Four Ways to Maximize Your Jointer
While the table saw is often considered the most important machine in the shop, I’ll argue that the jointer comes in a close second. Almost all conventional woodworking processes depend on using stock with straight, flat edges and faces. And while a table saw creates edges that are square and flat, those edges aren’t always glue-ready for creating panels. A table saw certainly can’t turn a non-flat board into a flat one, either.
Flattening and straightening are jointer mainstays, but the machine is capable of a number of other tasks beyond these two abilities. Here are four you’ll want to try.
Rabbeting
When making lots of rabbet joints (or making them in end grain), a table saw or router is a go-to option. But if you only need a few, a faster choice is to use a jointer’s built-in rabbeting feature you may not even have been aware of. Almost all jointers have a “rabbeting ledge” on the outfeed table; it’s an L-shaped edge on
