# Planer...or jointer..or...



## shocktech (Dec 29, 2010)

Very new to wood work and i'm just really beginning to build a shop. I'm really confused about planers and jointer. 

I get that planers work board surface/thickness. And i think i understand that jointers work edges for edge gluing. etc.

I see some jointers listed as "jointer/planer". Can you really plane as well on a jointer/planer as a planer?

I'm trying to decide what to puchase first. Planer (12"-15") or a jointer/planer. My initial plan is to build a few bookcases/built-ins. I'm not building large tables or anything like that. At least not yet. Too much to learn to invest in that size project.

Thanks for the help.

Gary


----------



## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Greetings Gary and welcome to the router forum. Thank you for joining us, and remember to have fun, build well and above all be safe.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Gary

I would suggest the jointer 1st. for your shop, most of the stock that you will buy be flat and sq.but once you cut it down to size you will need to get it sq.again and nice and flat on the edge and clean.Start off sq.and it will come out sq.

Most forget you buy stock off the rack that is smaller than 3/4" thick,not to say anything about plywood..

Surface/thickness planers are nice to have but not a must have item most of the time, but you must have a band saw to go with the planer the norm and a good vac.system to suck the chips out of the planer..

===========




shocktech said:


> Very new to wood work and i'm just really beginning to build a shop. I'm really confused about planers and jointer.
> 
> I get that planers work board surface/thickness. And i think i understand that jointers work edges for edge gluing. etc.
> 
> ...


----------



## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I'll say planer first. You can always use your router table, table saw or planer as a jointer.


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Just to be contrary, I'll say *both* at the same time. 

The jointer is used for both "jointing" the edge of a board (making it square to the face, and "true" along the edge), *and* for flattening one face of the board (e.g., removing any cup in the face). Obviously, the jointer needs to be wider than the board you're working. 

The thickness planer then uses that flattened face as the reference surface (placed on the bottom of the planer) for making the other face parallel to that face, and thinner. If you put a cupped board through a thickness planer, the guide/feed rollers will squoosh it flat, trim off some wood, and spit out a thinner, still cupped board on the other side. 

A sled can be used to trick the thickness planer into doing the face-flattening job of the jointer, but that can be tricky.

You can also buy combo machines that have a jointer on top, and a thickness planer below it, like this one:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Jointer-Planer-Combo/G0675










Starting out, smaller, separate machines are easier on the budget, though.


----------



## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Does anyone here own one of these combo 12" jointer / planers? 

I've got one of the mid-90's Deta 12" desktop planers and a 6" freestanding jointer and, for my nickles, I use the planer for thicknessing but generally use my table saw for giving me the 90* straight edge (with an 1'x8' piece of 1/2" MDF as a straightedge against the rip fence when necessary) and my jointer generally gathers dust. The few boards I've wanted to take some twist out of have all been over 6" in width. The idea of a 12" true jointer / planer combo like the Grizzly shown (or the Jet equivalent) have caught my eye however. Being in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range (without / with Helical Head knives) has kept them out of my wallet however!!


----------



## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Gary;

As you found, there will be many suggestions based on personal preferences.
Here is my take on it. You can face joint a board with a planer if you use a planer sled and shims. You cannot thickness plane a board with a jointer.

Welcome to the forums.


----------



## nwjerry (Dec 25, 2010)

I have both and use both, but for my money if I had only one it would be the planer. As some have said, with a sled (PLY OR MDF) you can flatten one side of your board, remove the sled flip it and get a uniform thickness. Using a straight edge attached to your board and riding against the fence you can get a straight edge and then turn it around and cut your width. I like to have both, but again for my money if could only afford one, Planer.


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

BigJimAK said:


> Does anyone here own one of these combo 12" jointer / planers?
> 
> I've got one of the mid-90's Deta 12" desktop planers and a 6" freestanding jointer and, for my nickles, I use the planer for thicknessing but generally use my table saw for giving me the 90* straight edge (with an 1'x8' piece of 1/2" MDF as a straightedge against the rip fence when necessary) and my jointer generally gathers dust. The few boards I've wanted to take some twist out of have all been over 6" in width. The idea of a 12" true jointer / planer combo like the Grizzly shown (or the Jet equivalent) have caught my eye however. Being in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range (without / with Helical Head knives) has kept them out of my wallet however!!


Yes, the prices are "interesting". The 10" model I linked to is "only" a $grand, but the 12" is virtually double that, plus a couple of hundred for the spiral cutter. 

I'm still using an old 8" Inca combo machine I bought back in the '70s. I had to replace the planer drive belt a few months back, but that's not too bad for reliability, I suppose. I'd love to have the space (and, the money) for one of those long-bed monsters, though.


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

AxlMyk said:


> Gary;
> 
> As you found, there will be many suggestions based on personal preferences.
> Here is my take on it. You can face joint a board with a planer if you use a planer sled and shims. *You cannot thickness plane a board with a jointer.*
> ...


Sure you can. You just keep "jointing" the faces until it's the thickness you want. There's just no guarantee that the faces will be exactly parallel, unless your jointer is perfectly tuned and your method is spot-on. Otherwise, you get a wedgie, so to speak.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Video | Woodhaven

=========


----------



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Gary:



shocktech said:


> ...I'm trying to decide what to puchase first. Planer (12"-15") or a jointer/planer. My initial plan is to build a few bookcases/built-ins. I'm not building large tables or anything like that...


Well, you can see the range of possibilities. Several things to consider:

1. as Bob3J said, most of the lumber you buy will already be thicknessed so you really don't need a planer and a table saw will do a nice job squaring edges so you don't really need the jointer at this point.

2. I use raw cut lumber, soft and hard for most of my projects. I'm renovating a house so I'm building beams, posts, cabinets etc. For me, both are necessary. 

3. You're talking about starting with the uncomplicated so my suggestion is to start with a reasonable table saw and learn how to use it. Use it to build your router table and then use both to build your book cases. From there, you can add as is your need and time will tell which you need/get first, a jointer or planer. However your question is bang on. Had you not asked, I wouldn't have learned all these other good people's take on the subject ;-)


----------



## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

allthunbs said:


> Hi Gary:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I guess it depends on what you're building.


----------

