Jointers: A Complete Guide for Woodworkers and DIYers
Introduction
A jointer is a woodworking machine used to create flat surfaces and straight edges on rough or warped lumber. It’s often the first stop in preparing wood for fine woodworking, ensuring that boards are square and true before moving on to the planer or table saw. Whether you’re building furniture, cabinetry, or detailed wood projects, a jointer is essential for accuracy and quality craftsmanship.
History & Development
The jointer’s origins trace back to hand planes and large industrial planers of the 19th century. Early powered jointers were massive cast-iron machines driven by belts and line shafts in factories. By the early 20th century, companies like Oliver, Crescent, and Yates-American were producing industrial jointers for furniture shops and mills. In the mid-20th century, smaller benchtop and 6-inch jointers made their way into home workshops, thanks to brands like Delta and Craftsman. Today, jointers are available in a wide range of sizes—from compact benchtop models to large, professional-grade machines.
Types of Jointers
- Benchtop Jointers – Small, portable models (4–6 inches wide), designed for hobbyists and light-duty use.
- Floor-Standing Jointers – Heavier, more powerful machines (6–12 inches wide), built for accuracy and durability.
- Closed-Stand Jointers – Fully enclosed bases that reduce vibration and add stability.
- Open-Stand Jointers – Lighter, less expensive models with exposed legs.
- Helical Head Jointers – Modern jointers with spiral cutterheads and carbide inserts for quieter operation and smoother cuts.
Key Components
- Infeed Table – Adjustable table where the workpiece begins the cut.
- Outfeed Table – Fixed table at the height of the blade, where the wood exits flat.
- Cutterhead – Contains knives or carbide inserts that remove material.
- Fence – Guides the workpiece for edge-jointing; adjustable for bevel cuts.
- Guard – Covers the cutterhead to protect the operator.
- Motor – Powers the cutterhead; ranges from 1 HP (benchtop) to 5 HP (industrial).
Safety Features & Innovations
- Spring-Loaded Guard – Covers the cutterhead during use.
- Helical Cutterheads – Safer and quieter than straight knives, with replaceable carbide inserts.
- Magnetic Switches – Protect against accidental restarts after power loss.
- Dust Collection Ports – Remove chips and reduce hazards.
- Emergency Stop Switches – Found on larger models for added safety.
Uses & Applications
- Flattening One Face – Creates a true, flat surface on rough lumber.
- Straightening One Edge – Produces an edge that’s perfectly square to the face.
- Bevel Cuts – With an angled fence, jointers can create bevels.
- Board Preparation – Used in tandem with a planer to create perfectly flat, square, and dimensioned stock.
Manufacturers: Past & Present
Vintage Jointer Manufacturers (Early to Mid-20th Century)
- Oliver Machinery (Founded 1890s, MI) – Built heavy-duty jointers and planers for factories and schools, famous for durability.
- Crescent Machine Company (OH, 1800s–1940s) – Produced industrial-grade jointers and other woodworking machines.
- Yates-American Machine Company (WI, 1900s–present) – Known for robust jointers used in factories and vocational schools.
- Porter Machine Company (MI, early 1900s) – Specialized in high-quality jointers, particularly prized by professional shops.
- Delta Specialty Company (Founded 1919, WI) – Popularized smaller 6-inch jointers for home and school shops.
- Walker-Turner (1927–1950s, NJ) – Produced mid-sized jointers for schools and hobbyists, later absorbed by Delta.
- Craftsman (Sears, Mid-1900s) – Affordable jointers that made the tool accessible to home woodworkers.
Modern Jointer Manufacturers (Past 50 Years)
- Powermatic – Premium jointers with helical heads, heavy-duty construction, and excellent precision.
- Jet Tools – Offers a full line of jointers for hobbyists and small shops, including helical models.
- Grizzly Industrial – Popular for affordable, feature-rich jointers up to 12 inches wide.
- Rikon – Known for reliable benchtop and mid-size jointers, good value for small shops.
- Laguna Tools – Produces high-end jointers with spiral cutterheads and professional features.
- Delta Machinery – Continues its tradition with 6- and 8-inch jointers for serious hobbyists.
- Baileigh Industrial – Offers industrial-grade jointers for heavy production use.
Buying Guide
Consider these factors before purchasing a jointer:
- Width Capacity – 6-inch is common for hobbyists; 8–12 inches preferred for professionals.
- Cutterhead Type – Helical heads are quieter and produce smoother cuts than straight knives.
- Fence Quality – Look for sturdy, adjustable fences that stay square.
- Table Length – Longer tables increase accuracy on larger boards.
- Power & Size – Match the jointer to your workload and shop space.
