Jointer vs. Planer: Do I need both?

When using solid wood to build a project, it is often necessary to use both the planer and the jointer to prepare the pieces and ensure the best outcome. Let’s take a look at the two machines and find out why they are so important.

What is a Jointer?

A jointer, or surface planer, is a machine used to create a straight and even 90 degree angle between one face of a board and one edge. This is essential to prepping the piece to then be processed through a planer, table saw, or chop saw.

This is also very important when joining two or more boards together to create a flat surface. Making sure all the connecting edges have a 90 degree edge will keep your piece flat and ensuring maximum surface contact between the sides of the boards for the glue to bond.

Unless your jointer has a power feed attachment you will have to feed the boards through yourself, keeping appropriate pressure on the board. In this way it differs from the planer which has rollers that feed the board for you.

What does a jointer do?

The jointer creates this 90 degree edge of a board by first flattening one face of the board and also squaring up the edge.

This is done by passing the board face along the surface of the machine starting on the in-feed table. The in-feed table is usually the part of the jointer that adjusts to determine the amount of material you are removing with each pass. From the in-feed table you slide board along and into the cutter.

Apply even pressure to the board and pass it over the rotating cutter. This will be a spindle with a few long knives or dozens of small square blades. (This cutter is very similar to the one utilized in the planer. This allows for the creation of combo machines that are jointer/planers and have two functions using the same blade.)

After passing over the blade the board then travels to the out-feed table. The out-feed table is set to the same height as the blade and you want to make sure to transfer pressure to the part of the board on the out-feed table to ensure a flat cut. This process is repeated until the face is flat and even.

Once this phase is complete, you place the new perfectly flat surface of the board against the vertical fence and rest one edge of the board on the in-feed table. You then pass this through the same direction and process as the flattening of the face but this time making sure to keep even pressure on the fence as well as the feed table surfaces. This will take multiple passes as well, but once you are finished you will have a board that the will be able to be processed through other machines and give you accurate, uniform results along the length of the board.

Tips to read before using a jointer:

Applying a coat of wax to the in-feed/out-feed tables of the jointer will help the boards travel easily over the surface.
Never wear loose clothing or dangling jewelry when using a jointer.
Pay attention to the direction of the grain of the wood. Cutting against the grain can cause chatter or chip out and scar the wood surface. Cutting against the grain can also increase the chance of unnecessary kickback.
Since you are feeding the board and not the machine, use extra caution when handling the wood. I recommend using push blocks which will help you control the piece but keep distance between the blades and your hands
Use only sharp and undamaged knives to avoid kickback of the piece. Dull knives will affect the quality of the cut.
Make sure to cut your work pieces to length after you have finished planing them, often you will get snipe, or a deeper blade cut at the front or back of the board. You will want to trim these parts off so you have the desired uniform thickness throughout your board.

What is a planer?

A planer, or thickness planer, is a wood working machine that is used to create even thickness along the length of a board. It is often important when working with solid wood that the pieces have a uniform thickness throughout. This type of consistency in material helps yield a cleaner more uniform final project whether you are building a simple box or a complicated piece of furniture.

Some lumber is only available from the mill in certain sizes and there will be need to customize its thickness to your specific needs.

Planers are available in floor models and bench top models.

What does a planer do?

You feed the board into the front of the machine and a series of motorized rollers will grip the board from above and push it along. It slides on a smooth even surface that serves to keep the bottom of the board flat from the pressure being exerted by the rollers above. In between the rollers is a rotating spindle with the blades on them. These are sometimes long thin knives or dozens and dozens of small square carbide blades.

This spindle cuts evenly across the width of the board to create two parallel planes on the board you are feeding through. This will often take many passes to get the thickness uniform across the whole board.

On the top of the machine will usually be a dust port for all of the removed material to be sucked out of the machine by your dust collector. If you don’t have a dust collector or vacuum then you will just have to stop periodically, turn off the machine and let it cool down so you can clean it out.

If you do not remove the material while you are cutting then it will ultimately clog up the machine and hinder the effectiveness of your planer.

Tips to read before using a planer:

Applying a coat of wax to the bed of the planer will help the boards travel easily over the surface
Make sure to purchase boards that have enough excess thickness so that you will be able to pass them through multiple times. If you want to have a finished dimension of 3/4” then you need to buy a board that is thicker like 4/4 material
Pay attention to the direction of the grain of the wood. Cutting against the grain can cause chatter or chip out and scar the wood surface. Cutting against the grain can also increase the chance of unnecessary kickback
Rotate your boards. Taking too much material off of only one side can lead to warping or cupping as you expose new material to the elements and the moisture in the wood shifts.
Use only sharp and undamaged knives to avoid kickback of the piece. Dull knives will affect the quality of the cut.
Check your machine for maximum allowable cutting depths. I would recommend never taking off more then an 1/8” per pass even if the machine says it can handle more.
It is possible to feed more than one piece through at the same time allowing you to process thinner pieces faster by double or tripling them up.
Make sure to cut your work pieces to length after you have finished planing them, often you will get snipe, or a deeper blade cut at the front or back of the board. You will want to trim these parts off so you have the desired uniform thickness throughout your board.

Which should you use first?

The jointer should be the first machine you process the boards with and then into the planer, especially if you are starting with rough lumber.

Some of the mills and large stores will sell you material that looks like it has 90 degree milled edges and flat faces but when boards sit or are stored improperly the moisture escapes from them unevenly and this can cause the wood to bow, twist or cup. The jointer will fix that by flattening one face and straightening one edge. This will ultimately result in material loss so be sure to inspect wood you are purchasing and choose the straightest pieces.

Have fun and be safe making saw dust!

FAQ

What is a jointer/planer?

A jointer planer is a combo machine that can function as either a Jointer or a Planer (but not both at the same time since the machine uses the same cutter for both functions). This is a good option in a smaller shop where space is limited.

Can a table saw replace a jointer?

The honest answer is “not really.”

In some situations with smaller material, a table saw can be used to create a single straight edge by securing the board to one that you already know has a straight edge and then passing them both through the table saw at one time. This will not yield the same consistent results that a jointer will yield and it won’t address and issues with the face of the board.

Can a table saw replace a planer?

After a board has been processed with the jointer, and if the board isn’t too thick, it can be passed through the table saw to reduce the thickness.

This is faster than planing the thickness but you will not be able to do this with boards that are wider than 3 inches or so (depending on your blade height). After the cut you would still want to send it through the planer to remove any blade marks left by the table saw.

Will wood move and warp after it has been through the jointer and planer?

Yes, wood will continue to move and warp if it isn’t stored properly.

You should always store solid wood flat and with sticks separating the boards so there is room for air to circulate all around each board. This will allow moisture to leave the wood evenly and keep it straight.

Is a spiral cutter-head better than a traditional style cutter?

Yes, I believe the spiral cutter-head is better. The spiral cutter-head is more expensive than the traditional style but you are able to get more life out of the blades.

The cutting creates less vibration which makes the overall work process more enjoyable. Additionally the blades set into pre-formed recesses so in my experience it takes more time to change the blades but you don’t have to spend as much time calibrating it to make sure they are set properly.

Can I flatten both faces with the jointer instead of using the planer?

Yes you can flatten both faces of a board with a jointer, but they will not necessarily be parallel to each other. That can only be achieved using a thickness planer.