I have both, but it depends on how you want to prioritize. I do not recall
which was purchased first.

I purchase rough cut lumber and so use my planer to surface the wood.

I do not use the jointer so much these days, partly due to myinitial tuning
of the machine being less than perfect resulting in jointing a nice twist
into 9ft long 8/4 maple. I later realised the machine fence was not
orthogonal at the infeed and outfeed tables. The other "partly" is due to
post re-tuning I still find my technique being imperfect to result in
tapering of the wood from front to back.

So these days I take off any major surface imperfections with either hand
planing or careful use of the planer (tiny depth of cut) to get the one
surface flat and then flip to get the other surface parallel.

If I could purchase only 1 machine, I would get the planer due to having
local sources of rough cut lumber. Hand planing can achieve a flat surface,
but it is very hard to achieve a parallel opposite surface without a planer.

Personally, I prefer to purchase rough cut lumber since I am able to achieve
a final working stock which is thicker than normal S4S lumber. I really
like the look of true 7/8 or 15/16in wood than the normal 3/4in or less of
S4S lumber.

Dave Paine.





"Pop" wrote in message
news:9wFTf.3570$hI1.3441@trndny06...
Hi all,

Birthday coming up, and I'm in a bit of a quandary. I've been given the
opportunity to pick up either a planer OR a jointer (not both) and I'm not
sure which to go for first or which would be the most useful. I also have
little experience with either tool.

I'm leaning pretty strongly toward the 13" Dewalt Planer as opposed to
their jointer. I don't do much edge gluing, and what little bit I've done
has always come out OK using a good blade on my TS, so that directs me
toward the planer. I think I'm more interested in getting repeatable
thicknesses and smooth finishes to minimize sanding, plus as long as it's
reasonably straight, it looks like a planer makes almost any type of wood
usable.

My woodworking skills run from fair to good, probably more good than fair.
Most people are suitable impressed that I can get an ego boost from
showing off my work, so I assume I'm not too bad. I see a lot of my
mistakes, but others don't seem to.
Since I have no actual experience since my high school daze many many
year ago, I thought I'd see what the folk here think. Am I right in
thinking that a planer would make the better tool for me at the moment?

Basically, all I see a jointer being good for is making a straight edge,
not that I mean that's not important! But I think the practicality of
being able to slice 1/16 or 1/32 or less, to a max of 1/8, of materials
from 3/4" to 13" would sure make a nice tool.
Oh, and yes, I understand what snipe is, and that a warped piece of wood
will still be warped after planing it where that's not the case with a
jointer; done enough window shopping to be able to see that.
But, a jointer is rather limited to not much more than straigtening and
edge, right? Wrong?

Whatever your thoughts, happy to hear them.

Oh yeah, a little sidelight: While perusing the local Ace Hardware this
morning, I noticed a no-name "Planner" sitting next to the Dewalt planers.
I wonder what kind of plane job a 'planner' would do? ;-) It -was- a lot
cheaper; wonder why? g

TIA,

Pop