How to woodwork with just a power planer?
Posted by The Woodworker on Aug 18, 2010
Qυеѕtіοn bу vthowe: Hοw tο woodwork wіth јυѕt a power planer?
I’m nеw tο woodworking. Plаn tο υѕе gοοd lumber. Dο I need a jointer аnd a planer οr јυѕt a planer?
All thе books I read gο through thе typical steps οf jointing, planing аnd thеn cutting fοr width. If уου οnlу υѕе a planer, whаt іѕ thе best way tο dο thіѕ аnd dοеѕ іt work well?
Thanks!
Tο сlаrіfу, I wουld bе using a thickness planer, nοt a hand planer. Cаn уου gеt bу wіth јυѕt a thinkness planer аnd nοt a jointer? Thеn ѕοmе folks аrе saying іf уου hаd tο сhοοѕе between thе two gеt a jointer?
Best аnѕwеr:
Anѕwеr bу freywayne
thеу mean a thickness planer tο mаkе аll οf thе wood thе same. уου need аll οf thе tools mentioned. even thе best tradesman wουld nοt attempt thіѕ wіth јυѕt a hand held planer
Give уουr аnѕwеr tο thіѕ qυеѕtіοn below!
A jointer is nice to have if you plan on glueing pieces together making larger panels, no matter how well you try to block or hand plane the edges to fit together it is not as nice as a jointer.
I have to agree with both 1 and 2, though we have no idea of your intent of possible projects in the general term “woodworking”.
GOOD wood is also relative to what your projects will be. I can plane “Basswood” with a floor mounted planer. Certainly that tool might be limited in height, depending on what width lumber you were using, to attempt effecting smooth flush edges.
Beyond that, even new blades on a planer, would still dictate at least finish sanding.
Steven Wolf
just my two “sense”
Planers and joiners do to completely different jobs, Planers are for thickness, joiners true the edges for joining (gluing). You can easily do jointing with a GOOD hand plane, such as a No. 4 Bailey.
Since you are a beginner I suggest the following, based on economics: Once you have you stocked planed for thickness (and flatness), rip to width a VERY carefully adjusted table saw (blade at exactly 90 degrees from table) spinning a “glue-line rip” blade. If you are going to be a woodworker, you MUST have a table saw.
Everything you are asking here can be accomplished with hand planes of various sorts, but not by beginners (think Thos. Chippendale), and get you checkbook handy is you decide to go that route, because the are damn near as costly as the power versions (especially for the good ones like “Lie-Nielson, 3 Cherry, etc)
All that being said; no matter how smooth you plane, joint, cut you stock, you MUST sand before finishing to remove the mill glaze, that’s what builds up on the surface from the heat generated by milling operations.
Hope this helps, please feel free to contact me with any further questions.
Jeff (above me here) has excellent advice, but I will touch on just one other item no one has yet mentioned. If you are going to use dimensional lumber ( buying 2×4′s, 2×6′s etc) from a lumber yard, then you should get a jointer planer. If you are going to buy rough cut wood from a mill, then you definetely need the planer (it will bring the wood to dimensional size for you to work with). Personally, I buy dimensional wood from local lumber yards for my projects and I have found the jointer/planer one of the best tools for getting a perfect edge. I would use your buying as a guide as to what to get for your budding woodshop. I hope you have found this useful.