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Planers and Jointers
Unfortunately, I
don’t have either a planer or jointer in my shop, but I would like to
ultimately have both. However, I have used them a few times before and
would like to bring up a common problem: snipe.
Snipe relating to
jointers and planers means that the ends of the boards get too much
taken off – so they wind up thinner than the rest of the board. Now,
this can be a problem and can waste wood if you’re not careful. There
are a couple of things you can do to help the problem.
For a planer:
1)
Do NOT lift up on the
end of the board you’re holding until the board comes to a stop. Lifting
the end brings the other end closer to the knives, and you’ll cause
snipe.
2)
Plane your boards to
thickness FIRST, before you cut them to length. Then, if you do have
snipe, you can cut off an inch or two without ruining the whole board.
If you cut to length first you could wind up wasting more wood.
For a jointer:
1)
First be sure your
outfeed table is set correctly for the depth of your cut. That way the
pressure across the knives will be even and the right amount will be
trimmed off.
2)
When you get to the end
of the board, remember that the pressure becomes suddenly uneven as the
board leaves the infeed table. Because of that, you’ll need to SLIGHTLY
lighten the pressure from your rear hand as you finish the cut. To
compensate, be sure to have firm pressure holding the board to the
outfeed table. By lightening up just a bit, you won’t be pressing hard
on an area that suddenly has no support. That should help reduce or
eliminate snipe.
3)
Since you’ll probably be
doing more trimming and cutting, the boards you trim on the jointer
probably won’t be at their final length. At least they shouldn’t be,
just like with the planer.
The
Planer vs. Jointer Debate: Which to get first?
The answer to
that is fairly clear, and depends on the type of wood you plan to use
for your projects. But, before I give you my answer, let me explain just
a bit about planers and jointers for those who don’t know what they do.
Jointers
basically create flat surfaces, and they can help you make two adjoining
sides of your wood perpendicular to each other. They don’t make opposite
sides parallel to each other, so if your board is thinner on one end
than the other, that difference will stay even if you cut both sides on
a jointer.
A planer makes
the side of the board being cut parallel to the side on the table – and
makes the board thinner in the process. I hope that explains the basic
difference.
Now – which to
get first?
I think most home
users will benefit from getting a planer first, and for one main reason:
You’ll mostly be using surfaced wood that you just need to make thinner.
Since most of your wood will come finished on all four sides, you won’t
need to cut it on a jointer.
However, if you
plan on using rough cut stock, then you’ll really need both. In that
case, you need to use the jointer first to create parallel and
perpendicular edges that you can then cut to width with your table saw
and thickness with your planer.
I hope this helps
a bit if you’re looking for information. But, if you or someone you know
has more info, then contact me so we can get that info on this site to
help other woodworkers in need.
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