Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 17, 2006 04:59am | #1

   Pictures are worth a thousand words.  There are 2 magazines on the stands right now that have multi-page articles on how to use a jointer.  One is either Woodsmith or Shop Notes, not sure what the other one is.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

1. 
   Ricks503 | Oct 17, 2006 04:12pm | #4

   Wood, has an article on planer jigs - maybe that was what you were thinking? 

    

   " There'll be no living with her now" - Captain Jack Sparrow

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Oct 17, 2006 05:34am | #2

   You want the down pressure on the outfeed table just beyond the cutting head.  The pressure should stay in the same spot relative to the table, with the board moving under.  This is a challenge with pad type pushers which depend on friction.  That's why I use a hook type pusher at the end and apply most of the forward push their and let board slide under the pressure on the outfeed table.  On large stuff, I do "walk" the board with my hands, but on smaller stuff like you are using I use a slicker push down pad.  It's sometime tricky. 

3. 
   joinerswork | Oct 17, 2006 03:43pm | #3

   dirk,

   If you sight down the face you will be jointing, you can see where the high spots are.  Severely bowed pieces should be worked on each end before trying a full length pass, taking care to not spring the center of the board down as it passes the cutterhead.  It'll help to alternate the leading end of the stock (turn it end for end) every couple passes, as the trailing end of the cut will often remove stock more effectively than the leading end, if the board is severely bowed.

   In trying to flatten stock that is much longer than the jointer bed, you want to think of the machine more as an upside down plane, and concentrate initially on areas that are high by making initial passes over that area until it approaches level.  Then a couple full lenght passes will usually clean things up.  Keeping the pressure over the machined area as it passes from the infeed to the outfeed table will help maintain and extend the straight face of the stock as you get it  established.

   Ray Pine

4. 
   pzgren | Oct 17, 2006 05:46pm | #5

     Try using a jointer plane. It will get your board flat and square in just a few minutes, without having to worry about jigs, push sticks, tricky balancing acts, sharp whirling planer knives, etc. (It will also provide you with a decent upper body workout....)

   Tschüß!

   Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!

   James

1. 
   Mumda | Oct 18, 2006 04:32am | #6

   That's not as foolish as some here may think. I have a 6" jointer so I often find myself digging out the jack plan and winding sticks to flattening a side before thicknessing. I never personally was taught how to do that, just learned it here a couple of years ago. 5 minutes with a hand plane can accomplish a lot.

1. 
   caesars0331 | Oct 18, 2006 06:52am | #7

   Here is a great link to a tutorial with pics, text and video. It really helped me when I started using my jointer.http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/usejntr.html

2. 
   pzgren | Oct 23, 2006 08:41pm | #8

   Howdy!

     <<I never personally was taught how to do that, just learned it here a couple of years ago. 5 minutes with a hand plane can accomplish a lot.>>

     Same here: self-taught with a lot of help from Knots denizens, a bunch of books, and a couple of DVDs.

     I find that the more hand planing I do, the better and faster I get. Things that took 1½ or 2 hours last year, can now be done in 20 or 30 minutes, and with better quality results. And best of all, no noise and no saw dust....Tschüß!

   Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!

   James