# Wish you had a bigger one?



## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

I only have 6". Size doesn't matter, you always want to do something bigger. I'm talking about jointers, of course, and face flattening.

There are a number of methods for surfacing that first face before going in the planer, handplanes, planer and router sleds. Here is another method that's quite easy.

Remove the guard and pass the wider stock on the jointer as though you were rabbeting. When flattening a face before planing, you only need enough flat surface to register to the planer, it's not necessary to get the entire face completely surfaced, the planer will complete the job as you turn the work over.

This is a shop made router plate with an offset, I call it a flush trimmer but it can be used for other purposes. In this case, you set the bit flush with the thicker portion of the plate. By holding that thicker section tight to the jointed area, you can cut the rest of the board flush with what you have established on the narrow jointer. 

Very quick and easy way to get larger stock flat on a smaller jointer. After that, the planer takes care of making things pretty. Don't let size envy get to you, it's what you do with it.


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## jaxonquad (Jan 26, 2011)

Great idea! This is the first I've seen like it. :thumbsup:


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## Scoma (Apr 1, 2011)

That seems to be a good idea. I don't have a joiner, but I plan to make a fence that would allow me to use my table saw as a 3-1/2" joiner of sorts. I do have a router, and this technique seems like it could be very useful to me. Thanks for sharing.


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## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm not so lucky as to have one at all D; I might be getting one pretty soon though! And it will be pretty big too.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

Excellent tip! I have a very similar jig I use with a laminate trimmer for flush trimming solid wood edging on plywood but never thought to use it like that! :smile:


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Marv, flush cutting edgebands was the first use I saw for this router jig. I figured if it can flush cut that, it can flush cut other things, too.


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