Silvan wrote:
If you don't have a planer or a jointer, buy a jointer.

Yeah, I have neither, and I'm saving for a (non-benchtop!) jointer.

The "buy a hand plane" suggestion is not nearly so simple as it
sounds on
the surface.

I believe that, but it also might be just what I need to do in the
interim.

You can do a fake frigged up hack job of jointing with a router if
you have
a router table. I haven't tried it, but it's well-documented.

Edge jointing, yes, I'm aware, but haven't tried yet. I have some
2s2 pieces that I will be going this route (pun!) on.

Being able to escape
from BORG's crappy, overpriced lumber was a real epiphany for me as a
woodworker.

I know that! Boy, the 2s2 figured sweetgum/liquidambar I got at the
small mom&pop mill was a better deal than the boring 4s4 yellow poplar
from the BORG.

I got there with hand planes initially, sort of, but the material
acquisition curve for equipping yourself with hand planes is pretty
steep,
and then they're hard to use for this job. You will still need at
least a
plane or three if you don't have a mechanical planer, but you can get
by
with a lot less accuracy IME if one side is mechanically flat and
both
edges are mechanicall square. (Joint a face, joint an edge to that
face,
rip the other edge, then hand plane the remaining edge "close
enough.")
I think you meant, "the remaining face," but I got it.

Thanks,
Chris