Understanding exactly what a jointer will and won't do, will allow you to use a jointer to its fullest degree, and allows you to produce from the best condition possible for the material.

How to use and maintain a woodworking jointer

A woodworking jointer is a tool that all woodworking shops must have. Without them many woodworking projects can not be done. The primary use for a planer is to straighten edges on boards. In most cases the straightened edges will be used to glue up panels for projects like tables and doors so the joints must be hidden.

Setting Straight Jointer Knives

The jointer looks like such a simple machine but tiny errors in technique or setup can render it frustrating and all but worthless. Compounding this is that the difference between perfect and way wrong is measured in thousandths of an inch.

Jointer Problems, Causes & Fixes

While many jointer problems are related to technique, there are real mechanical/alignment issues that while less common can be equally frustrating. Keep in mind that bad technique often imitates a mechanical problem so you have to consider both causes.

Jointers - The Easy Way to Square & Flat Surfaces

While the table saw and surface planer are generally the tools of choice when a piece of stock needs to be cut to a certain thickness, neither of these tools can properly do their job until one edge of the stock is flat. The best power tool for that job is the jointer.

Using a Jointer to Straighten Wood

The jointer is a machine for power planing stock on faces and edges. It is the first tool used to straighten a board by truing one face and one edge, followed by using a thickness planer to make the board an even thickness, then the other edge is cut parallel with a table saw.

How to Use and Maintain a Woodworking Jointer

A woodworking jointer is a tool that all woodworking shops must have. Without them many woodworking projects can not be done. The primary use for a planer is to straighten edges on boards. In most cases the straightened  edges will be used to glue up panels for projects like tables and doors so the joints must be hidden

How Is Jointer Used in Woodworking

One of the disadvantages to wood, however, is that it expands, contracts, cups and warps in different conditions. In this sense, it is not as stable as stone or most metals. To begin a woodworking project, a woodworker usually starts with rough lumber and must go through various steps to ensure that it is flat. Some woodworkers prefer to use hand tools only, but for those that use power tools, a jointer is typically used.