How To Use A Jointer (Step-By-Step)

Woodworking is the art of altering the wooden structure and making something extraordinary.

Whenever you see someone working with a piece of wood or if you are a carpenter, you know that the tools that you own in your shop will have a significant impact on the work that you are doing.

For instance, you have to use a chisel to carve out the wood, and you cannot do it with your bare hands.

In this article, we will discuss a device that will fix certain deformations of the wood panels; you might wonder why and how? We will tell you.

The woodworking jointer.

This device is one of the essentials when trying to work with flat surfaces in the woodworking industry.

If you own a jointer and don’t know how to use it, this article will offer you the exact instructions on how to use a jointer step by step.

So, without any hesitation, let’s get started.

What is a woodworking jointer?

Carpentry is a fine line between a wood chopper and an artist, meaning that you can work with the wood you acquired and then use it to create magnificent art.

Some of the tools you have in your shop are essential and useful.

These tools pave the way to a better experience. For example, using a RidgidTS3650 contractor table saw can be much easier than using a hand saw.

You can also read the full review of the Ridgid table saw.

Like these tools, a woodworking joint can be very useful for people who deal with flat surfaces for their projects; for example, carpenters who craft doors and frames or even tables can benefit from this tool, but let’s see what a Woodworking jointer is?

Sometimes the raw woods that enter the woodshop to turn into furniture have deformations, meaning their surface has curves or knots.

In these situations, using sandpaper to even the surface of the wood is like trying to color the ocean with a color droplet; it is impossible or at least very hard.

But if you are okay with removing a thin layer from the surface of the wood to make it even, you can use a jointer saw.

A jointer has a table and a saw-like cylinder blade that will rotate very high speed and remove layers from the wood you are dragging on.

Woodworking jointers have different sizes; however, they all do the same task; however, for performing this action on more extensive wood panels, you have to get a bigger jointer.

The name jointer implies the outcome of this device, meaning that at the end of using this tool, you will have a flat surface and wooden edge panels than can be connected to create an even more giant wooden board.

Now that you know what a wood jointer is and what is it used for, let’s answer your earlier asked question:

How to use a jointer step by step?

How to use a jointer? (+4 Step tutorial)

Using a blade machine, especially in the woodworking industry, you must ensure that you know exactly how to use specific tools.

Sometimes the tools have manuals, but if they don’t, it is too risky to use them to figure out how it works.

In this section of the article, we will be talking about using a jointer.

We will conduct the instruction based on an example:

Imagine that you are trying to build a table and need flat panels to connect and make the tabletop; now, let’s get to the article and start building.

Step I

Check the inventory and ensure that you have backup wood in case the process goes south.

Then get to the machine, and let’s start.

Step II

A degree adjustment on the machine defines the depth of cut in the wood; you must adjust it according to the project and deformation you are working with.

Then you have to ensure that your jointer fence is 90 degrees; if not set to the right angle, it can increase your deformation.

Step III

After making sure that your adjustments are correct, it is time to turn on the machine, but before doing so, get some protective gear and wear them, especially eye protection.

Step IV

Put the piece of wood on the beginning of the table, and keep in mind that you have only one chance of doing this right, so make it count.

Go through the blade once, rotate the wood to the other surface and sides, and flatten them.

By this point, you have a perfectly flat panel of wood, and you have to repeat this process on other boards and, in the end, connect them to make the final product.

Thanks to your woodworking jointer, building this table will be much easier.

However, some say that using drill sandpaper is better than using a woodworking jointer, so to see which one is better, let’s compare them:

Jointer	Sandpaper Drill
Faster and stronger	Not as much strength as a jointer
Fixed tool (unable to move)	Creates fire hazard
Practical for any wood	Can’t handle hardwoods

We forget that the Jointer is in the saw family while the sandpaper isn’t.

However, from the chart information, we can conclude that using high-speed sandpaper can cause the wood to fire.

Besides, some of the woods can be harder to shave than the others, and you cannot flatten a panel of wood perfectly with a sandpaper drill.

We cannot use the sandpaper drill instead of the woodworking jointer.

Now that we have the required knowledge let’s get to the last section, the conclusion.

Last but not least…

This article discussed tools that will significantly impact your project’s speed and precision.

And then, we discussed the woodworking jointer and what it is used for in carpentry; the instructions we cited in this article will help you use the Jointer safely and securely.

In the end, we are happy that you stayed with us until the end of this article, and if you have anything to the “How to use a jointer (step by step)” theme, you can contact us.