A while back, I bought a Ridgid 6″ jointer for my home shop, based partially on the review of that machine in FWW. I subsequently posted here about some adjustment/alignment problems I was having. The infeed table appeared to be sagging and the machine just wasn’t getting the job done. I considered sending it back, but, since this was my first jointer purchase, and I hadn’t actually used one since junior high school, I decided to keep it a while, learn more and see if I could get it adjusted better. Well, after fiddling with it a bit, I got working pretty well. I used it to clean up and square up some old pecan boards a couple of days ago, and they couldn’t be more perfect. I think the review of this machine in FWW was probably spot on, and my problems with the machine were just my own inexperience. Now that I got some nice boards, I want a bigger jointer…
Scott
Replies
Scott,
Boats , jointers, planners, and saws we all start small and quickly wish we'd gotten bigger..
Morning Scott...
As Frenchy stated, been there and done that as most have. Started with a 6" in 1973 and have a 8" currently. I almost got a 12", but decided to by-pass the 12"-16"-20"-etc. till the 296" models hit the market.
As soon as they do... I'm writing the check! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
SARGEgrinder 47,
I want one the size of an aircraft carrier! That way no matter how big the glue up I can be sure it's flat!
Morning Frenchy...
I didn't know anyone had one slated for production that size. I think I will put the 296" on hold and wait on that one at your reccomendation. :>)
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
and frenchy,
I just got a new jointer. It has NO LIMITS as to the size board it can handle, and it cost me only $20!
Think Stanley/Bailey #7.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Ah but Bob,
The relative skill and effort to operate it are massively differant.. first you must square up the Stanley. Admittedly not a difficult item, and then you must sharpen the blade, again not terribly difficult. However both require, 1st that you know you must do that and 2nd you know how to do that..
That isn't a skill I was ever taught. So I avoid it completely by using instead my Lie Neilsons <G> I've had very bad luck with those because I simply cannot find where I'm supposed to plug them in..
However assuming that you do find where to plug in your Stanley (stop smirking darn it!) the only way you can be sure things remain flat is if you are skilled enough to make them flat..
MY aircraft carrier sized jointer I can shove any board I want across it and after a while it will become flat..
My only remaining difficulty is talking the government into selling me some nuclear material to operate my powerplant.. (The Navy doesn't use conventional power plants in their aircraft carriers anymore)..
Morning Bob...
I have and use a pretty complete set of Veritas when the time is right, but there is a time and place for everything. I get a lot of my lumber from friends that down trees.. take them to mill to be rough cut and then sticker and dry them.
Some don't have the equipment, the patience or time to surface those quantities when they are dry and that's where I step in an do if for them. A board foot surfaced for you.. a board foot for me and all is well till more trees go to mill. I sell some of what I gain and use the rest in my shop.
I love the solace and that beautiful "whisk" sound the hand planes make, but in some cases large machinery is a better choice as the adage "what doesn't get done today can get done tomorrow" would expend too much time when working with the linear footages I often do. And.. at my age, I'm running out to tomorrows! :>)
So.. enjoy your Stanley, but I have a question. When working with those un-limited widths you mention.. do ya own a bowling alley?
Just wondered where ya store the "winding sticks"? ha.. ha... ha..ha...ha..
Regards...
Sarge.. jt
Edited 6/9/2007 8:40 am ET by SARGEgrinder47
and frenchy,
I's jus goofin on yall.
But I know you power tool junkies likes ta heauh dem 'otors roar up and chew the be jesus outa the wood, and send the chips flyin eyerwhare!
Downcha?
Well Guys, it's time to head north to my summer home for the weekend. As you can see, I've got a lot of work to do. Inherited it and it needs a lot of work so I'll most likely be hitting up on the guys over at Breaktime soon. The right front settled and cracked the winder.
Thinking I'll make up some curved pieces for inside and out to cover the crack. Then it'll look like the view from the Nautilus!
Y'all have a good un!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, what a remarkably cool place! Keep us posted on your progress!!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks Lady,
I just got back and there are so many ideas swirling around in my head about what I'd like to do. Gotta slow down and smell the roses a bit.
Mom kinda started a Noahs Ark kind of motife in an English cottage setting if that makes any sense. I'd like to make that happen as it would blend in with in a sense that it would be quite different from the rest of the cottages near by.
