# What Size Jointer?



## nedladner (Oct 9, 2008)

I'm just getting set up in the woodworking hobby and plan to get into furniture building. I'm researching jointers and I don't want to spend any more that $1500 (including tax, shipping, etc.). Although obviously I'm a beginner (at 49), I want to purchase one that will meet my needs for many years.

I realize that my needs are very vague, but I would appreciate any detailed guidance and recommendations regarding 6" vs. 8" jointers. Also, how important is parallelogram vs. dovetail way?

I've considered the Powermatic 54A and 60B; the 60B has poor ratings on Amazon. A local dealer has both of these Powermatics and he also has an 8" Shop Fox model 1741. Any comments on these machines.

Thanks for any input.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

An 8" will do everything a 6" will do with ease, but the inverse of that equation is not true. There are alot of rough sawn boards between 6" and 8".


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## Lucas54 (Aug 21, 2008)

Get the 8" if you can. I'm fine with my 6", but there are times that I wish I had saved for a little longer to get a bigger one.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*I too am a furniture builder.*

Take my word for it.....ALWAYS buy the biggest and baddest you can afford. 
I dont know what your present tool inventory nor do I know where your nearest hardwood supplier is nor do I know the quality of the wood you are buying. The reason I mention this is because if you have a good quality hardwood supplier near by, you can get away without a joiner/planer and maybe redirect the money into a different tool.

As the other guys said, you wont regret buying the bigger one.


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## KevinK (Sep 18, 2008)

Hi

I have a 6" and like the others have said, it is fine but the bigger the better. I would like to buy a 12" someday.

Good Luck


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## nedladner (Oct 9, 2008)

Any recommendations on 8" jointers?


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

All the big names have good 8" jointers but Grizzly, Shop Fox, and Steel City tend to have the best values. Especially if you find one listed as Buy It Now on Ebay and use the MS Cashbacks 30% discount.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Another option would be to get your hands on the best planer you can afford, and use alternative jointing methods such as using a planer and a sled to face joint, edge jointing can be done with a router / router table.


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## Paul K (Jan 14, 2008)

If you really plan to make furniture, for fun, and you want it to remain fun, then get an 8" minimum jointer. You probably will never need a bigger one unless you really go crazy. As to Parallelagram vs dovetail ways, I have both, (and even a third) and there is not a lot of difference. True, probably the Paralleogram is a bit less able to go out of parallel, but if that does happen, one can, (i've done it) fix that too, and it doesn't happen often I would say. 
As to brands, others have said. I like my old delta's and powermatics, but the Steel city seems to be getting a lot of followers. Of course there are good old machines on the market too, and rarely does much go wrong with jointers. (I got my 12" crescent jointer and my 6" delta off CL. and I am happy with both)
Paul


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## clarionflyer (Apr 27, 2008)

I use my jointer much more than I ever thought I would. And I bought a great jointer that gives outstanding results.
*But*, even today, I was standing there holding a beautiful rough cut 7 1/2" maple board... staring at my 6" jointer :blush:.

There's definitely a substantial jump in price as you climb up through the jointer sizes. But if I were to buy again, I would go bigger than 6 inches. I may even trade up, one of these days.

I don't know how you're set on a planer, but if you can consider $1500 for jointer...
you can get a good looking combo at Grizzly for $1800.

G0633 12" Jointer / Planer


Just my 1 cent (can't afford the other penny, myself :laughing.


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## BloomingtonMike (Jan 3, 2008)

G0609 is a good 12" cheaper "new" solution if you do not want a combo. I found a deal on new DJ30 and bought it. I love it.


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## David K (Oct 9, 2007)

I feel silly for asking, but...

I have been using a 4" (Shopsmith jointer), but only for edging boards 90 degrees to the face, then using a planer for the faces. I have heard that a jointer can get rid of mild bowing, where a planer can't, but haven't tried it (because I have a 4" jointer). 

What else am I missing, that I'd have gotten out of a proper 8" jointer?


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## Paul K (Jan 14, 2008)

Well, a 4" jointer can be a nice machine. trims up the edges of small pieces nicely. But yes, can't do a great job on long pieces, but more importantly, can't do the faces. Can a larger jointer? Yes, it can make a flat face on any twist, cup, warp, etc. of course if the board is long, and the warp is large, you won't have much left of your original board after it is flat. Better to cut the board to shorter lengths according to your cut list, then flatten it. What else will it do? Not much normally. But I run most rough wood thru the jointer first, then the planer. As to edges. Certainly it can make a nice straight edge, but it can tear the grain too on lots of type of wood. A Good table saw can make a nice straight edge too, perfectly good enough for gluing. As to a finished edge, an edge sander can then make that edge nice. So to my mind, a jointer is actually more useful for me for faces than for edges. 

regards
Paul


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## clampman (Oct 20, 2006)

The bigger the better.

