Do You Need a Jointer?

Do You Need a Jointer?

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If you are planning to become a DIY specialist or even a professional carpenter of any kind, then there are some tools that you need to know about. One of the most important tools that you can have in your arsenal is a jointer.

It is a very useful tool that virtually all woodworkers have a need for. That said, what exactly is this tool and what can you do with it? Let’s figure out whether or not you need a jointer.

What Is a Jointer?

Jointer Jointers are very special tools that are used in woodworking. Yes, these tools are designed only for use with wood. Unlike a table saw, where you can switch blades for various materials, jointers are strictly designed for wood only.

Most jointers are fairly large machines that come with long infeed and outfeed tables. These are the tables that your wood rests on. The infeed table is where you rest the wood before it comes into contact with the blades. The outfeed table is where the cut piece of wood rests once it has passed over the blades.

The most common size of a jointer is 6 inches. This means that the cutting blades have the ability to work with wood that is up to 6 inches wide. That said, there are larger industrial or commercial jointers that can be 12 inches, 18 inches, or even larger. That said, this is probably not something that you have a use for.

Now, in terms of what a jointer does, the primary function of a jointer is to create one flat, smooth, and level side on a board. Jointers feature cutting blades. Unlike a circular saw, this blade actually looks like a drum or a tube, kind of like a paper towel roll. This is then fitted with many sharp cutting knives.

Unlike a saw that cuts wood apart, a jointer shaves away thin layers of wood from a surface, with the aim being to create a totally flat, even, and level side of a board. Moreover, a jointer can also be used to square one side of a board with an adjacent side, or in other words, to create a perfect 90-degree angle from one wide face of a board to an adjacent narrow edge of a board.

Do however keep in mind that a jointer cannot be used to make two sides of a board perfectly parallel to each other, so that both ends of the board have the exact same thickness. To accomplish this, not only will you need not only a jointer, but a thickness planer as well.

5 Common Jointer Uses

Now that you know what a jointer is, let’s figure out exactly what this relatively versatile woodworking machine can do. There are five main things that a jointer will allow you to do.

1. Flattening One Side of a Board

The most common use of a jointer is to flatten one side of a board. To be specific, a jointer can be used to flatten both the face of a board and the edge of the board. Those knives that a jointer contains are designed to shave off thin layers of wood. This can therefore help flatten a warped or curved piece of wood. It can also help flatten a piece of wood that has a bow or a cup in it. If you feed a piece of twisted wood through a jointer, one side of it is going to come out straight, flat, and even.

That said, do keep in mind that the jointer will not allow you to make a board with two parallel faces. You can get one side and one face flat, but you can’t get two faces parallel to each other.

2. Squaring the Edge of a Board with a Face

You probably knew that a jointer could be used to flatten one side of a board. However, it doesn’t end there, because you can also use that same tool to square the edge of a board with the face that you just flattened.

Seeing as the face is now perfectly flat and straight, it means that if you put the board on its side, or in other words on its edge, and then run it through the jointer again, that edge will end up being a perfect 90-degree angle to the face that you jointed before.

In other words, a jointer allows you to achieve a perfect 90-degree angle from a face to an edge.

3. Trimming Furniture and Cabinet Doors

OK, so the two above points were the exact things that the jointer can do in terms of functionality. However, how does this translate to real life? Well, one of the most common uses of a jointer is for cabinetry and furniture making.

This is specifically the case when it comes to cabinet doors and furniture doors. If the door for your cabinet is a little too long or too wide, you can easily remove that extra length or width with a jointer. This is also the case if your cabinet doors are a bit warped or twisted.

4. Making Tapered Legs

Although creating tapers with a jointer is fairly difficult, it is doable. Although it is too much to explain right now, you can make tapers or slight angles using a jointer. For instance, this comes in very handy if you want to make tapered table legs.

5. Getting Rid of Imperfections

The other thing that a jointer can be used for is for getting rid of imperfections on board. Large splinters, sections with tear-outs, dents, and small chips can be easily removed with a jointer.

4 Jointer Alternatives

In case you need to true or flatten one face or edge of a piece of wood, but don’t have a jointer, there are some alternatives you can use.

1. Planer

Ok, so a planer actually makes boards equally thick from one side to another. Technically speaking, to make a 100% flat and even board, you need both a jointer and a planer. These two machines go hand in hand to achieve one final result.

2. Table Saw

A table saw may in some cases replace a jointer. However, you can really only use a table saw to flatten the edges of a board, not the face. The reason for this is that a table saw’s blade can extend only so far above the table. Unless you have a really narrow piece of wood, a table saw won’t be able to joint the face.

3. Hand Plane

A hand plane is the old-school version of a jointer. You need to do some measuring, and yes, you need to put those muscles to use. This is pretty much a block of wood fitted with a blade that shaves thin layers off a piece of wood.

4. Belt Sander

In some cases, if you need to remove material and flatten a piece of wood, especially a small piece of wood, you might just be able to swing using a large belt sander.

Do You Really Need a Jointer?

Although there are some tools that may be able to get close to what a jointer can do, the reality is that none of the alternatives will match the overall functionality of this tool. If you need to flatten and true boards, then you do absolutely need a jointer.

That said, if you are only getting started with woodworking and are on a limited budget, then you might be able to get by without one.

Summary

The bottom line here is that a jointer is a very useful and versatile woodworking tool. If you need to flatten, straighten, and true a board, then a jointer is by far the best tool to use. If you want to become a professional woodworker, it’s certainly a necessary part of your arsenal.