jointing, planing, thicknessing - a newbie is confused!

[dlowry_uk]

Hello,
As a relative newbie to woodworking, I've been getting by with a Workmate, a few handtools, a router, and most recently a biscuit jointer - working in the back garden when its dry, sulking indoors otherwise!

The other half was suitably impressed by a chair made for our daughter (kiddies furniture is outrageously expensive to buy), so I now have permission for a proper workshop out back! Thinking about kit, I realized I don't really understand the jointing/planing/thicknessing process.

I read somewhere that you use a planer to produce a true edge and face, which are then referenced to thickness the piece to the required dimensions. The confusion comes with the first step - isn't this what a jointer is for? Can someone explain the operation and relationship of jointing, planing and thicknessing to produce dimensioned stock?

Bottom line, can i dimension stock adequately with a portable planer/thicknesser, as space and funds will be limited.

 

[George_N]

This link has a run down on preparing stock using a planer and thicknesser http://www.inthewoodshop.org/methods/wwc01.shtml
No doubt someone will also be able to direct you how to do it with hand tools...a lot more labour but maybe more satisfying.

cheers

George

 

[Adam]

Hello,
As a relative newbie to woodworking, I've been getting by with a Workmate, a few handtools, a router, and most recently a biscuit jointer - working in the back garden when its dry, sulking indoors otherwise!

The other half was suitably impressed by a chair made for our daughter (kiddies furniture is outrageously expensive to buy), so I now have permission for a proper workshop out back! Thinking about kit, I realized I don't really understand the jointing/planing/thicknessing process.

I read somewhere that you use a planer to produce a true edge and face, which are then referenced to thickness the piece to the required dimensions. The confusion comes with the first step - isn't this what a jointer is for? Can someone explain the operation and relationship of jointing, planing and thicknessing to produce dimensioned stock?

Bottom line, can i dimension stock adequately with a portable planer/thicknesser, as space and funds will be limited.

Jointing and planing are the same thing. Our american friends call this jointing, we call it planing. Thicknessing is pretty self explanatory. Yes, portable units will do all you ask, although if you are making furniture, the length of timber you can run through a planer is determined by the length of the tables. This might limit you if you are trying to build furniture.

Of course, you could always do some planing by hand..... :wink:

Adam

Re-edited for SM benefit to remove some spelling mistakes...... :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

[dlowry_uk]

Thanks, George and Adam. That's cleared things up for me. And you're both right - cheaper, quieter and more satisfying to do it by hand. Getting carried away at the thought of a proper place to work

Drew

 

[Alf]

I think we call it jointing too... It's the different terms for the evil machines that have confused everything.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Scrit]

....I realized I don't really understand the jointing/planing/thicknessing process.

I read somewhere that you use a planer to produce a true edge and face, which are then referenced to thickness the piece to the required dimensions.

The confusion is made worse by the transference of American terms into an English environment or the use of hand tool teminology. Roughly:

Planer or overhand planer or surface planer (English) = jointer (US)

Thicknesser (English) = planer (US)

BTW a planer/thicknesser (English) is referred to as an "over and under" as well!

You plane surfaces, thickness stock but joint or shoot edges.......

We're in the UK, so let's stick to the English terms. The process by machine is similar to doing it by hand.

1. Plane a wide face on the timber using the surface planer. It may be necessary to make several passes, but a surface-wide planed finish isn't absolutely necessary. The odd hollow edge, etc are highlighted with a pencil

2. Pressing the planed face of the timber against the overhand planer, surface plane the edge (called edge planing or jointing - the hand term). This edge needs to be true, so no hollows are allowed

3. Mark the reference face with a V-arrow pointing towards and ending at the jointed edge

4. Mark the jointed edge with a reference mark line a P where the foot of the "P" ends at the point of the "V" (so far this follows hand practice)

5. Thickness the material using the already surfaced face as a reference (i.e. turn it over so the planed face rests on the thicknesser table). Try to keep the amount you take from each face about the same and make sure that you also machine the original (reference) surface at least once to remove any uneven planing marks, etc. This will also take-off the surface pencil mark.

6. Thickness the second edge of the piece if possible - for wide/thin planks it is frequently easier to rip the timber on the sawbench and then make a single pass of the sawn edge on the surface planer.

Scrit

 

[dlowry_uk]

Right, it all starts to make sense. The confusion was caused both by the confusing UK/US terminology for the machines, and not understanding basic woodworking terminology in the first place (ie you plane a surface, but joint/shoot an edge).

Thanks to all,
Drew[/quote]

 

[aldel]

Jointer has only recently come into common use here and is American for the English, planer.

Yet another Normism like draw instead of the correct word drawer.

I have some tongue in cheek American/English translations on one of my pages http://www.aldel.co.uk/My_chat.htm towards the bottom of the page. Please send me the ones I have missed.

:wink: :wink:

 

[Sean the amateur]

I don't think that the word Jointer is Normism.

A Stanley Number 7 plane has been called a jointer plane in the USA for years. I don't know if it has that name in Britain.

 

[aldel]

Isn't a number 7 known as a Try Plane in the UK and a Jointer in the USA?

 

[Alf]

The 1938 Record catalogue firmly says "jointer". April 1927 MAC catalogue says jointer for the Stanleys and Trying for the woodies.

Cheers, Alf