What is life like without a powered jointer?

[AHill]

At one of the WIA's I attended, I believe it was Jim Tolpin who did a demo of flattening a board. From start to finish, he had the entire board flat to thickness in about 10 minutes. If you get real primitive, you only have to flatten the side that shows in your project. Might make dovetails a bit more challenging, but a lot of utilitarian furniture only focused on the show side.

[gMike]

I own a powered jointer that has never been turned on. I bought it when my kid was using my shop on a daily basis. To my knowledge he never used it either. I use handplanes to flatten. I do use a thickness planer but not very often, it hasn't been used this year.

I gave my bandsaw away as well, I didn't use it and didn't like it the few times I did use it. I resaw on the tablesaw and with pull saws.

I don't find that the lack of a bandsaw and nonuse of the tailed jointer cause me any problems with my woodworking. There is always another way and I've gotten comfortable with the "other way" for several stock preparation operations.

[BaileyNo5]

I bought a nice 6" jointer in 2009 and used it to build a Roubo bench. After that, it got very little use. I sold it this weekend, along with my table saw. My main power tools are a bandsaw, track saw, lathe, drill press and grinder. My shop space at the front of my garage is really small, so I have to make the most of it. The table saw and jointer just took up too much space and weren't used enough.

[Rob Young]

®smpr_fi_mac® said:

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I guess it's time to learn which of my planes those numbers attach to.

I might just post a picture and ask for help.

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Go here and start reading...

http://supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

[ncosman]

I've never owned a jointer machine, I've milled all my stock with a foreplane (no.5) and a try plane (no.7), a dewalt thickness planer and a table saw.
I had a small studio space and never had the floor space for a dedicated Jointer. If you are making "chair-sized" (under 36") work it really isn't a big deal, but there several points to consider.

Several considerations:

1. You get really good at quickly flattening and straightening boards. Practice makes perfect. AND you can work on extremely wide boards which can be a really useful skill. However you might be limited by the capacity of your bench (lengthwise).

2. If you are working with hard/dense wood this work can be quite physically demanding. I've spent a lot of time flattening wide maple and ash boards and it is hard work. On the upside you can probably cancel your gym membership. Also make sure that your bench is the correct height. If you are milling boards your bench should be on the low side. Mine is between my first and second knuckle. The higher your bench is the more you will have to use your arms and your back. This can make a big difference in stamina.

3. Material preparation will become a major part of every project. I feel like half of my time in the shop was spent flattening and straitening boards. This is a cuts both ways. It makes you intensely aware of your material and planning projects making sure you have milled enough material or have extra. Also material selection becomes very important finding woods without crazy grain switches and defects.
Beware:What at first seems like novelty can turn to drudgery especially if you are working under a time constraint.

4. Your bench is essential. If you are doing all or some of your milling at the bench having a bench that fits your body and the scale of the work that you want to do is critical. I basically was limited in my space to solidwood projects that were under 5ft because that was the max length my little franken-bench could support. There are work arounds, but they aren't much fun.

5. Sharpen early and often: Dull tools equal slow, hard work.
Your foreplane with a heavily cambered blade will be your new best friend.

Right now the bulk of my shop is in storage while I get a new space sorted out. Personally, the very first tool I'll buy when I have the space and the resources is a big-a$$ jointer so that I can spend more time doing the really fun woodworking and less of the drudgery of milling.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Thanks for the advice so far, gents. I really appreciate it.

I've decided that after I finish building this kitchen table my next big project will be a proper 8' workbench that's *much* lower than my TS. I'm a short guy at 5'7". Planing on the TS isn't fun.

Here are the planes that I own. Not pictured is a beautiful maple and bubinga smoother I received from one of you guys a few years ago as a Secret Santa gift. I've never put it to good use; I want that to change.



I have no clue what the left one is, but it's marked with "Made in USA" cast into the body.

I found the 7 cast into the one on the right; it's the one I was planing with last night. Apparently it's not the best choice for quick flattening.



I *think* the Millers Falls and yellow Stanley are #5's, though I don't see that cast into the body. I may be missing it, though.

The second one from the left; is that a #4?

If I'm correct in identifying the #5's, one will need a cambered blade; they're both straight across. Which one would you guys recommend I mod for that?

I have a Norton water stone kit that I bought when I got these planes but haven't learned to use it very well...like the planes. I did use it to put a passable edge on the #7 last night, but my technique needs work.

[Admiral]

You're right, the maroon Stanley and the MF are #5 size; the maroon ones are not known for their precision machining, but will do great work as a semi-scrub plane, so convex grind the blade on that one and use as your dedicated rough work plane. You can follow that one with the MF, then the #7. Set the frog such that the mouth is open fairly widely. You've got what you need!

[Lynford in Reno]

My shop is mostly power tools but I am in the process of going more to hand tools. So, I decided to make a small table 11W X 25L X 19H completely with hand tools. I often looked over at the bandsaw and planer but I did not use them. The table construction took about four times a long as normal (~36 vs ~9hrs). The top had some twist in it to take out. Photo one is the table and all the tools used. The white wood plane has a slight round bottom like a compass plane for the curved legs. I enjoyed the work, lack of noise, and the results are every bit as good as had I used the machines.



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It is made of cherry with some curl.

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The darker figure is at the front

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The thin drawer sides used slips to mount the bottom. Yes, I know, no picture; didn't happen. But I have already given it away and forgot to get pictures of that.

My wife said the men of the 1800s would have given an arm and a leg to have your shop and here you are going retro. Yep, no jointer and enjoyed it.

[ZachDillinger]

To clarify, the side you flatten is not always the show side. You flatten the side that matters most for your joinery. The show side can be wavy and unflat as long as it doesn't look wavy and flat, and you remember to only measure from the side you flattened. Two reference faces on every board with joinery, usually no more, certainly no less.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

ZachDillinger said:

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To clarify, the side you flatten is not always the show side. You flatten the side that matters most for your joinery. The show side can be wavy and unflat as long as it doesn't look wavy and flat, and you remember to only measure from the side you flattened. Two reference faces on every board with joinery, usually no more, certainly no less.

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Yup. I hope that I'm doing it right by flattening cup side down--that way it doesn't rock when I'm running the plane over the opposite, crowned, side.

Is that the correct way to go?

So far haven't done any that have noticeable twist.