Chip Buchholtz wrote:
Bill wrote:

Thank you for your reply Pat. Barry's explanation explained how
subtle things could go wrong. I definitely did not realize how many
factors came into play. I may have to get by with my smoothing
plane for a while...

You can joint an edge using a router in a router table, or a table
saw.

http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2005/01/28/wb/

http://www.newwoodworker.com/tsjointjig.html

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/rtrplnr.htm

As far as I know you can't joint (flatten) a face without a jointer.
I think I understand why you can't flatten a face on a planer, but
I
don't understand why they don't make planers that can also flatten a
face.

Actually you can flatten a face with a planer, you just need to
support the stock on a sled that is stiff enough to keep it from
flexing and that doesn't let it flatten out.

And they do make planers that can also joint--the trouble is that they
need to have beds as long as any other jointer in order to do it
effectively, and to do it full width they need to have beds like
jointers of that width and that means a big, heavy, expensive tool.

There's more than one solution to any problem, but the purpose-made
tool is usually the most convenient.

--
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--John
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(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)