What is a jointer used for in woodworking? This article will explain to you the main functions as well as the types of jointers. Click on to read more!
A jointer is one of the most common instruments used to finish wooden pieces. The final product’s look depends on the quality of the device.
So, what is a jointer used for in woodworking? What does a jointer do to wood?
A jointer is a tool designed for planning and sawing wood blanks. It allows you to create one or more adjacent reference surfaces on a bar.
You will need this device for repair, decoration, and construction work. The details will be in the article below.
Let’s read on to discover!
Related post:
- Ultimate Small Shop Guide Review: How to setup a complete wood shop on a budget
- From Beginner to Advanced Woodworking Project Plans
What Is A Jointer Used For In Woodworking?
The Construction Of A Jointer
As said, a jointer is a tool designed for planning and sawing wood blanks. The jointer consists of the following elements:
Engine:
It operates on a 220 V network. The electric motor generates and transmits torque to the shaft with knives.
Desktop:
This element consists of a backplate and a front plate. They are made of cast iron and equipped with stiffening ribs to ensure the stability of the working surface.
The edges of the slabs come with stainless steel plates. They protect the desktop from destruction. The backplate is flush with the top of the cutting blades.
There is a front plate located under the backplate, at a distance of up to 1/16 inches. The distance between the levels depends on how much material you need to remove when processing a wooden product.
Stamina:
It is a part made from durable metal alloys. This part supports the machine’s weight and all the forces that occur when the cutting elements act on the surface of the workpiece. On the bed, there are shafts with knives, guides, and fasteners.
planning shaft:
You can find it between the back and front plates. There are blades of the same thickness attached to the shaft. It is recommended to equip the shaft with tungsten carbide cutters for cutting dense woods.
Guide:
It is a unit designed to move the movable elements of the machine and process the workpiece. The guide can move laterally.
Circular fence:
It is a part located on the front plate and fits snugly against the rail. The circular guard protects the cutter block.
It is recommended to work with parts with lengths from 3 to 5 feet. Longer workpieces do not adhere well to the work table and deform. It reduces the accuracy of the cut and creates inconvenience in the process. Processing workpieces with a length of fewer than 3 feet is traumatic.
The jointer machine can carry out the following operations:
- Aligning large pieces of wooden blocks.
- Rough alignment of the workpiece plane.
- Cutting grooves at an angle.
- Removing the edge.
Compared to other woodworking tools, the jointer has the following advantages:
- Suitable for planning small workpieces and large blocks.
- High cut quality.
- It can process surfaces and edges of wooden beams in a curvilinear manner.
- If you have additional attachments, you can cut parts with a jointer.
- Low tool cost.
How Does A Woodworking Jointer Work?
How Does A Woodworking Jointer Work?
The backplate remains stationary during the processing of parts. The operator adjusts the position of the front of the worktable to the required height.
After turning on the machine, the electric motor directs the revolutions to the knife shaft. As a result, the cutting elements begin to rotate.
Apply the piece of wood to the guide fence with both hands and guide it onto the knives. When working with inexpensive devices, you must feed the workpiece by hand, leading to injuries.
Modern machines come with an automatic feed system for workpieces. It ensures safe work and increases the speed of feeding the blocks.
After feeding the workpiece, the rotating blades remove the wood layer, eliminating unevenness and creating a flat, clean reference surface. The processing speed depends on the planning technology of the workpiece.
Most of the tools trim the surfaces of the workpieces separately. Some devices can handle two sides of a wooden part at the same time.
If fibers or small particles of wood appear on the bar in the process of processing, then you need to sharpen the blades. If there are irregularities on the planned plane, adjust the distance between the plates and the shaft.
Watch the following video to know how to use a wood jointer:
url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bbHwoi4kz8
Types Of Jointers
Electric Jointer
There are many types of planning machines:
Operation
Manual:
This tool is most often used in household workshops. It features simple construction and low cost.
Electric:
This device stands out for its large mass and high power consumption. Its advantages are cutting accuracy and increased labor productivity.
The electric jointer is common in large-scale production. The disadvantage of this tool is its high cost.
Purposes
- Planning and jointing machine: It planes only wooden parts.
- Surface-thickness machine: It’s possible to use it for planning and sizing workpieces.
- Jointing circular machine: You can use it for longitudinal and transverse sawing of bars and milling of parts.
- Universal machines: It helps perform grooving, jointing, sawing, and board calibration.
Elements
Single-sided: These tools come with one working shaft. In 1 pass, they can process only the lower surface of the product.
One-sided devices are not equipped with an automatic workpiece feeding system. The planning speed of the block is no more than 32 ft/min.
Double-sided: These devices come with multiple cutterbones. Therefore, they can process all surfaces of the part simultaneously, which increases the speed of planning wood parts. Double-sided tools come with an automatic workpiece feeding system.
Portable mini jointers: In household workshops, portable mini jointers are also used. They are small in size and light in weight. The disadvantage of mini jointers is the reduced performance.
What Is The Difference Between Jointer And Planer?
Turn A Planer To A Jointer
Thicknesser and planer can process wood and other soft materials. The difference between these tools is as follows:
- It would help if you used a thickness gauge for finishing workpieces.
- The quality of the cut when working with a jointer depends on the operator’s skills and the technical characteristics of the equipment.
- When working with a planer, you need a side rip fence to align the four sides of a block.
- When working with a jointer, it is required to adjust the depth of entry of the cutting elements into the machined surface.
- In the industry, you can use both planning and thickening machines. The jointer sets the geometry of the wooden parts, and the thickness gauge calibrates the processed workpiece in terms of thickness.
To learn how to convert your planer into a jointer, watch this video:
Related post:
- 10 Best Wood Stove Fans – Reviews And Buying Guide
- 7 Clear Signs You Need to Replace Your Wooden Fence
- 10 Best Wood Burning Stoves for camping – Reviews And Buying Guide
Conclusion
As a technical process, woodworking demands many tools. Many jointers can process workpieces to a high level of quality.
There is a wide selection of models on the market with practically the same characteristics. Hopefully, after learning about “what is a jointer used for in woodworking?” you can find a device that is functional and reliable in operation.
Thank you for reading!
