
Where are you located? Your profile isn't filled in.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Ever heard of something called a handplane? Wayback before electricity there were hand tools. Lots of furniture produced with them. Buy an old stanley or two and learn how to sharpen and use them properly. If you cant invest mucho $$$ just make an investment of your time.
Well you could do that but it sounds really really hard.
hard..? och g'waaaa.. if a semi skimmed eejit like me can manage to prep all my stock without recourse to wood-munchers, anybody can... all it takes is will-power and a few buckets of sweat...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
WT,
Not hard at all, and it provides a good excuse not to buy a gym membership, as it's a fine upper-body work out. The first couple of times will demonstrate that you have certain muscles that you have been neglecting to exercise properly; after a couple of dozen board feet of hand planing, you will have easily solved that particular problem. ;-)
There are also the added advantages that it is relatively quiet -- so you can have a conversation without having to shout and/or listen to music whilst you plane, it's nearly impossible to accidently remove body parts with a hand plane (you can do this if you're particularly ingenious....), you don't have to wear hearing and dust protection, and there's no dust getting into everything.
For the benefit of those reading this thread who are not familiar with the procedure, here's one that works pretty well (it's not the only way to do this, just what I use):
Hand planing (rough) lumber to dimension is not hard:<!----><!----><!---->
Ideally, you need 5 planes: a scrub plane, a #5, a #7 or #8, a #4 or #4½, and a low angle block plane, but you can get away with a #5 and a low angle block plane -- it's just a little harder. (Or you can use wooden equivalents.)<!----><!---->
You'll also need a good straight edge, an accurate try or combination square, a marking/panel gauge, and a pair of winding sticks (you can make these yourself). A card scraper (with holder, if desired) is also handy.<!----><!---->
Select a board face for the reference face. Use a pair of winding sticks and a straight edge to determine the high and low spots. Mark the high spots and use the scrub plane to reduce them to the approximate level of the rest of the board. Check for twist with the winding sticks. Correct with the scrub, as necessary. By this time, you should have a roughly flat (length and width) board with no twist and with a lot of troughs in it. Use the #5 to remove the troughs made by the scrub plane. (Planing diagonally or straight across the grain in both directions with the scrub plane and the #5 to remove the scrub troughs will significantly reduce tearout in most woods. Then follow up with the #5 by planing with the grain.) Once the troughs are mostly gone, use the #7 or #8 with the grain to plane the face flat. Once you get full length and full width shavings, your board is very, very close to FLAT. Check with the straight edge and winding sticks. Correct as necessary. Finish up with the smoothing plane (#4 or # 4½). Use the scraper on gnarly grain that gives your smoother a hard time, but be careful not to scrape a dip into the wood. Part 1 of 6, complete.<!----><!---->
Mark this face as your reference face. All other measurements of square, etc., will come from this face.<!----><!---->
Select one long edge, and use the #5 to roughly flatten/smooth it, and then use the #7/#8 to make it straight and square to the reference face. To do this, use your straight edge to find any local high spots and trim those with the #5 first. Then use the jointer plane to flatten. Be careful to keep the edge square to the reference face. Mark this edge as your reference edge. Part 2 of 6, complete.<!----><!---->
Use the reference edge and the try/combination square to mark one of the short edges square. Use a crosscut saw to saw (on the waste side!) almost to the marked line, if necessary. You can use the #5 to rough plane it flat and square to both the reference face and edge -- if the short edge is 4 to 6 or more inches wide; if not, then start with the LA block plane. (Chamfering the edges down to your cutting line will reduce tear out on the corner edges; alternative methods are to clamp a sacrificial piece of wood to the edge and let it tear out instead of your board, or to plane in from each outside edge.) Use the LA block plane to clean it up. Mark the other short edge to the desired length (saw it to rough length, if necessary) and do the same thing to the other short edge. Parts 3 and 4 of 6, complete.<!----><!---->
Use your combination square or a marking/panel gauge to mark the other (unplaned) long edge to the desired finished width. Saw to rough width, if necessary. As you did for the reference long edge, use the #5 to roughly smooth it down almost to the cutting line, and then use the #7/#8 to make it straight and square to the reference face. Check for straight and square to the reference face and to the 2 short edges. All 4 edges should now be square to the reference face and square to each other. Part 5 of 6, complete.<!----><!---->
Use your marking gauge, basing off the reference face, to mark the thickness of your board around all 4 edges. Flip the board over to the unplaned face and use the scrub plane to plane down almost to the marked reference lines (The bottoms of the troughs should be about 1/16th to 1/8th inch above the cutting line). Use the #5, and the #7 or #8, as before on the reference face, to make this face flat and square. Finish up with the smoothing plane and, as necessary, the scraper. Part 6 of 6, complete.<!----><!---->
