Replies

1. 
   Dustmight | Feb 25, 2005 02:02pm | #1

   Many wwers start with 6" machines and move up to an 8" (very few go the other way).  There's always bigger and better, but the cost of the machines from direct importers like Grizzly, Sunhill, and Yorkcraft make the 8" very appealing compared to a highend 6" like the PM54a.  There's alot of lumber that's wider than 6"....8" jointers seem to offer a happy medium in price/capacity that bridges that gap a bit.

   I've got a 6" and make out fine with it, but if I had the room and the budget I wouldn't hesitate to get an 8".

    

1. 
   rrdesigns | Feb 26, 2005 01:21am | #4

   Are you buying the larger than 6" stock locally or ordering it online? The thickest stock I have seen here is 8/4 and it costs more per board foot than the 5/4 stock which has already been partially resawed. I have a planer so my jointer needs are only for achieving straight edges (unless there are uses I am unfamiliar with having not used one). What type of projects would you need to start with stock thicker than 6"? I have an 18" bandsaw so If I run across wider pieces I suppose I could resaw them before edge jointing them.Edited 2/25/2005 5:25 pm ET by rrdesigns

   Edited 2/25/2005 5:27 pm ET by rrdesigns

2. 
   NASCAR | Feb 25, 2005 05:14pm | #2

   My wife overheard me talking to my brother about the need for a jointer and gave me one for my birthday earlier this week.  Now, I can see how it's a necessity for any shop.  She bought me the ridgid model and other than being too short, it will definitely get used on every project.  It only has a 6" bed, but that's enough in my opinion.  Anything bigger than that should go in the planer (if you have one).  

   I'm not a fan of using them as a planer because, back in the day, a kid in my shop class took about a 1/4" out of his palm when the board kicked.  Yes- he was using a push blocks, once the block hit the blades it was toast. 

1. 
   cicero | Mar 02, 2005 07:30am | #8

   That is the problem with the 6" jobbies,tend to be a bit light

   The function of a jointer is to straighten timber,or at least two edges,then into the planer for parallel.

3. 
   user-358367 | Feb 25, 2005 09:38pm | #3

   After months of shopping and comparing 6" and 8" Jointers from all the big boys Jet¯ Powermatic¯ Delta¯ Grizzly¯ I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact I was going to have to part with $700 - $800 to get a "quality jointer". In fact when I went to my local woodcraft store I was fully expecting to come home with my new jointer. Fortunatley for me they were out of stock and would not have one in for a week. On the way home I made my weeky visit to one of the local Home Depot's and low and behold don't you know they just happened to be haing a Ridgid Tool demonstration that day. To make a long story short I now own a 6" Ridgid jointer and I couldn't be happier. I won't say this tool is for everyone but for $325 it sure fit my bill. You do have to assemble most of this tool yourself and that can take you several hours. but saving four to five hundred was well worth my time. As far as capabilities let me just say the first piece of wood I ran through my new jointer was a 4' piece of 12/4 Cherry. I've been using this tool for almost six months now and have no complaints. I build everything from cabinets to dining room tables and the joints are virtually invisible. I've always been a guy who buys high end tools. "you pay for what you get" that's what I always believed, but sometimes you can find a tool that is a great value for the price. I think Ridgid has made one. I'm sold anyway. Good luck.

   Keith Edson

    

4. 
   PaulEames | Feb 26, 2005 07:56am | #5

   I own a General 6" jointer that I bought at Woodcraft for 525.00. It has a 56 inch table, 1 HP motor and enclosed stand and works really well. It also has forward facing table height adjustment hand wheels which I prefer over the levers. I don't think you need to spend the extra money on an 8 inch jointer. I would put that money into a planner instead. Just my humble opinion.

5. 
   jserena | Mar 01, 2005 07:21am | #6

   It depends on what you are using it for; I do a lot of custom millwork and furniture using local reclaimed wood; after owning a Jet 6" (very poor and unsafe fences) I bought a Delta DJ-20 and couldn't be happier. If your needs are less than 3" rough sawn ash, oak, walnut, etc. I would seriously look at the Grizzly. I have seen several, and unless their sales approach has changed, you can call them for the name and address of a current owner near you. I did that when looking for a 20" sander and was very pleased.
   Good Luck and let us know what you decide.

6. 
   conrj967 | Mar 02, 2005 06:51am | #7

   I purchased a General International 80-150L 6" jointer about a year ago and am very happy with it. I am impressed with the quality of design and workmanship. The only negative is that parts of the instruction manual need a little work.

   Ralph C.

1. 
   x372sailor | Mar 04, 2005 07:32am | #10

   I have the same jointer.  I also found the manual to be written by someone who not only didn't speak the language but either didn't understand the tool or thought it would only be bought by machinists who already knew all the info.  Worst manual I have ever seen!

   I had a heck of a time replacing the knives and getting them perfectly level, side-to-side and knife to knife.  Hopefully it is "close" now.  In the meantime I bought the Jointer Pal knife setting jig to help next time I do a knife replacement.  Couldn't be any worse than last time, when I spent 6 or 8 hours at it.

   Brian

    

1. 
   conrj967 | Mar 04, 2005 06:51pm | #11

   Hi Brian,My jointer came with what I believe is a knife setting gauge, but it wasn't mentioned in the manual. When I called General, they admitted the manual needs to be rewritten and that was in the works. That was about a year ago. I must call them again.I used a method for setting the knives that I found in one of my magazines that worked well for me. It involved rotating the knives with a straight piece of wood on the table over the knives. When both ends of each knife advanced the wood the same amount (I believe it was 1/8 inch) when the knives were rotated under it, the knives were set properly according to the article.Ralph

1. 
   x372sailor | Mar 04, 2005 10:27pm | #12

   Ralph;

   Thanks for your response.  I did something similar, but was not very good at it.  The first time, I thought I was close but found after several passes on pieces of wood, I was creating "wonderful" wedges.  Obviously one side of the blades was higher than the other side.  My jointer also came with a knife setting gauge that rests on the wheel.  Problem is, you really want to reference the outfeed table, not the wheel itself.

   Brian

1. 
   conrj967 | Mar 04, 2005 11:22pm | #13

   Brian,I located the article that had the jointer tune-up tips that I used. It was an article, "Tuning Your Jointer" within the main article, " Tapering Legs on the Jointer" in the January/February 1997 Woodworker's Journal. the author put two marks on the hardwood stick 1/4" apart (I mistakenly wrote 1/8" in my previous e-mail) and lined up the leftmost mark with the leading edge of the outfeed table, then adjusted the knives so the stick advanced so the rightmost mark lined up with the leading edge of the outfeed table after the knife was rotated under it. As for the 1/4", the author said the amount the stick should travel varies with machines, but that his Makita jointer tunes up nicely using the 1/4".He also said that the real test is to set the table for a 1/32" cut and it should cut without snipe. If there is snipe at the front end of the cut the knives are set too low, If there is snipe at the back end, the knives are set too high.RalphRalph

2. 
   RandMCapozzi | Mar 08, 2005 07:29pm | #15

   I too use the "stick" method of jointer blade alignment. I've always used 1/8" of stick movement and it also seems to work well. Perhaps next time I'll try 3/16" and see how that works. :-)

   --Rob

2. 
   cicero | Mar 08, 2005 05:59am | #14

   I think the language you are referring to is Chinglish :-)

7. 
   Olebiker | Mar 02, 2005 09:37pm | #9

   Check out Sunhill.  I have had their 6" jointer for several years and find it to be an invaluable tool.
   http://www.sunhillmachinery.com/Jointers%20CT60L.htm

   Dick Durbin
   Tallahassee