"Mike Marlow" writes:


"B A R R Y" wrote in message
news
Stoutman wrote:

Only to take it out of parallel at the jointer??


Possibly.

There is no parallel reference on a jointer. Jointers make a face flat,
and/or one face an exact angle to another, based on the setting of the
fence.

Parallel edges or faces obtained on a jointer are based on luck. G


I have to question this. What is it about a jointer that would cause it to
produce a piece that is tapered?

What is it about a jointer that would cause it to produce a piece that
is NOT tapered?

Properly set up infeed/outfeed/cutterhead
relationships should indeed provide a non-tapered result.

Well, that depends on what you are starting with. If the board already
has straight and parallel faces, then a "properly set up" jointer in the
hands of a good operator probably won't add a taper, if you're just making
a single shallow pass. That is what people that "rip to width, clean up on
jointer" rely on.

When you're starting with a cupped/twisted/bowed board and want to
flatten both sides, the chances that the two flattened faces will end up
parallel is pretty remote. That's why people flatten one side on the
jointer, then dimension the lumber on a planer.

...but I'm sure you agree, and the current argument is about the "rip
to width, clean up on jointer" process. (Some of the context has been lost
by editing.) So why bring in the flattening process? Because I'm sure
you'll also agree that the process of flattening will have rather
different results depending on how the operator applies pressure,
particularly in the transfer of weight from the infeed side to the outfeed
side. Especially in the beginning stages when there is still lots of curve
in the board - if you push one way to start cleaning up one part of the
board, you'll get a different result from what you'd get if you started
with pressure on a different point. That's where skill comes in.

...so I would argue (perhaps not strongly) that even when edge jointing
the saw-cut face, an operator that doesn't shift and balance pressure
between the infeed and outfeed sides runs the possibility of not making an
even cut, because there is nothing intrinsic in the design of the jointer
to prevent such uneven cutting.

...but I'd agree that this effect would be very small on a single,
shallow pass. And I think you'd probably agree that an unskilled operator
that takes several passes to both smooth the saw cut and reduce the board
width runs a risk of accumulating single unnoticable tapers into a
multi-pass noticable taper, because the jointer isn't going to do anything
to prevent it.

Do you expect
your router to leave a tapered piece? What's the difference between what
the router is doing and what the jointer is doing? I think you've been
settling for too little in your jointer setup. Or - am I out to lunch?

No, just disagreeing on what to have for a snack.