Reclaimed timber can look flat and still rock on a workbench. Old boards may be cupped, twisted, bowed, or covered with nails and grit. A jointer and a planer do different jobs: the jointer creates one flat face and a square edge; the planer makes the opposite face parallel to that reference face. Neither machine,…
A jointer table can rust while the machine sits unused, even in a dry-looking garage. Bare cast iron is vulnerable to humidity, condensation, dust and fingerprints. The goal of long-term storage is to leave the tables clean and dry, protect them with a suitable barrier, and keep that barrier from causing trouble when you put…
A jointer that leaves a concave edge has removed too much wood from the middle of the board, or too little from its ends. The defect is often called a hollow or scalloped edge. Before changing the table settings, check how you are feeding the stock: a small change in hand pressure can create the…
What depth of cut means On a jointer, depth of cut is how much material the cutterhead removes from the face or edge on each pass. It is controlled by the height of the infeed table relative to the outfeed table. A deeper setting removes stock faster, but it also demands more from the machine…
A jointer fence angle determines the bevel on the edge you joint. The setup is simple in principle: tilt the fence to the angle you want, then feed the board with its face held flat against the table and its edge against the fence. In practice, a small setup error can produce a wedge-shaped edge,…
Choosing a jointer width for cabinet door stock comes down to the widest face you need to flatten—not the overall size of the door. For many frame-and-panel doors, a 6-inch jointer can handle rails and stiles comfortably. Wider parts, glued-up panels, and jobs where you want more support may justify an 8-inch machine. But a…
A board with a deep bow or twist is hard to joint safely because it may rock, bridge over the cutterhead, or lose contact with the fence. The goal is not to force it flat against the jointer. It is to make one face reliably flat, then use that face as a reference for the…
A jointer can put a clean taper on a furniture leg or rail, but it is not a substitute for a tapering jig. The key is controlling the workpiece: the part must stay flat on the table, the cut must start and end where intended, and your hands must remain clear of the cutterhead. For…
What the jointer table lock does A jointer table lock holds the infeed or outfeed table at a set height. If a lock slips, the table can move during a cut, changing the depth of cut and potentially making the workpiece catch or kick back. A loose table can also spoil flatness and make repeatable…
Pitch is the sticky residue left by resinous wood, especially pine, spruce, and other softwoods. On a jointer it builds up on both the knives and the tables. Dirty knives can leave rough, dark streaks; dirty tables make stock harder to feed and can affect how consistently it contacts the cutterhead. Cleaning is straightforward, but…