WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A JOINTER AND A PLANER?
Tasks performed by a jointer and planer can be perplexing. Let us begin with a basic list of variations between these instruments.
Functions of the jointer and planer:
- The jointer will create a perfectly flat surface.
- The planer will create a uniform thickness.
- Jointers have a spinning blade (cutter head) within the table.
- Planers have a flat deck and a blade that spins above the table.
- Jointers cannot effectively shave a board to uniform thickness.
- Planers cannot make a board with perfectly square sides on its own.
There are several exceptions to these rules. Woodworking always provides multiple paths to the same end. You can construct a few jigs and sleds to give a planer features that resemble a jointer.
WHAT’S A JOINTER?
A jointer is a woodworking device employed to give a totally flat plane on a chunk of wood. Woodworkers often rely on the jointer to create an even surface or to rectify warped wood.
Here are the main components of a jointer:
- Table: The deck of a jointer is adjustable, with the right side lower than the left side. The lower you crank down the right side, the more wood will be removed by the blade in a single pass. The left side of the table is even with the top of the cutter head.
- Blade or cutter head: The blade is long and cylindrical, with either several straight blades or many smaller ones arranged in a helix. The blades shave off a small amount of wood across the width of the board face.
- Fence: Similar to a table saw, a jointer has a guide that keeps the board square. You can adjust the fence to different angles, although it’s usually set at 90 degrees.
- Swing guard: The blade has a guard, ensuring you don’t run your hands over the blade during operation.
- Vacuum port: Jointers should be attached to some form of dust collection to remove the chips from the machine.
WHAT DOES A JOINTER DO?
A jointer can be used to make one side of a board absolutely flat. A rotating blade is located between two surfaces of differing heights. The board moves along the lower table, gliding over the blade that has been adjusted to the height of the upper table. The blade removes the peaks from the bottom of the board.
It could take multiple passes to smooth out any unevenness and make a totally flat surface. It’s more advantageous to make several small cuts in order to avoid chipping.
When you have cut the first edge of the board flat, turn the board on edge and pass it over the joiner to create a perfectly square corner that you can use for reference to make sure that all other sides are even.
WHEN SHOULD I USE A JOINTER?
Purchasing lumber can be costly, particularly the more attractive hardwoods such as maple and walnut. You can make sure each piece of wood is correctly squared off and save a lot of money by cutting it yourself.
Using jointers is essential for straightening out warps and twists in your material. The blade will shave off the raised areas as it goes over the material, and eventually, the result will be a flat and even surface. This article provides a further look into the various kinds of warps.
The jointer will provide you with a perfectly straight edge and a flat face that are at a 90-degree angle to each other. The jointed edge can be leveraged against the table saw fence to create a parallel edge. The face of the jointed piece is put up against the planer table so the top and bottom can be parallel with each other.
HOW DO I USE A JOINTER?
Check the specifications of your jointer before operation. Get to know the components before you begin working since everyone functions in a diverse way.
With that said, here are some guidelines for using a jointer:
- Safety: Dust collection, eye protection, and earplugs are a good idea. The jointer is a surprisingly dangerous tool – use the jointer with the same caution as a table saw.
- Standard checks: Just like pilots make routine checks of an airplane, check your jointer before use. Ensure the fence is square, the blade is sharp, and the deck is clean and smooth. Waxing the surface will help reduce friction on the board.
- Set the width: The fence will slide similarly to a table saw. For a jointer, it’s important to match the fence with the width of the board you’re jointing – the less blade exposed, the safer you are.
- Use grip paddles: Using grips keeps your hands away from the spinning blade and applies even pressure on the board. Once the board travels across the blade, apply downward pressure on the outfeed side to prevent snipe.
- Use pencil marks: Mark the side you are jointing with some squiggly pencil lines across the surface. These lines will help you keep track of progress because it shows where the high spots are located. Once the marks are gone, that side is perfectly flat!
What is a Planer?
A thickness planer, sometimes called a thicknesser or simply a planer, is used in woodworking to make boards even in thickness along their length. In a nutshell, a planer makes thick boards thinner.
A wood planer works in a similar way to a hand plane to make the top of boards level, however, there are a few distinct variations between them. A plane is an implement that is used by hand without electricity, while a planer is an electrically operated tool.
Planers have flatbeds with a cutter head mounted above. The workpiece is propelled along the bed of the machine and beneath the cutting head, which takes off a portion of wood as it moves through the equipment.
Settings on a planer can be adjusted to guarantee that the board stays the same thickness through its entirety. Achieving an even thickness with a manual plane takes a lot of practice, exertion, and expertise.
What Does a Planer Do?
A thickness planer is used to:
- Smooth rough lumber
- Makes a board’s second face parallel to the opposing face
- Reduce boards to the exact, uniform thickness
A jointer makes one face of a material flat; then an adjustable planer makes the other face flat and parallel to the jointed side.
