Thread: Jointer or Thicknesser next?

Get a thicknesser. As you've said, you can make jigs for both the table saw and thicknesser that will let you joint, the other way...not so much.

An age old question Dicky. You really need both, for one is pretty useless without the other. You can kinda do jointing in a thicknesser with wedges/sleds but it sounds like a lot of buggerising around. The problem with it is to get the 90° edge you may be restricted by the depth of cut on the tablesaw (jointing a 4x4 for example).

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

An age old question Dicky. You really need both, for one is pretty useless without the other. You can kinda do jointing in a thicknesser with wedges/sleds but it sounds like a lot of buggerising around. The problem with it is to get the 90° edge you may be restricted by the depth of cut on the tablesaw (jointing a 4x4 for example).

I agree totally, I started with a thicknesser and a jig that allowed me to flatten one side of the board, but not the edge. When I bought the jointer, I found that there isn't many jobs that I don't use it at least once on.

Budget constraining to only one is a dilemma to be sure.

Step 1 .. first face on jointer.
Step 2 .. first edge on jointer.
Step 3 .. second face on thicknesser
Step 4 .. second edge on thicknesser or saw.

Steps 3 and 4 interchangeable.

However ... With some effort one could dress first face on thicknesser with a sled.

Then first edge on saw and clean up with jointing plane if required.

Then second face on thicknesser.

Then second edge on saw.

So for mine, if forced to choose only 1, it would be thicknesser.

Me, I go for the jointer because after squaring you can thickness the other two surfaces on the saw bench using a 60 or 100 tooth TCB sufficiently well that may require just a bit of sanding, depending of the size of the timber ofcourse.

Originally Posted by rod1949

Me, I go for the jointer because after squaring you can thickness the other two surfaces on the saw bench using a 60 or 100 tooth TCB sufficiently well that may require just a bit of sanding, depending of the size of the timber ofcourse.

Only problem with that approach is wide boards. A 12" table saw only gets about 80mm depth of cut, so even with flipping the piece over your max "thicknessing" width is only 160mm.

This is the time to learn how to use hand planes.

If the choice was one machine of the two, I'd also get a jointer first, then bandsaw to thickness, and handplane.

However, if I was looking for one machine, I'd get a combination jointer-thicknesser ... wait! I have one!

Seriously, a thicknesser can joint, but it is very slow and bloody noisy. Not recommended.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks everyone, I'm a bit further along the process for all that.
Derek, you're right and I'm looking forward to gaining some sort of facility with the collection of old planes I have yet to restore (another project: just what I need), but in the meantime, if I'm going to be working with ancient messmate & similar hardwoods, then I need a bit faster solution.
A friend has an old Carba-Tec 10" thicknesser that I can borrow, so it looks as if I'll go for the jointer first, then spring for a spiral-head thicknesser after I've sold a couple of fabulously expensive pieces of "industrial chic" furniture.
Great to have the input from you all I think I'm going to enjoy having all these brains to pick.
Cheers, Dicky

As you have access to a borrowed planer, you may wish to build this very good looking snipe remover.

I haven't got any kind of planer, it's still in my going to get basket, so my brother forwarded this link to me for future reference; he is building his snipe remover this weekend.

Planer Bed Fixture "Eliminate your Snipe" - YouTube

Mick.