As far as adjusting apparatus, I could not get use to the parallelogram ones, but I had been using the handwheel type for a lot of years before the others came out.

The reason for this is that I used the handwheel to gauge the depth of cut without looking at any gauges. 

Because I could take the full depth of cut on some boards but not on others without "picking" the grain, I could take two (or more) lighter passes on the wild grain stuff by using a quarter crank twice, say, instead of a half crank once.

Basically, being an old dog, I preferred to not have to abandon existing muscle memory.

Cheers,
Jim


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## BloomingtonMike (Jan 3, 2008)

Jim, the shopfox and griz 12" options have front facing handwheels and parallelogram beds. Best of both worlds. I do not have any issues with the rods on the DJ30. Most of the time I go for flat faces and 90 degree straight edges so I really do not use the scale on my jointer either - maybe just to help gauge the amount of stock I am removing per pass is all.


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## Kudzupatch (Dec 23, 2008)

I am just repeating what has been said, but your probably noticing a pattern here. I say go with the 8 or or larger. If you don't and you get serious about woodworking you will most likely wish you had. 

If you have a choice the longer the bed the better. Makes handling longer pieces easier.

I typically say buy used, especially joiners as they are so simple. But in most places a used 8" is rare. You will probably find 6" joiners for sale. That should tell you something too. There is a reason no one sells their 8" joiner.

I have a 6" and a 12". I bought the 6" because I found a good deal on it. It was old iron and I knew the brand real well. I knew I was going to find a 12" someday so it would do mean time. I still use it a lot more than my 12". While I would never get rid of my 12" it's a big machine that I only have to have a couple times a year.

This was taken just after I got it restored and had made a few cuts with it.


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## LGC KX5 TC (Dec 23, 2008)

as clarion said a combo is a good way to go sometimes. Another good combo is the jet

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=19798

Its about 200 more than the grizzly but if you thing about it its 1000.00 for a 12'' jointer and 1000 for a 12'' planer


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## clampman (Oct 20, 2006)

OOH. Nice machines Kudz!

Mike, now that's what I like to hear. Handwheels. 

By the way, Ned, in case you didn't know, if you should spot some old iron with a square head, don't even think about it. 

Round heads will only eat the fingers you feed it where the old square heads will suck you in up to your torso before you even know it.

Cheers,
Jim


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## Kudzupatch (Dec 23, 2008)

clampman said:


> ........By the way, Ned, in case you didn't know, if you should spot some old iron with a square head, don't even think about it. ........


Only if you get your fingers in the blades! 

The Great Pumpkin (long story) has a square head. And yes I use it all the time and yes I have still have both hands. 

I agree they can be dangerous but I have no plans on getting my digits any where near that head. That is why you see the Cherry pork chop guard on there. I could not find a good way to convert this one to a round head without butchering the machine so just decided to work on the safety side.

I never run it without push blocks. I never run it without a guard in place and I NEVER push a board from the end.


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## rmonzo (Dec 15, 2008)

I had a 6" delta which could never be adjusted to surface plane a board. Even the company representative could not make it work right. A bird house maker bought it.
Bought an 8" Powermatic and have never been sorry. Been told that the surfaces are machined together at the factory. Only been adjusted once. You do need ear plugs, however, as she is a noise maker.
Good Luck!!


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## nedladner (Oct 9, 2008)

What model and year is the Powermatic? Parallellogram or dovetail?


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## clampman (Oct 20, 2006)

Ned,

Of all the jointers I've owned, the one I still have in a powermatic 8" long bed that I bought used in 1970. I am now, more or less, retired from the business and no longer have a cabinet shop.

I kept it over the others because it's weight/capacity ratio was very good. Two guys could easily move it around.

I rigidly attached the outfeed table years ago, and it has had thousands of road miles on it since in my mobile shop without needing further adjustment. I suspect that Monzo's is an older one also. 

For each trailer move, it had to be lifted off the dust sucker hose which was attached to the jointer directly underneath it, and went under the trailer floor out to the sucker. 

A wider machine is certainly preferable for cabinet shops, but they are too heavy to haul around in a trailer.


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