At this time, you should have a board with 2 flat, smooth, and parallel faces, 4 flat and square edges (long edges parallel to each other, as well as short edges parallel to each other, and all 4 edges square to the two faces and to each other), and of the required thickness, length, and width, ready for whatever needs to be done next.<!----><!---->
The first board you do by hand will take what seems like an inordinately long time, but with just a little bit of practice, it becomes nearly as fast as -- and often faster than -- putting a board through a jointer, thickness planer, and sanding sequence.<!----><!---->
If you have a shooting board, you can use it to assist with steps 2, 3, 4, and 5.<!----><!---->
A couple of things to keep in mind:<!----><!---->
Keep your plane irons SHARP!! Your iron is sharp enough if you are able to take fine shavings (not saw dust) from end grain pine – even with a jack plane or a jointer.<!----><!---->
If you have only a couple of planes, open the mouth up for the initial rougher planing, and close the mouth for the finer, finish planing.<!----><!---->
Let the plane do the work -- don't force it.<!----><!---->
Skewing the plane often helps to reduce tear out and makes planing easier.<!----><!---->
Take deliberate, slow-to-moderate speed planing strokes. This helps maintain the plane vertical to the surface/edge of the board, and gives you better control over the quality of the planing.<!----><!---->
To help keep the edges square to the reference face, keep the tote (rear handle) vertical (you can usually do this by feel); you can also help keep the edges square by hooking your thumb around the rear of the front knob and curling your fingers under the plane sole against the face of the board, using your fingers as a kind of fence (don’t do this if you’ll end up with a finger full of splinters).<!----><!---->
Try to keep the amount of wood removed from each face roughly equal; otherwise any internal stresses present may cause the board to warp or cup again, after you have put all that work and effort into making it flat.<!----><!---->
Expect to get a good upper body work out!<!----><!---->
The listed sequence is not the only sequence that this can be done in, but it works quite well. YMMV.<!----><!---->
Good luck, and have fun! There's nothing quite like the sense of accomplishment you get when you have taken a piece of rough-sawn timber and turned it into a nicely finished, dimensioned board, using only hand-powered tools.
.<!----><!----><!---->
Tschüß!<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
<!----> <!---->
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
-- A.C. Clarke
excellent post James..Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Mike,
<<excellent post James..>>
Thank you, sir!
Hadn't seen any of your posts for a while, up until a couple of days ago. Glad to see you're back!
.<!----><!----><!---->
Tschüß!<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
<!----> <!---->
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
-- A.C. Clarke
Edited 3/15/2007 12:42 pm by pzgren
I've been around... just keeping quiet.. my dodgy ticker kept me outa the shop for a while but I'm starting to get back into the swing of things again...
Not before time too.. the list of projects still to tackle is getting scary..Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Mike,
Glad to hear you're feeling better.
Have to agree with you about the project list getting longer and longer.... At least the warmer weather will permit more shop time to try and get some of them done....
Take care and stay healthy!!
.<!----><!----><!---->
Tschüß!<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
<!----> <!---->
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
-- A.C. Clarke
James, you did it again, KUDOS, great info for all. When does the book come out ? I want one as a bench reference. Hey, that would be a great title " A Woodworker's Bench Reference" by The tank comander. Happy St. Patrick's day.
Absolutely! I copied/pasted into Wordpad and will print and display on the wall in the woodshop.
Merci pz,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Paddy,
Thank you for the kind words! It'll probably be a while before anyone would be willing to publish anything with my name in the author's position.....I do like the title, though!! ;-)
It's kinda interesting.....most of what is in that little piece is a distillation/compilation of things that I have learned from others here on Knots; about all I can really claim to have done is to have put it all together in one place....
How's the move coming along?
<<Happy St. Patrick's day.>>
And a very Happy St. Patrick's Day, to you, too, sir!!
<<Hoisting a dram or three of RedBreast in your direction, chased by a nip o' Guinness!!>>
Am sending a good Irish joke to you via email. Enjoy!
.<!----><!----><!---->
Tschüß!<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
<!----> <!---->
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
-- A.C. Clarke
...and by the time he has acquired the requisite hand planes to do that he will have spent the thousand bucks -- at least, if he is buying Lie-Neilsen or Veritas planes.
Maybe he should do both: buy the jointer and planer, and buy the hand planes, that way he'll be ready to accomodate whatever advice he is given here on Knots!
