How Does a Jointer Work?

A jointer is something that we use to raze the apex of wood boards. Well now, the question is how it is done. A jointer can be used in many different ways. 

Woodworkers need the jointer to have a smooth finishing. They will be able to achieve the smooth final finishing with the jointer. The jointer and the planer are not the same things. There is a difference between the jointer and planer.

However, they are not the same tool but a woodworker should keep both of the tools to accomplish his final finishing. You need both planer and jointer to make the wrapped, twisted wood straight and smooth (flat).

This article will let you know all about how does a jointer work.

What is a Jointer?

If you search the internet for the best jointer for the money, you will find many articles. But here you are going to learn how does a jointer work. So, at first, we will let you know, what is a jointer?

A jointer is used to shape the bottom side or one face of a wooden board nicely flat and smooth. This is also excellent in referring out cupped wood boards or deducting twist as well as glued together two edges. Woodworkers do need a jointer. 

On the other hand, before buying a jointer you should learn how to get things done with lumber properly. Working with lumber is the first step. 

Moreover, a jointer is one of the most important tools to have in a workshop, and our job is to find the best jointer for the money. By finding the best jointer for the money, we can make your work easier.

Overall, a jointer is declared as the foundation among all of the working tools.

Why do you need a Jointer?

Well, how will you know that if you need a jointer or not?

It will depend on the type of job you are going to do. If you are a beginner, you can do your work with your lumber. Lumber cuts and shapes things pretty well.

You don’t need a jointer at the beginning of your woodworking journey but if you are a professional woodworker then you must need a jointer to get done the wood flats.

What is the Size of a Jointer?

A jointer can be many-

  • Shapes 
  • Sizes 
  • Lengths
  • Heights 

But the commonest size could be a 6″-inch jointer. It’s the scale of the blades. 6″ inch is very popular among normal woodworkers. But, for professionals wider and bigger models are much suitable.

By the way, larger jointers are always preferable for long boards.

Components of a Jointer

There are three main components of a jointer –

  • Cutter Head 
  • Infeed Table 
  • Outfeed Table 

How a Jointer Works

Both the infeed table and therefore the outfeed table are nicely flat without any twist. Basically, without having any kind of tangles.

In other words, the infeed & outfeed boards or tables are coplanar, meaning they’re perfectly flat in the same plane without any twist.

The cutting blades on the head of the jointer’s cutter are attached to the outfeed part. You can adjust it by hoisting or lowering the infeed board and fixing the deepness of the cut.

As the wood piece is pushed on the head of the cutter, the uneven part of that wood is polished while making that surface or edge of the wood parallel to the outfeed board.

The jointer needed several passes most of the time. But, the bottom side of the workpiece which is being flattered can be smoother in each pass on condition that your jointer is correctly set and used precisely.

So, please remember this thing before you fix your board and adjust the jointer with it.

Things you need to do step by step:

  • Planning the cut
  • Jointer safety
  • General feeding principles 
  • Face jointing
  • Basic edge jointing

Planning the Cut

Before cutting, you will need to decide how to best place the piece of feeding and how deep to cut. It depends on the design and board size. Blade size will depend on the board size.

Jointer Safety

Don’t ever forget to wear gloves and be careful while operating a cutter head guard. Don’t joint pieces too short. Also, don’t ever forget to wear eye and ear protection. Don’t overreach of the long boards.

General Feeding Principles

Jointing depends on the proper feed pressure and feed speed. You have a fixed nuance to involve. The practice is always important to avoid mistakes. So, keep practicing.

Face Jointing

This is the primary step of thickening stock. All you need to try is to do this during the step in which you place the stock on the board. And always follow this way. It can facilitate you to urge your required result.

Basic Edge Jointing

In this phase, you have to make sure your jointer is set to 90 degrees. Fix your workpieces with the board and keep doing jointing and be careful you don’t cut your hand.

Final Words

I believe, by now, you have learned how does a jointer work. Well, you should always cut the planks of the wood with minimum speed, not at the full speed.

You need technical guidance to learn using it. We try to do things on our own these days. But, we have to remember that we can’t harm ourselves by recklessly doing something.

So, before start using this device, you should know the working mechanism and different important parts of the jointer thoroughly and I hope this article will greatly help you in this regard.