What is the difference between a jointer and a shaper

The answer is simple, a lot! And is there such a thing as a Jointer Planer? A jointer flattens a face or straightens and squares an edge, and a planer thicknesses wood. Whether you need one, the other, or both can easily be answered by knowing how they work, what they do, and how much wood surface preparation you pay your lumberyard to do for you. And honestly, you probably could be a great woodworker without either machine.

They are just time savers. Heck, you could use hand planes! Ultimately, you need to convert your wood stock to usable pieces for your projects. A wood jointer and a planer will help you get there. A jointer is used to make the face of a warped, twisted, or bowed board flat. After your boards are flat, then the jointer can be used to straighten and square edges guard removed for photo.

The tables are aligned in the same plane. A cutter head with knives is mounted between the tables, and its cutting circle tops of the knives is aligned flush with the outfeed table. The infeed table is lowered to a depth equal to the amount of wood you want to remove. Passing a board across the running machine with the guard in place removes the wood, and the cut portion of the board is then supported on the outfeed table.

A fence is used as a guide when flattening a face, and as a support when jointing board edges. The fence is adjustable for different angles, typically up to degrees. WWGOA does offer instructional videos on how to use a jointer. Also, be sure to see our guide on how to master the jointer. A flattened board is placed on the planer table bed and pushed in. The distance the bed is set from the cutter head is the resulting thickness. The planer can help you there too. As long as your rough boards are fairly straight, you can send them through the planer taking alternating light passes on each side.

Once both faces are clean, they should be flat and mostly parallel. Of course your edges will still be rough. To clean those up you have several options: trim with a circular saw and a saw guide, trim at the table saw with a jointing jig, trim with a hand plane, or trim at the router table. Admittedly none of these solutions are perfect but remember, this is a temporary situation. Until then, the planer will provide a lot of additional functionality that can make a real difference in your productivity.

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Which Comes First: Planer or Jointer? PM sent on the difference between the router and shaper. Stuey Well-known member. Joined Jan 8, Messages 11, Location 28m above sea level. You're talking about a lock miter bit. The previous posts went through the differences between router table, shaper, and jointer beautifully. Whatever your choice of machine for whatever your woodworking requirements, rest assured that a shaper is one of the most dangerous tools in the woodshop.

The vast majority of millworkers I've met that can't count to ten without taking one of their shoes off had lost one or more fingers to a shaper.

Obviously all large power tools present definite safety hazards but from my observations, the shaper seems to be the most successful in removing body parts. For what sounds like might be your first power tool I'd suggest a router. I consider it one of them most versatile tools in my shop.

I've been woodoworking, hobbywise, for close to 40 years and I've never felt the need for a shaper. But now with the luxury of a fair sized woodshop I wouldn't know what to do without my jointer. It's really a rather large, expensive, if you want quality, and single purpose machine but what it does it does with great results.

Face joint to flatten one face, edge joint to produce a square straight edge using the flattened face against the jointer fence, then plane on the thickness planer to proper thickness and rip on the table saw to required width. Stock preparation A shaper is a single, free-standing, machine. Like a drill press or a mill.

Shapers are larger. Good shapers will have a large cast-iron table. They're designed to have different routers bolted into it for different jobs. Many router tables are designed to sit on a workbench. A good router table will have a melamine or plastic top. Stuey said:. TireTracks Well-known member. Remember to use some "push handles" not sure what to call them if you get a jointer.

You want to keep your hands well away from those blades. Also usefull for routertables,table saws, etc.