That's what I'd do -- for sure! (just hope my wife doesn't find out.)
Pzaxtl,
<<...and by the time he has acquired the requisite hand planes to do that he will have spent the thousand bucks -- at least, if he is buying Lie-Neilsen or Veritas planes.>>
True...so very true; them LNs are a wee bit on the pricey side..... That's why I always put in the caveat that you can make it work pretty well with just a couple of planes, if you need to....
OTOH, with a bit of careful shopping (and a bit of luck), he could get all but the scrub in decent vintage editions for about $150 - $200, maybe less, at yard sales or on the net. And he could get the ECE wooden scrub new for about $75. That would leave a couple of hundred $$$ for wood to practice his planing skills on..... ;-)
Here's to the next addition(s) to your plane collec...er inventory!!!
.<!----><!----><!---->
Tschüß!<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
<!----> <!---->
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
-- A.C. Clarke
Johnny, from the tone of your note and question, you seem to think you pay your money and you are 'out' of the money forever. Not true. If you shop carefully and buy good quality used machines in good shape, you will be able to use the machines and eventually recoup most or all of your investment, depending on how hard you use/abuse the machines, and how well you shop. I just spent a year slowly acquiring my shop full of machinery. I had budget to go out and buy top of the line new machines if I wanted, but I didn't want to do that. I shopped carefully, took my time, and got some great deals on great machines. I fully expect to get back close to 100 percent of my investment AND I have the machines I need, to use as much as I want, till I'm ready to quit and get my money back. In fact, I just sold my smaller machines that I upgraded. No problem. 5 ads on Craigs list, one week and everything is gone. Those machines have new homes with new owners who are happy to have them. Eventually most of them will get sold again, and on, and on. Seriously, most people never come close to wearing out a good wood working machine...
The problem with getting someone else to do the work is that wood is dynamic. It's constantly moving. When you machine it square and flat, it only stays that way a short time. You either use it then and there for your project or know that as it sits around, it is going to move around on you as it absorbs and loses moisture from the environment. If you can get the wood processed locally, you can make that work, but forget having someone mill the wood and ship it to you, that's not going to work. Case in point, go down to a big box store and find a straight 2 X 4. It was straight when it was milled. Is it straight in the store? Hard to do, finding a straight 2 X 4, right?
Hope this helps...and good luck...Jeff
I did a whole bunch of work on my house with rough lumber with only a planer, no jointer, and now I still make stuff from lumberyard wood with out replaning. Jointing with a hand plane is not hard. Don't tie all your work to machinery, you lose to much of the enjoyment of working by hand.
Pedro
Good question Johnny.
I suggest that you buy a couple of hand planes, nothing fancy, just good users. Then find a dealer who offers good services. You will be charged by the foot for jointing/planing. Use the planes for small adjustments. The important thing? Start woodworking. Your lack of tools will make you face a few hills but nothing you can't climb.
There are lots of ways to do what you want to do without either of those tools. Some people joint on the tablesaw. You can use your router to joint. You can use your router (with a jig) instead of a planer. You can, as others mentioned, use hand planes to do both. You can buy some types of finished lumber at the Big Orange Box or at the Big Blue&Gray Box. You can go to a hardwood supplier and have them finish it.
Groff & Groff down in Quarryville, PA will do it for a little extra $. It's been a while since I've been there, but used to be $.10/b.f. for each operation. They plane both sides and joint one edge for $.30/b.f. Then you can joint the remaining edge on your tablesaw.
Johnny: as others have already said, you don't have to buy a j/p to get flat, square stock. But I do think you should do it yourself. In my experience, very few commerical milling operations will produce flat, square stock. I've tried making do and it was a big mistake. The joints will never fit well. FWW had an article about using a planer to face joint boards. Portable planers aren't $1000. I recently read a thread where several people loved their Makita portable planers. AndWith a table saw and a jig you can get square edges once you have a flat face.
I don't own a jointer and don't want one. I use a 12" lunchbox planer ( Dewalt) with a planer sled built to joint faces - one machine, relatively inexpensive, two operations. Supplemented with a scrub plane, it takes me where I need to go.
would you mind describing your "planer sled" and how it works. Thanks
Frank
I built the sled featured in a FWW article a while back (2 - 3 yrs?) - don't have the issue reference handy.
The concept is to have a flat board (ply, melamine,etc) as a base to hold the board to be jointed, put the rough board on top and shim under the high spots so the pressure rollers from the planer will not push the board down. Run the board through till the top is level and then flip it over to dress to finish thickness. A dedicated sled as described in the article just gives you a series of moveable wedges to shim the workpiece. I've done similar work by using CA glue to attach shims under the high spots.