The flat surface of a board that has been run through the jointer is put onto the input table on the planer. The pressure rollers hold the board down, and the feed roller provides continuous movement of the board through the planer at a steady rate.
A cutter head that stretches over the entire width of the bed is positioned above. The cutter head may have straight blades, spiral or helical, which are used to make a level, even surface with an identical thickness on the opposite side.
The depth of the cuts that are made can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the height of the cutting head. This determines the amount of material that is taken away.
You can use planers to bring a board with parallel faces down to the exact thickness you need for your work. For instance, you might possess a piece of wood that is half an inch thick, but you require one that is three-eighths of an inch thick. The planer can be employed to shave away minor amounts of material from the board until it reaches the size you want.
By adjusting the thickness setting, you can put multiple boards through the planer, resulting in them all having the same thickness.
The advantages of having a planer are attractive, but there are also some negatives to consider. Rollers used in planers produce pressure to pieces, meaning that they cannot be used to improve any types of defects such as warped, cupped, bowed, or twisted boards. Essentially, you have to employ a jointer first to even out the board before using a planer.
Parts of a Planer
Depth Adjustment
The knob on a planer can be used to either raise or lower the head of the cutting tool. The more you lower the setting, the more that will be taken away from the board when it goes through.
Infeed Table
The infeed table needs to be even with the outfeed table so that the board that is put onto it will be passed smoothly and regularly to the planer. This flat surface is the first step of the process before it moves forward.
Outfeed Table
At the end of the planer, you can find the outfeed table placed at the same level as the infeed table. This table is used to support the boards as they come out of the machine.
Cutter Head
The cutter head is situated between the infeed and outfeed tables, and it runs across the full length of the bed. It has a collection of flat blades that take away material from the board in order to fabricate a consistent and even level.
Depth of Cut Gauge
The depth of cut gauge on a planer is used to determine the depth of the cut. The measuring instrument is located at the top of the cutting tool and indicates the amount of material that will be taken away from a board as it goes through.
Dust Collection Port
You can attach your planer to a vacuum or dust collector via a dust collection port, so that the shavings produced will not be scattered on the ground.
On/Off Switch
The on/off switch of a planer controls the activation and deactivation of the machine.
Types of Planers
The two main kinds of thickness planers are those which are placed on a benchtop and those that are larger and installed on the floor. Small electric handheld planers are also available.
Benchtop Planer
Benchtop planers are widely sought-after by those who do do-it-yourself projects due to their low priced nature and their compact size. They are small enough to fit on a workbench and are lightweight, making them easy to take with you and store. Benchtop planers are ideal for woodworkers who want something more manageable than a large and costly floor model planer, yet still powerful enough to get the job done.
Floor Model Planer
A floor standing planer is a favorite selection for devoted individuals who work with wood. These machines are bigger and bigger in size and possess more force than tabletop planers.
Serious woodworking aficionados opt for floor model planers as their favorite choice. These machines are larger and remain in one place, having more strength than those used on a workbench.
Electric Handheld Planer
Portable planers are most beneficial when the wood is too large or heavy to fit through a stationary planer, or if it has an atypical shape.
Handheld planers cannot produce a consistent thickness throughout the length of a board, though they can be used to even out and take away material from planks.
WHEN SHOULD I USE A PLANER?
A planer should be used if you need to reduce the thickness of a board or make a board with an uneven thickness a uniform size.
For example, your board could be slightly tapered, with one side larger than the other. A planer can be used to even out the thickness of a board if the bottom surface is flat, by removing the thicker end of the top until everything is equal.
Nevertheless, if the bottom of the board is not even, the blade on top will reproduce those disparities. The roller pushes against the board, causing imbalanced boards to tilt up and down like a teeter-totter in the planer.
A planer sled with shims put underneath the higher spots can prevent the machine from tilting, allowing it to act similarly to a jointer.
Which is Better a Jointer or Planer?
Think about: What kind of project are you tackling? Are you planning to get unstained wood from a sawmill or pre-cut timber from a home improvement outlet?
If you are going to use lumber with a coarse surface, it would be advantageous to have a jointer. If you simply need to make dimensional lumber less bulky, a planer may be adequate. In some cases, both machines are necessary for optimal performance.
It is widely held among woodworkers that using a planer can achieve better results than using a jointer. This is due to the fact that there are other tools which have the capacity to take on the same tasks as a jointer.
A router sled can be employed to even out one side of a board, as an example. A jig which includes a bridge that clasps the router and which glides along two tracks is known as a router sled or a planing sled.
The workpiece is positioned below the bridge. A router is equipped with a flattening bit and is moved backward and forward on the bridge in a way similar to an outdated dot matrix printer to level out the top of the board.
There are a few different ways to chamfer a board’s perimeter, for example by utilizing a router table, a round saw with a guide, or a jointing jig and a table saw. You may also construct fixtures for a planer which do the same things as a jointer.