Comparison Snapshot:
| Type | Width | Best For | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benchtop | 4–6″ | Hobbyists, light-duty | $300–$600 |
| Floor 6–8″ | 6–8″ | Small to mid shops | $800–$2,000 |
| Floor 10–12″ | 10–12″ | Professionals, production | $2,000–$5,000+ |
Maintenance & Care
- Keep cutterhead knives or inserts sharp and clean.
- Wax tables to reduce friction and prevent rust.
- Check fence alignment regularly.
- Keep dust collection ports clear.
- Inspect belts and pulleys for wear on older models.
Safety Tips for Users
- Always use the guard—never remove it.
- Maintain proper hand placement—use push blocks when necessary.
- Never joint stock shorter than 12 inches.
- Avoid cutting boards thinner than 1/2 inch.
- Stand to the side of the board to avoid kickback.
Accessories
- Helical Cutterheads – Upgrade from straight knives for smoother cuts.
- Push Blocks & Paddles – Essential for safe operation.
- Mobile Bases – Make moving heavy jointers easier in small shops.
- Digital Angle Gauges – Improve accuracy for bevel cuts.
FAQs
Q1: What’s the difference between a jointer and a planer?
A jointer flattens one face and straightens one edge, while a planer makes the opposite face parallel and brings stock to thickness.
Q2: Do I need both a jointer and a planer?
Yes—together, they ensure boards are flat, square, and uniform.
Q3: What size jointer should I buy?
A 6-inch is fine for beginners, but an 8-inch or larger is ideal for serious woodworking.
Q4: Can I use a table saw instead of a jointer?
You can approximate edge-jointing with a straight-line jig, but nothing replaces a jointer for flattening faces.
Q5: Why choose a helical cutterhead?
Helical heads are quieter, reduce tear-out, and stay sharp longer than straight knives.
Conclusion
The jointer is a foundational tool in the woodworking process, ensuring flat and square stock for all future cuts. From the massive Oliver and Crescent jointers of the early 20th century to today’s helical-head Powermatic and Grizzly machines, the jointer remains indispensable for serious woodworking. For anyone working with rough lumber or aiming for precision joinery, a jointer is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
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The jointer is a machine used for power planing the edges and faces of wood stock. When using rough cut lumber, it is necessary to straighten a board by truing one face and one edge before ripping to width or surfacing to thickness. This planning is usually done with a jointer before a board is used on a table saw or surface planer.
The process involves truing one face of the board followed by straightening an edge that is perpendicular to the face. Then the straight edge can be used against the rip fence on a table saw to cut a parallel edge when cutting the board to width. Finally it can then be run through a surface planer to the desired thickness.
A jointer works by pushing the board over a rotating cutter head with two or three or more knives. On some newer jointers, a cutter head with a spiral set of knives is available that uses more of a shearing actions resulting in a smoother cut.
The size of a jointer is usually measured by the width of the cutter head. Common sizes of jointers for the home shop are the 4, 6 and 8 inch jointer. Some commercial jointers come in 12″ and wider versions. The width of the knives determines the maximum width of a board that can be joined.
Another way that jointers are measured is by the length of the tables. You’ll hear the term short bed and long bed jointer to indicate a longer table measurement.
Four inch jointers are too small for most surfacing, however you do see many four inch jointers in home shops. Six inch jointers are more common in home shops but at six inches, the widest board you can face is only six inches wide. That means that for stock that goes into wider surfaces, such as table tops, will have to be ripped to width, jointed, and then glued together to make a wide board. Eight inch jointers will obviously handle a wider board for facing. Eight inch jointers are usually longer too which means you can joint longer boards.
The typical jointer is made up of a base, the rotating cutter head, an infeed table and an outfeed table and a jointer fence. The cutter head and blades face and rotate toward the infeed table. A piece of wood is edged by feeding it through on edge with one of the faces held against the jointer fence. The jointer fence is usually set a 90 degrees to produce square faces and edges, but it can be tilted to any desired angle to produce beveled edges.
The depth of cut is set by raising or lowering the infeed table below the top of the fixed jointer knives mounted in the cutterhead. The depth of cut is the difference between the height of the knives and the top of the infeed table.
Other Features That Matter
- Flatness and parallelism of the infeed and outfeed tables
- Jointer fence design and ease of operation
- Length of jointer knives
- Overall length of tables
- Ease and accuracy of knife changes and sharpening
- Parallelogram or Dovetail
On most jointers, the tables slide up and down on dovetail ways. On a parallelogram jointer, the table sits on eccentric bushings that can be turned to raise or lower each table at any of four points.
Vintage Jointers
Craftsman Jointers
Craftsman 4″ Jointer Model 103.21810
Craftsman 6 1/8″ Jointer
Delta Jointers
Delta Homecraft 4″ Jointer Model 37-110
Delta 6″ Short Bed Jointe Model 37-205 (1945)
Delta 8″ Long Bed Jointer on Art Deco Cast Iron Stand
