One question woodworkers often ask is: ‘what is the difference between a jointer and a planer, and when should each one be used?’ A jointer is used to create flat surface on wood. It is a motorized hand plane turned upside down. On the other hand, a planer is used to make a thick board thinner. This article will help you further differentiate these tools and assist you in deciding what type of projects to use each one for.
The Jointer
A jointer is a tool that enables you fit
the edges of pieces of wood together and flatten one face of the board. When
you purchase pieces of wood for a project, a jointer can help you connect the
woods together smoothly and without gaps.
Jointers are useful when working with
rough-cut lumber. The surface of rough-cut lumber feels rough to touch and
still has saw marks since it has not been milled to its final thickness. When
the wood is passed over a series of sharp, straight blades of a jointer, you
can create smooth, flat surfaces, and the edges of a board can be made
perpendicular, one side at a time.
The goal is to have flat surfaces on
finished projects like desk-tops and tables. When you start a project like
that, it is good to square up one edge of the board for an even, gap-free
connection and then use a planer to get a level surface once you link the
boards.
Jointers have a couple of draw-backs.
One is that they are unable to control the final thickness of a board, so it
may not be possible for you to cut several boards to the same thickness.
Furthermore, jointers cannot ensure that the second face or edge is parallel to
the first one. You need to use a planer to get the second face to be parallel to
the first and use a table saw to make the opposite edge straight and parallel
to the first.
The Planer
A planer is a tool that smoothens and
reduces boards to a uniform thickness across its length. In other words, it
makes a thick board thinner, which is why it is called a ‘thicknesser’. It
functions pretty much like a hand-held plane except that a planer is a power
tool which cannot function without electricity.
A planer has a flatbed that supports
your board as it passes through. Its cutting head is above the flatbed so as
the board runs through and out of the machine, rollers feed it along the
flatbed to remove layer of wood. The tool has settings which can be used to
achieve uniform thickness along the length of the board.
If you are on a limited budget and
cannot afford both jointer and planer, you can make do with a planer if you are
skilled enough to flatten boards first with a hand plane. A planer can be used to create a new table-top,
desk-top or even a workbench.
Final thoughts
A board should already have one side
flattened with a joiner before you can use a planer on it. The flat side will
be on the work bench while the planer cuts off slices from its top. You can
then put the board into a planer to make it thinner. You can also make the
rough side smooth and parallel to the other side.
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