Well there are two trains of throught on this. One if you are going to do lots of wood working then over time it would make sense to buy a jointer. Second, if you are only going to make the ocasional project, then by all means pay the vendor to do it for you. Depending on the supplier, they will charge you for what every you want done. Generally they add so many cents per BF for the service i.e. .20 for flattening a surface, add another nickle for a straitline ripped edge. Up to full facing services. Itsa all about cost and what you can live with. I bought some mahagony once, and the guy had such a cheap price, I had him plane and surface for me even though I had the tools. I figure my time is worth something. Generally I do surface my own wood, but you don't have to break the bank to do it. I have a 6" jointer that was about 350.00. It gets the job done, but the boards need to be small enought to fit on the table (about 5.5"). Second issue is table length, the smaller the jointer the shorter the infeed table that makes it more difficult. Another option thats even cheaper, is a hand jointer. I used that on my last project and beleive it or not, I liked it better than the 6" small powered jointer I have. I invested 350 in a LN #7 jointer. I rough cut the pieces down to approximate size and used the old elbows to flatten it. I got Rob Cosmans video Rough to ready, and Bam, I was a pro in no time. It was quiet and I actually felt good at the end. Now if you are in a production mode, you will not go fast with this method, but I am a hobbyist, so big deal. For me, I will be buying a bigger jointer brobably the 8" Grizzly, but it will only be 595.00 + shipping. So you can do differnt things, its all about budget and time. Good luck on the decision.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Hello Bones,
You mentioned you have a 6" jointer. Would you care to share the brand and whether or not you are staisfied with it?
I am now in the hunt for one. I enjoy new tools but would consider used if condition is good. I normally do not enjoy fixing someone's neglect. The $ incentive would have to be really good. At one point I owned and operated a service station with full repair bays, cleaned up too many of other's messes. Anyway....
Please see this thread and let me know if you think this is worth doing for a jointer.35076.4 and 35076.11 here in KNOTS. Note Forestgirl's photos. I would like to do this with a jointer if I can locate a proper one.
I'm open to anyone's comments or suggestions. Thank you.
bum...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I have an old Delta 6" with an aluminum fence. That fence has caused some heartburn, but it was usable. By heartburn, I mean hard to keep it true. But that was only for the edge jointing. The infeed table was small and thats the biggest problem. The longer and bigger the infeed table the longer the piece you can easily feed across. For example, If I put a board in more that 48" I had a hard time keeping even pressure because the butt hanging off the table had the gravity thing working against it. It also ticked me off to have to rip boards then joint and glue. The end product was fine, but what a pain. Thats one of the reasones I went with the LN#7. I could leave my boards wide, and after a little trying, could flatten pieces rather quickly. Just had to use some sweat equity. Ideally, I would like to have the 8" jointer. It will cut most of the stock I would buy. For the ocassional 10" or 12" boards I can find, I'll just use the onld #7. If you do look at one, I would go look at the Grizzly's. they get great reviews and you can get a lot for your money. I have a grizzly 10" cabinet saw and 17" BS, and their horizontal boring machine. All have been good tools. I'm trying to decide if I should spring for the spiral inserts. I have a magnetic jig for setting the blades on my 6" delta and its a royal pain in the A!@#. I'll probably put the old delta on Ebay or local paper. Good luck on the decision. If you can swing it, get an 8".
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Edited 3/15/2007 2:59 pm by bones
Thank you for the time and input. Exactly what I need to hear. Forestgirl also mentioned I should check out Grizzly. I see on their web site that they have a new 6" b/t model but now I'm leaning to the cabinet style or maybe (???) an 8". I can always use the other MSUV for a router table set-up with one of my extra routers. That way it can always be ready.
If I talk real sweet to the DW.....................;0)
I've also have to start checking on a good quality metal detector. Given the cost of extra knives, the cost of good quality sawblades, etc. it doesn't make sense to skimp on this purchase. It could pay for itself in only about two "Oopses", I think.
bum...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Before you commit hard earned, maybe we should mention some other aspects that should be part of the big picture...
If you commit to wood munchers (anything electrickery powered that can transmography a perfectly useable piece of wood into a pile of chips in next to no time) you're comitting yourself to working inside their limitations for your future projects, i.e. although your thicknesser may have a 12" capacity, you'll never use that if all your sticks need to be milled small enough to fit the width of your jointer.
