introduction

A jointer is a woodworking machine used to produce a flat surface along a board’s length.It is the most common trimming tool.

But how exactly does a jointer work? What are the different types of jointers? And what is the difference between a jointer and a planar?

This article aims to explain the basics of splicing machines, including their purpose, how they work, and how to use them correctly.

What is Jointer
How it Work
What is Planer
Different Between Jointer and Planer

What is jointer

A jointer makes the face of a warped, twisted, or bowed board flat. After your boards are flat, the jointer can be used to straighten square edges

As a jointer, the machine operates on the narrow edge of boards, preparing them for use as butt joint or gluing into panels.
A planer-jointer setup has the width that enables smoothing (surface planing) and leveling the faces (widths) of boards small enough to fit the tables.

Aim：flatten, smooth, and square .corrects material defects

Most woodworking operations can be performed mechanically or manually. A jointer is the mechanical version of a hand tool called a jointer plane.

Component

A jointer has four main components: an infeed table, an outfeed table, a fence, and a cutter head.These four components work together to make boards flat and edges square.

Fundamentally, a jointer’s table arrangement is designed with two levels like a narrower thickness planer so that it consists of two long, narrow parallel tables in a row with a cutter head recessed between them, but with a side guide.

These tables are referred to as the infeed and outfeed.

As shown in the figure, The infeed table is set slightly lower than the cutterhead .

The cutter head is in the middle of the workbench, and the top of its cutter head is also flush with the outfeed table.

The cutting blades are adjusted to match the height and pitch of (& made square to) the outfeed table.

Safety tip: The outfeed table should never be higher than the cutterhead. Otherwise, boards will stop when they reach the edge).

The infeed and outfeed tables are coplanar, meaning they are on the same plane and are completely flat.

Common size : Jointers for home workshops usually have a 4–6 inch (100–150mm) width of cut. Larger machines, often 8–16 inches (200–400mm), are used in industrial settings.

How it Work

The work piece to be planed flat is placed on the infeed table and passed over the cutter head to the outfeed table, with care taken to maintain a constant feed speed and downward pressure.

The work piece to be planed flat is placed on the infeed table and passed over the cutter head to the outfeed table, with care taken to maintain a constant feed speed and downward pressure.

When it comes to squaring edges, the jointer fence holds the boards at 90° to the cutterhead while the same procedure is performed.

Even though jointers are mostly used for milling, they can also be used for **cutting chamfers, rabbets, and even tapers

Note：Jointers do not create opposite faces and edges that are parallel.

That is the responsibility of a planer.

Safe Use

As with any woodworking tool operation, follow a few guidelines, and check for details before use. It is the only way to ensure your safety

So I’m going to tell you some safety tips

MAKE SURE YOUR JOINTER IS PROPERLY SET UP

Make the four parts of jointer,infeed table, outfeed table, fence, and a cutter head.Each is at the right height, as mentioned above.

Also make sure to use push paddles when flattening boards.
MARK A BOARD FACE TO FLATTEN

Aim ecide which face of the board you’re going to flatten.

Once you have decided on a face, scribble all over it with a pencil.
The pencil lines will indicate when the face is flat. (pencil gone = flat).
FEED THE BOARD THROUGH

Begin by placing the board flat on the infeed table and pushing it through the cutterhead with each hand holding a push paddle.

Depending on the length of the board, you may have to move your hands back and forth over each other.

Once enough of the board is past the cutterhead to put a push paddle on, put all the pressure on the outfeed table side.

Continue to push the board through until the blade guard closes and covers the cutterhead.

What is Planer?

Thickness planer (also known in the UK and Australia as a thicknesser or in North America as a planer) is a woodworking machine to trim boards to a consistent thickness throughout their length.

This machine transcribes the desired thickness using the downside as a reference / index. So, to produce a completely straight planed board requires that the down surface is straight before planing.

Function:

A thickness planer is a woodworking machine to trim boards to a consistent thickness throughout their length and flat on both surfaces.

However the thicknesser has more important advantages in that it can produce a board with a consistent thickness.

Avoids producing a tapered board, and by making passes on each side and turning the board, may also be used for the initial preparation of an unplaned board.

Components:

A thickness planer consists of three elements:

a cutter head (which contains the cutting knives);
a set of rollers (which draw the board through the machine);
a table (which is adjustable relative to the cutter head to control the resultant thickness of the board. )

How to Work

the table is set to the desired height and then the machine is switched on.
The board is fed into the machine until it makes contact with the in-feed roller:
The knives remove material on the way through and the out-feed roller pulls the board through and ejects it from the machine at the end of the pass.

Different Between Jointer and Planer

Planer Make objects completely parallel or have the same thickness
Jointer is a face or straightens and squares an edge，Make things flat

In Terms of Processing Effect

They have different surfacing operation.

So if you want an object that is the same thickness but not flat, then you can operate the planner.
If you want a material with two flat sides but different thicknesses, continue using joint.
If you want a uniformly thick and flat board, place the material in the jointer and then use the planer.