Thread: Can you Joint with a thicknesser?

There has been previous post/s on here where blokes have set up beds/sleds and placed warped timber on them and packed appropriately to put through a thicknesser in order to straighten/face the timber.

Originally Posted by hellofellow

Hey guys,

I have read you cant joint with a thicknesser. If the board is bent and you set the machine to 1mm it will take 1mm off everywhere, leaving the board bent?

IF one side is flat (and you put that side down), wont inately the thicknesser first only touch the high points then slowly 'joint' the board?

Yes and yes. That's why you generally use a jointer to get one side flat. You can use a sled or a tablesaw to get the first side flat, but a jointer is easier and much quicker.

The key part about a jointer is that it will give you a flat side, with a 90 degree corner to another flat side. Then you run it through the thicknesser on the other two sides to get perfectly rectangular stock.

Trav

Originally Posted by hellofellow

IF one side is flat (and you put that side down), wont inately the thicknesser first only touch the high points then slowly 'joint' the board?

If one side is flat, the board is already 'jointed'. The thicknesser will 'dress' it.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

If one side is flat, the board is already 'jointed'. The thicknesser will 'dress' it.

Okay, thanks guys.

Sorry for the misconception. So will 'dressing' the second side produce a nice flat 90 degree surface on that side as well, providing the bottom side is already 'jointed'?

Originally Posted by hellofellow

Okay, thanks guys.

Sorry for the misconception. So will 'dressing' the second side produce a nice flat 90 degree surface on that side as well, providing the bottom side is already 'jointed'?

No worries, it can get a bit confusing with all the different terms.
The dressed face will (should) be exactly parallel to the jointed face.
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In the above diagram, if you joint the bottom face and left edge, then dress the top face and right edge you should end up with a perfectly square board.

Originally Posted by hellofellow

Okay, thanks guys.

Sorry for the misconception. So will 'dressing' the second side produce a nice flat 90 degree surface on that side as well, providing the bottom side is already 'jointed'?

In the sled method (mentioned by Rod) the sled acts as the jointed bottom side. But the board must be attached to the sled so it can't rock or bend - the two boards must be as one. The sled must also be rigid so it doesn't bend.

Originally Posted by Glennet

In the sled method (mentioned by Rod) the sled acts as the jointed bottom side. But the board must be attached to the sled so it can't rock or bend - the two boards must be as one. The sled must also be rigid so it doesn't bend.

How do you 'join' the sled to the timber? I can only think of screws, which would put holes in my timber . Clamps would interfere with the thicknesser I imagine....

Hotglue and wedges appear to work really well.

I saved this video in my bookmarks a while ago, it helped explain the process to me quite well

Joint with a Thickness Planer - YouTube

edit: this was in the related vids, you could use the wedges and glue with this method as well

Joint and Thickness-Plane with a Router - YouTube

edit2; electric boogaloo! I say well a lot don't I?

Originally Posted by hellofellow

How do you 'join' the sled to the timber? I can only think of screws, which would put holes in my timber . Clamps would interfere with the thicknesser I imagine....

I use hotmelt glue. When the board is placed cupped side on the sled that's usually enough but if it is badly twisted I use scraps of wood as packers. My sled is 32mm chipboard melamine faced both sides left over from some rennovations.

It takes a few minutes to do it, and for the glue to cool, but it saves the cost and space of another machine.

Good Morning

I routinely use a sled to joint - 1200 mm MDF panel by preference - the 1500mm one is rather awkward to use.

Always do it with the convex side upwards for stability. I have a 5mm stopper on the front of my sled, and only glue the timber if it wobbles - frequently it does not. It it wobbles then insert a wedge to firm it, and hot glue the wedge in position. After planing, a sharp rap with a mallet will break the glues hold, clean with a sharp chisel. Once this "sled jointing" is complete simply turn the timber over and thickness normally.

Once a face has been jointed, it is very difficult to use a sled to joint the sides using a sled, especially if you are palning wide boards. I prefer to use a router and a strait edge to joint the sides of boards.

Hope this makes sense




Fair Winds

Graeme

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Good Morning

I routinely use a sled to joint - 1200 mm MDF panel by preference - the 1500mm one is rather awkward to use.

Always do it with the convex side upwards for stability. I have a 5mm stopper on the front of my sled, and only glue the timber if it wobbles - frequently it does not. It it wobbles then insert a wedge to firm it, and hot glue the wedge in position. After planing, a sharp rap with a mallet will break the glues hold, clean with a sharp chisel. Once this "sled jointing" is complete simply turn the timber over and thickness normally.

Once a face has been jointed, it is very difficult to use a sled to joint the sides using a sled, especially if you are palning wide boards. I prefer to use a router and a strait edge to joint the sides of boards.

Hope this makes sense




Fair Winds

Graeme

How do you manage with timber that's longer than the sled? Or do you have to make something larger?

I've been spoilt by having access to work machinery whenever I want, but love hearing how people improvise.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

How do you manage with timber that's longer than the sled? Or do you have to make something larger?

I've been spoilt by having access to work machinery whenever I want, but love hearing how people improvise.

Good Morning Elan

Two separate solutions to that problem. Note that my long sled (1500mm) is a PIA so I virtually never use it now.

FIRST, I precut timber before I joint it. Shorter pieces are easier to handle, and usually do fit on the sled.

SECOND, where the cut timber is still longer than the sled, I select a bottle of red and go round to a mates .....

Always works !



Fair Winds

Graeme