The free standing versions of these machines really hog shop space (size of the machine plus double the length of the stock you're working), and the portable versions are portable in name only... you really don't wanna be humping these brutes around too often... Dedicated shop carts would be advisable.
Additionally, the speed that these things can generate a mountain of mess to dispose of (in addition to the distance it can be flung) demands that you give very serious consideration to an efficient dust extraction system. DX's have their own list of pro's and cons, among which you'd have to include being a serious fire hazzard unless you take steps to mitigate the dangers. I started out thinking woodworking would be straight forward if I chose this route, and quickly tired of the mess, the noise, the limitations and the dangers. It bugs me now to look at the machinery and realise what I could have bought for the price...
On the other handdd.... (says he trying reaaaaally hard not to sound biased)... ye aulde handraulic school of stock prep has none of the above limitations and hazzards; while attempts to reaquaint yourself with a #7 can quickly reduce your physique to that of a gibbering wreck, I've yet to hear of anyone blowing their back out just by moving it form one end of the shop to the other. Additionally, your limitations for stock size are set by how far you can reach and how strong your bench is. It's amusing to watch someone try to find the glue lines in a 23" wide panel when there's none there to be found, and the look on their faces when ya tell 'em.."it's all done by hand with hand tools" is priceless...
Bottom line... it's your shop, your hard earned and your decision... Either way you'd be well advised to do a bunch of research before making a decision.Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
I understand. In the many years I have enjoyed this fondness for wood fondling I've developed many techniques. Not the least of which was "buying" someone's time to do some of the prep. Manual Labor, he and I are good friends. For years I worked out of "the garage". You know the drill. Drag everything out from hiding, do some work, hide everything again, put the DW's car back in, etc. I even had a network of guys that used to do swap & trade stuff. Their machines were idle, so they would work my material, they needed some small car repair, I'd help out. Actually there are a lot of guys with machinery that sits, a lot. They are happy to help if for nothing else to turn the equipment on and run it.
We just moved after 26 years and I have FINALLY put aside a space of my own for this very type of work. I have, however, moved a long ways away from the "old network". We are three hours from the nearest freeway and 4 hours from any major city or airport. The nearest large town is about 8-10K people about 30 miles from here.
Now I have an excuse to get my own extra toys. I have modest space and budget but I do have all the basics including a fairly new dust system. The jointer is actually my last piece, so to speak. The munchers and the hand tools all compliment each other in my style of relaxation.
After almost a year and a half of fixing, selling,packing,moving,building new and unpacking again it is exciting to be almost to the point of doing the woodworking again. Many new projects in a new home and new garage/workshop/studio apt. building. Finish work in the guest apartment will be first priority. Kitchen & bath cabinets, book/display shelves, wainscoting, finish trim, some furniture. I feel like a kid in the candy store. This is all in a separate building next to our new home and the wife will probably rarely see me. All less than a mile from the greatest kite flying beach in the world to boot. Yeah, I play with those, too....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
that hot shop shuffle reminds me of my very first project.. working on stuff for the living room, in the living room, while trying to live IN the living room...
fly (well....drive as ffast as I could hussle through rush hour traffic) home, drag out the kit I needed... measure, mark, remeasure, re-mark, clamp, cut, sand, glue n clamp before breaking out the vac, tidy everything away and have the plase looking respectable(ish) again by 8 pm (curfew)... 9 looooooooooong months o that mess.... ughhhh...
In the absence of a garage, I claimed the spare room... absolute lack of space means wood munchers just aren't viable (don't ask how I found that out)... so it's me and the planes... the job takes as long as it takes...
I mean... it's supposed to be fun, right..?? ;)
keeps me outa the pub at any rate...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
My choice has been to buy my wood planed and jointed. The only problem is that by the time the wood has acclimated, it is no longer perfectly flat and square. Even this has not been that big a problem except for building table tops which are always a challenge. I have furnished most of my house this way with some pretty nice mission/greene & greene results.
I look forward to the day when I am done furnishing the house and that pressure is off. By that time, the kids will be gone, I may be retired, and (god willing) I will have nothing better to do but ponder whether life is better lived as a hand tool craftsman, a Norm-type power tool wizard, or as someone who pays a little more to have his lumber professionally jointed and planed.
Did not have one for the first 10 years I did woodworking. Somehow I managed to turn out some nice stuff, but it is definitely easier with one. When I did not have one I simply ripped lumber piles apart to find the few naturally flat boards they had. Also, I was limited to standard stock thicknesses which can be a pain. However, don’t let the absence of one stop you from making things you’ll find the money given time.
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