Jointers and planers belong to the power tools category for woodwork projects. Generally, a jointer and a planer go hand in hand, but you have to know their differences to understand their applications and suitability. You can combine both tools to achieve the required perfection in your woodwork projects. Here is everything you need to know about jointer and planer, along with their differences.
What is a Jointer?
A jointer is a woodwork tool that is used to smoothen the surface of objects. You can flatten the surface of the board as well as square the edges. A jointer is an electronic version of a hand plane. It is a power tool, and hence, you do not have to operate it manually like a hand plane. A jointer is faster and quite effortless to work with instead of a hand plane. If you need to work with rough-cut lumbers, a jointer is a must-have for you. Rough-cut lumbers have saw marks, and they are not properly milled to the required dimensions. You can correct any defect on boards with irregular shapes. Apart from flattening surfaces and squaring edges, you can use a jointer for chamfering as well as bevelling. Pros:
Faster operation Requires less effort Corrects defects Versatile applications
Cons:
Less control over thickness Cannot create parallel edges Need a planer for perfection
How Does a Jointer Work?
A jointer has an infeed and an outfeed table, and in between the tables, there is a rotating blade. You need to pass over the rough-cut lumber from the infeed towards the outfeed table, and the blade(cutter head) will shave the surface of the lumber in contact and flatten it. You will notice that the outfeed table is slightly higher than the infeed table for proper depth of cut. You can use the same technique to square the edges. You should place the flat surface of the lumber against the side support(fence) and move the edge across the blade. You need to do the same for both edges. The edges may not be parallel, but they will be smooth and flat. This drawback can be overcome using a planer.
What is a Planer?
A planer is a woodwork tool that is used to smoothen boards and bring about a uniform thickness that cannot be achieved using a jointer. The basic objective of a planer is to make thick boards thin uniformly. A planer is a power tool, and you can smoothen rough lumber, make the faces parallel, and reduce the thickness exactly as per your requirement. There are different types of planers available. The benchtop planer is the most commonly used planer. Besides, there are floor model planers and handheld planers. The floor model is more powerful, and professionals prefer the floor model as it is bigger. In fact, you can pass multiple boards through the planer so that they have the same thickness. Pros:
Removes blemishes Makes surfaces parallel Reduces thickness uniformly
Cons:
Cannot rectify defects Cannot square edges
How Does a Planer Work?
You need to feed the board into the planer and make sure that it is in contact with the in-feed roller. Once the roller grips the board, it makes the board go through the rotating cutter head, having a pair of blades. The out-feed roller pulls out the lumber once the cutter head does its job and ejects the board from the other end. For uniformity, you should have at least one surface of the board perfectly flat, and it will be used as a reference face. When you feed the board, put the reference flat face on the table so that the cutter head shaves the other face parallel by removing the required amount of material. You can create the reference flat face using a jointer. That is why a jointer and a planer should always go hand in hand.
Comparison Between Jointer and Planer
The key differences between a jointer and a planer lie in their applications and operations:
1. Main Application
A jointer is used to create flat surfaces and edges out of the rough-cut lumber. A planer is used to make the lumber coming out of the jointer to have a uniform thickness and parallel surfaces. Therefore, a jointer is useful when you have rough-cut lumber to deal with. A planer is a must-have woodwork tool to make the lumber perfect from all perspectives.
2. Lumber Surfaces
The two opposite surfaces of the lumber coming out of the jointer are unlikely to be parallel. There is no mechanism to make them parallel. On the other hand, a planer is designed to make the surfaces parallel so that the output piece is perfect. You can get the desired thickness, and hence, the surfaces can be parallel.
3. Blades
The blades in a jointer are placed below the table and the workpiece lies above it. It is an open-ended tool and it can handle all the different types of lumber. You can perform different types of works such as cupping, twisting and warping with a jointer. The blades of a planer are above the workpiece and you can get the desired thickness. But planers may not always be able to handle of all the different sizes of lumber.
4. Automation
A planer has more automation than a jointer. You just need to push the lumber into the in-feed roller, and the shaving work will be done automatically. The out-feed roller will push out the finished product from the other end. On the contrary, you have to push the lumber manually on a jointer. The amount of pressure you apply, the greater will be the shaving of the lumber. Therefore, it is slightly manual, and you need some pressure to get the job done.
5. Price
Different jointers and planers have different price tags depending on the type, the features, and the specifications. Considering the base model, a planer is more expensive than a jointer. This is because a planer is more automated than a jointer, and hence, its components are costlier than those of a jointer.
Conclusion – Which One Should I Buy?
A jointer and a planer have different applications, and they are complementary tools. For a woodwork project, you need both a jointer and a planer. First, you smoothen rough-cut lumber faces and edges for which you need a jointer. Then you need further smoothening to make faces parallel for which you need a planer. A planer needs one flat face from a jointer so that it can flatten the other one equally. However, if you already have a smoothened lumber, you can skip a jointer and use a standalone planer to get the job done. Therefore, a planer is a must-have for the final product while a jointer is required only when you have to work on rough-cut lumber. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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