How to Prevent Snipe at the End of a Jointer Cut
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Snipe on a jointer looks different than planer snipe, but the result is the same: the last 2 to 4 inches of your board dip down and get cut deeper than the rest of the face or edge. If you’re jointing an edge for a glue-up, that snipe leaves a visible gap at the end of the joint. It’s not caused by the feed rollers like on a planer. On a jointer, snipe is almost always a setup or technique problem – specifically the relationship between the knives and the outfeed table, and where you apply pressure as the board exits the cut.
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Why Jointers Snipe at the End
On a correctly set jointer, the knives at top dead center are exactly flush with the outfeed table, within 0.001 to 0.002 inch. The outfeed table is what supports the wood after it has been cut. The infeed table is set lower by the depth of cut, typically 1/32 inch (0.031″) for face jointing or 1/16 inch (0.062″) for aggressive edge jointing.
End snipe happens for two reasons. First, if the outfeed table is even slightly low relative to the knife apex, the board loses support as soon as its trailing end clears the infeed table. The tail drops by the amount the outfeed is low, and the still-spinning knives take an extra shaving off the bottom. A 0.005 inch low outfeed will produce a very obvious 0.005 inch snipe. Second, if you keep pressing down on the infeed side as the board exits, you lever the board up off the outfeed table. The unsupported tail pivots down into the cutterhead for the last few inches of the pass.
Less common causes include knives set unevenly (one knife higher than the others will hit harder once per revolution), a nicked or crowned outfeed table, or excessive play in a parallelogram bed that lets the outfeed deflect under weight. On benchtop jointers with short beds, even a 4-foot board can create enough leverage to amplify a small setup error.
Set the Outfeed Table First
Fixing technique won’t help if the tables and knives aren’t co-planar. Check this before you change how you feed.
Start by unplugging the machine. Place a reliable machinist straight edge across the outfeed table and over the cutterhead. Rotate the cutterhead by hand until one knife is at top dead center. The knife should just barely kiss the straight edge and drag it forward about 1/16 to 1/8 inch as it passes. If it lifts the straight edge, the knife is high. If it doesn’t touch, the knife or the outfeed is low.
For jointers with jackscrews or gibs, set each knife to the outfeed height individually. For helical or segmented heads with indexed inserts, the inserts are fixed and you adjust the outfeed table height instead. Loosen the outfeed lock, raise it until that drag test is consistent across the full length of the cutterhead, then lock it and re-check. Many woodworkers use a dial indicator on a magnetic base for this, and a dial indicator with magnetic base makes it much easier to hold 0.001 inch accuracy than a ruler test.
After knives and outfeed are matched, set the infeed table for your desired cut depth and verify the tables are parallel. Lay the straight edge so it spans both tables. There should be no rocking and no light visible under the middle on a 38 to 50-inch straight edge. If your jointer has adjustable gibs or dovetail ways, take the time to remove play without binding the table movement.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Snipe only in last 2-4 inches, uniform across width | Outfeed table low by 0.003-0.010 inch | Raise outfeed until knife drags straight edge 1/16 inch at top dead center |
| Snipe on one side of board only | One knife higher than the others, or tables not parallel side-to-side | Reset knives to same height, check table parallelism with straight edge |
| Board tapers or snipe varies with pressure | Operator pressing on infeed side through exit | Transfer pressure to outfeed as soon as 6-8 inches of board is on outfeed table |
| Snipe plus chatter or scalloping | Dull knives, too-fast feed, or outfeed table loose | Sharpen or rotate inserts, tighten gibs and locks, feed at 6-10 feet per minute |
| Long boards snipe more than short boards | Short beds or sagging outfeed extension | Add roller stand at outfeed height, support weight, reduce depth of cut to 1/32 inch |
Technique That Prevents Levering
With the machine set right, snipe becomes a pressure problem. The rule is simple: the outfeed table is the reference surface. Once enough board is on the outfeed, all your downward pressure should be on the outfeed side of the cutterhead.
For an edge jointing pass on a 3 to 5-foot board: start with your left hand on the board over the infeed table and your right hand pushing from the trailing end. Take a 1/32 inch cut. As soon as about 6 to 8 inches of the board has passed over the cutterhead and is riding on the outfeed table, shift your left hand onto the outfeed side and press the board firmly down against the outfeed table. Your right hand keeps feeding forward with light pressure, not downward pressure. Do not press down on the infeed side during the last 6 inches. Let the outfeed hand control the cut.
Use flat, high-friction jointer push blocks rather than stick-style push sticks. Two blocks give you independent control over the infeed and outfeed sections. The outfeed block should have a soft rubber sole so you can hold without pushing down excessively hard. Excessive downward force can flex a thin board into the cutterhead and create a bow, which looks like snipe but is actually deflection.
Feed rate matters. A steady 6 to 10 feet per minute gives a clean cut without dwelling over the knives. Pausing at the end of the cut while the cutterhead spins is a guaranteed way to create a divot. Keep the board moving continuously until the trailing end clears the guard.
When to Support Long Stock
Benchtop jointers often have total bed lengths of 30 to 40 inches. A 72-inch cabinet door stile will overhang the infeed or outfeed by two feet at the start and end of the cut. That overhang acts as a lever. Even with perfect technique, the weight alone can pull the tail down into the cut at the end.
For boards longer than about 1.5x the bed length, set an outfeed roller stand or shop-made support so its top is exactly level with the outfeed table. Check it with the straight edge, not by eye. The support should not lift the board and should not be low. It just prevents sag. If you don’t have a stand, have a second person support the weight without lifting or pressing.
Reduce depth of cut on long, heavy boards. A 1/64 to 1/32 inch pass puts less cutting force on the board and makes it easier to keep the stock flat to the outfeed. Two light passes with no snipe beat one heavy pass you have to cut off and waste.
Checklist Before You Blame the Wood
If you still get snipe after setup and technique changes, work through this order: First, re-verify outfeed height with the straight edge drag test at both ends and the middle of the cutterhead. Tables sag over time and locks creep. Second, mark the snipe area with pencil and measure its depth with calipers. If it’s 0.005 inch or more, it’s mechanical, not technique. Third, joint a short, flat 18-inch test board with the two-block method. If the short board is clean and long boards snipe, the issue is support and leverage, not knife height. Fourth, check for a crowned or nicked outfeed table lip right at the cutterhead edge. A small burr that has been hit by a knife can hold the board up 0.002 inch and then let it drop at the end. Stone it flat if you find one.
Don’t compensate by lowering the infeed table more and trying to power through. That deeper cut increases pressure on the board and makes snipe worse. Jointers work best as reference tools, not thicknessers. If you need to remove more than 1/16 inch total, joint one face flat and then do the bulk removal on the planer where the thickness is controlled by the planer’s feed system.
A jointer that is co-planar within 0.002 inch and fed with pressure on the outfeed will leave a square edge that needs no sanding beyond a light pass to remove knife marks. If you have to cut 3 inches off every board to get rid of snipe, something is still low or your hands are still pressing on the wrong side of the cutterhead at the end of the pass.