It's interesting to look at the different styles along the coast of the lake. The French folks in Quebec certainly have a style of their own that I'm trying to get used to.
I was nine yeas old when I first went up there and I truly fell in love with the whole thing. I can certainly relate to you folks living on an island in Puget Sownd. I'd like to expand it so I could have my woodshop there ovelooking the lake.
Dreams are great!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"Mom kinda started a Noahs Ark kind of motife in an English cottage setting if that makes any sense." Sounds intriguing and original!!
"The French folks in Quebec certainly have a style of their own that I'm trying to get used to." Is that what's known as a "left-handed compliment"?? ROFL!
"I can certainly relate to you folks living on an island in Puget Sownd [sic]." I'd have to check the local real estate rags, but I think that view'd cost you at least a mil here on Bainbridge. I can totally understand why you fell in love, even at the age of 9! [in case you're wondering, nope -- we don't have any view]
"Just can't figure out how we could fit two horses into the mix." Convert to Norwegian Fjord Ponies??? They're kinda like Welsh Corgi's -- big horse in a little body!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Afternoon Bob...
I know you were goofin' as I do seldom as it's just plain fun.. Nice little inheritance there. I thought about selling my house and doing an A frame in western N.C. or eastern TN. in the mountains in a couple of years. Up in the air now as my home is paid for and I won't ever do another mortgage period. Economics will decide that one.
I just got through painting the outside here and started on the inside. Got side-tracked with the painting as I had to rip and mold 140' feet of chair rail this morning. Done except for getting a coat of stain on it and then I can get inside to a sash brush and air-conditioner. Dry and hot in Atlanta at the moment.
Enjoy the fixin' as the view from that deck is nothing short of enticing...
Sarge.. jt
Hey Sarge,
I'd like to make it the home for the elderly; the wife and I! Just can't figure out how we could fit two horses into the mix.
Got enough room to expand so as to accomodate the woodshop, garage and storage for the wood. As for the tax situation well that's in the same catagory as the horses,
A lot of HS! Will keep ALL posted.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 6/11/2007 8:36 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob,
Kidden Me? Yah means I don need no nuclear powerplant to make my wood flat? What's da world comin to? those darn politicians from da odder party ootsta be shot! heck I knows it was dos guys dat kept me from a nuclear powerplant..
How will I ever get wood flat without my aircraft carrier sized jointer?
(ps if you've ever been at sea during a typhoon on an aircraft carrier and watched the deck work thru expansion plates you'll understand what I'm talking about.. )
You've got great potential there for a really spectacular place. Keep us informed as you make progress..
Hi frenchy,
Got a great idea for the floor. It involves squares of plywood arranged diagonally with opposing squares having their top grain running in opposite directions.
Now all I need is someone to skate across the floor with proper mops on their feet to apply the shellac. Now are you up for a challenge or at least some friendly advice? I've got 5 gals. of denatured alcohol in store and a goodly supply of shellac flakes on the way.
Molsens or LaBatts?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Sounds like fun Bob,
My only objection to plywood is it's cost relative to it's value. Since I'm basically the worlds cheapest guy what I'd do is spend that same amount of money on two differant woods. Cheap wood like hackberry and say white soft maple or (that would have a green white combo), or some other combination of differant colored woods to achieve the same effect.
You could also use say Basswood and Tamarack or spend a few bucks more and buy red oak and white soft maple.. you could orient the grain as you said and have a stunning checkerboard effect, subtle and not garish while spending a tiny fraction of what a professionally installed hardwood floor would cost..
Here's how I'd budget my funds doing this.. around here a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood is about $20.00 for 32 sq.ft. that works out to $1.60 per sq. ft. My sawmill charges me around .30cents a bd.ft. for mill run woods like hackberry, tamarack, basswood, soft maple. I'd ask for 12 inch boards run them thru the planner and screw them into place using recessed screws with plugs of contrasting wood.
That would yield me a cost per square foot of .30 cents rather than $1.60
Thanks Frenchy and Sarge. Yes, I admit to jointer envy. This Ridgid 6" is a good learning machine, and I'd guess it will do, at least until I can afford one of those Steel City bandsaws y'all talk about. I can just see those perfect book-matched panels now.
Scott
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled