I am setting up a small shop in my basement. Since my space is limited I plan on concentrating on small projects such as boxes and perhaps humidors. I would like to buy a joiner but I am having a hard time deceiding if it should be a 6 inch or 8 inch. I have looked at the Grizzly G0586 but it is quite large and heavy. Anyone have any thoughts?
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Replies
I chose a 6" for space and budget reasons. If you're even considering an 8", I'd definitely suggest going with it if you can.
In my opinion,"Size does matter !!!!!!!!" Especially when your talking about the length of the infeed and outfeed. If $$$ is not the most important consideration. Get the 8"; whatever machine you've researched.
I personally do not believe that the length is such an important thing. I used a really old 6" Milwaukie/Delta jointer for years that was only about 32 inches long, and it worked really well. I used it on job sites and in my shop, and doing architectural woodwork required me to joint long boards often.
Roller stands will go a long way toward helping to joint long boards. The original poster sounds like he is only going to be jointing short material.
It is just a matter of technique. If a jointer is used properly, it is just like an upside down jointer plane, with a rotory powered blade. Think of it this way and it will do anything you can do with a longer jointer.
Most important is to buy a jointer that is as wide as is necessary to do the work, and if doing short boards, a small diameter cutterhead and a small cutterhead opening will help with safety.
Hal
http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com
If you can afford it get an 8". You can only face a board less than 6" with the 6" jointer and that limits your board selection. I bought a 6" and I'm in the process of getting either a 12" or 16". I don't have to buy again.
tcbald,
Did you read the original post?
Hal
I'm of the Hal J school. I used a Delta 6" portable jointer for 10 years. It will do more work than its price would cause one to expect. I made a stand of 2x4s with a dust collection box at the front. I built a nice workbench using that jointer.
I moved to a home with a huge workshop, so I bought an 8-incher, but, honestly, a heavier duty 6-incher is all I should have acquired. I seldom make anything as small as you plan, but a 6-incher would do me just fine. Most of them have longer beds than in the past anyway. That should not be much of an issue.
I have come to the conclusion that 250 pounds is about the most that a hobbyist's power tool needs to weigh. My shop is on the second floor. If your basement has any access problems, a 400-pound jointer is not a capital idea.
Cadiddlehopper
H, for small boxes, humidors and the like you need a small and accurate machine-the table length is secondary. You need a machine with a high number of cuts per inch at average hand fed ratesto give the smoothest surface possible .That is why that Inca was/is popular- and it has 8 inches plus width of cut .Them's my thoughts-especially as you are limited with space.
I'm with you Phillip. In fact, the wider Inca is something I have always wanted. If Santa is listening, I've been a very good boy this year and all I want for Christmas is a 10" Inca planer/jointer that has barely been used and hasn't been sitting in a damp garage for 25 years.
Hal
Glad to hear that Hal.
I was in Switzerland recently-and not a sign of Inca Machinery anywhere to be seen- apparently Inca is no longer made there-relocated to France I think.
Clever designs by those clever folk who make small engineering marvels like Patek Philippes and others so they don't get bored during winter...Philip Marcou
Is the Inca 8-1/2-inch jointer still marketed somewhere? During hard times I had to sell mine. I found it ideal. Had the thicknessing hood also.Cadiddlehopper
As far as Iknow they are still alive, but not in Switzerland. If you look here http://www.equipment.net/list/woodworkingequipment.htm, under Garrett Wade, there is mention of Inca.
I also had that thicknessing hood-simple but effective. Nice to have jacking screws to help set cutters too.Philip Marcou
Phillip
In my humble opinion if you have the space , dollars and plan to expand your woodworks, buy an 8" jointer or larger. In my shop I have an older Delta DJ 20 that was under the Invicta lable, Made in Brazil before the latest models were made across the Pacific. I was lucky and bought mine from a "salvor " along with a Delta 2 speed heavy duty shaper for way under $800.00.. Timing is everthing , if you are patient and lucky you will end up with the machine of your dreams. I like the weight of the older machines. If taken care of they will almost last forever. Well almost.
Tom
Tom,
I couldn't agree more.I know the machines you talk of- proper heavy stuff.
But the original poster has said he has very limited space and wants to make small boxes etc-the very thing that the Inca range is ideal for-precision Swiss style.Philip Marcou
GW doesn't show it any more & I haven't seen it advertised for a long time. I know the person who bought mine. I tried to buy it back even though he has made a mess of it. He wouldn't sell. I bought a Yorkcraft.Thanxx!! for the reply.Cadiddlehopper
The wider the better. I used a 6" jointer for about 12-13 years. Then I got a 12" jointer. It made quite a bit of difference because now I could flatten most boards (or plane them, prior to thicknessing them).
From a 6" to 8" jointer, the increase in price, weight and required space make it a no-brainer in my opinion. However, if it is likley that you won't ever be working with lumber wider than, say, 5 1/2", then a 6" jointer should be fine. I find the scope of my projects changes over time, so having a tool with some extra capacity is useful.
I have an 8 inch powermatic and love it. You can make do with a six inch and most of the time it is fine, but when you go to face a wider board it is awfully convenient to have a joiner that will do it. I'm kicking myself for not buying a 12" instead of the 8. I think you would be well advised to buy the widest joiner you can fit. I have seen humidors that had pieces wider than 6 inches. why not face them on your joiner? On the other hand Hal's work is beautiful.
i'm a hobbyist w/ a 6" (rigid based on fww review) and hindsight would have opted for an 8". I've had to rip down 6"+ wide boards to 6" so I could fit do my jointer. I'm still confused on why we have 12" planers and only 6" or 8" jointers. EU folks seem to have it figured out.
- Brad
For the occasions where a wider board needs to be flat jointed, a little hand plane work is a small price to pay after jointing 6 inches of it. It only takes a minute, and in the winter can warm the shop a bit.
In fact, I warmed right up on Thursday with a bit of scraping. Plus, it's fun!
Hal
hgs,
I've got the same issues as you (small shop, cost vs need) and have put off the decision for the past 4 years. I'm pretty sure the Griz 8" is ####very good choice...however, I'm a hobbiest and want fun so I kinda measure the utility from that perspective; the workbench, bandsaw, lathe and router table have won out in the past. Meanwhile the handplanes and planer have done the job and that works well too.
So while I want a jointer its value to me has decreased over time and that maybe a 6" is adequate...so many projects don't exceed 30" length and 6" width...still evaluating.
As with so many other tool decisions, it all depends on what you will use it for. For edge jointing, I've never had to join an 8" edge, so 6" is all I've ever needed. (In fact, I hardly ever use it for even that, since I find I can get as good an edge from my TS as I can from my jointer.) But, if you want a jointer to take wind or bow out of stock prior to using the thicknesser, 8" is better than 6", but 12" is better than 8" -- get what you can fit into your budget and your shop. For me, I carefully select my stock to avoid pieces with wind or much bow, so I rarely use a jointer to correct for it. For me, the thickness planer is used for every project (except hand-tools-only work), and the jointer is only rarely used. YMMV
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Check some local auction sites you can pick up an 8" for less than a 6" and a 6" dirt cheap compared to a new one. Also check E-bay. And yes Hal I read the original post. I thought the same thing when I started with just small projects, but projects grew as my skills grew.
As someone told me a long time ago, "there are an awfull lot of boards wider than 6" out there". Sounds overly simple, but it is true. Most of the rough lumber I buy is between 5" and 8" wide. And I very seldom need to joint the faces of boards wider than 8". Eight inch jointers have come down a lot in price so there are few reasons to not get one.
Pardon my spelling,
Mike
Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.
Personally, I would prefer an 8" or 10". I bought the 6" Delta, and will be upgrading to the 8" or 10" next year (bonus willing). I find that most boards I deal with are in that range. I have a choice now, to rip or use hand planes. You being in a basement have other issues for sure. Those big jointers are heavy. Getting them down the stairs will be a challenge. I wish now, I had saved my money and got the bigger jointer. Good luck.
One thing to consider. I almost never glue up panels with individual boards wider than 6" for stability purposes. To prepare for planing, if I have stock wider than 6", I will want to rip it less than 6" anyway (a wide board into 2 pieces instead of 1, so the 6" jointer is not a problem for face planing prior to thickness planing. Very wide boards, except the best quartersawn stock, will have some flat sawn, some rift sawn, and maybe even some quartersawn portions across the face. You can get into trouble with wide boards in a panel, making a very wide jointer less important that a good, well tuned, functional one. Just my opinion after jointing and planing thousands of board feet of rough sawn lumber.
hgs
using foresight is cloudy at best (that or we'd all get rich on the stock market) There are a couple of reasosn to use a wider jointer than 6 inches even if you only plan on doing small projects..
1st,
edge jointing will dominate your use of the machine, why not have the outside two inches dedicated to edge jointing and use the inside for your six inch wide boards. it will save you replacing the cutting blades as often.
2nd,
In the event you nick a blade hopefully there will remain enough blade to still do what needs to be done before you take the blades in to be sharpened
3rd.
You never know when you could use a wider one.
4th
8 inch jointers have longer beds than most 6 inch jointers. The advantage is whenever you make longer projects
From your original post, doesn't sound like you're likely to need an 8" jointer. Given your space limitations and the focus of your work, you'd probably be happier with a good 6" model.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Forrest girl is likely right. Unless your boxes are more that 6" tall..............Pardon my spelling,
Mike
Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.
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