My wife says Size Matters

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67
Now that I have your attention....:) I am about to purchase a new jointer. I am trying to decide between a 12" and 16" jointer. My issue is that most wood I have and use is under 12". However I do have the occasional wide board. I am not sure that the additional 4 inches is worth almost $2K or more in most cases. I will be using the jointer to face boards prior to resawing, face jointing before running through the planer and edge jointing. Old Iron is an option if it is actually cost effective to get delivered.

Your thoughts

Greg
 
Yup, your wife is right - bigger is better.:rolleyes:

But $2K buys a lot of cool stuff, even Festool stuff:rofl: .

Don't know what you make in your shop, or how much of it you do, but if the range of 12-16 inches is common and it would make a difference in your work that customers would pay for, then I would go for it.

For 16 inches, I would definitely go with old iron. But that's just a fantasy for me, working in a GaShop.
 
No one but you knows better how you work and what you need. But keep in mind you can turn a board around and finish the other side on a 12" jointer. So you not limited (thats funny) to a 12" board.

Now, if it were me, no way would I pay 2K extra for 16" over a 12" jointer. UNLESS I had a strong and regular need and it was going to make me money. But as i said "No one but you knows better how you work and what you need."

Jeff
Who thinks he has a 12" H&B jointer coming his way!
 
Greg,
I don't know your budget, but if 2K is serious money to you, then I might be inclined to put it into a wider planer, say a 24" or so. For the occassional wide board, you can rig a sled and use the planer as a jointer. It is not very efficient, but it does work well, esp. if it is only an occassional task.
 
I have a 16 inch jointer (and planer) and love having it. I had a 6 inch jointer, and lusted for 8 inches, but that isn't enough for bookmatch panels...I have heard arguments that 12 inches is required for furniture work. But having 16 opens new opportunities... I do most of my glue ups with minimal prep, then joint and plane as a single unit - for example, I can do the 16 inch raised panels for 20 inch wide doors, which covers most cases. I am currently making some beds with curved pieces, which are easy with the wide jointer/planer. I can cut tough boards at an angle, if that gives me better results.
 
WOW, a choice between 12 and 16 inches. My choice (and I expect the choice of most members here) was between 6 inches and 8 inches. I opted for the larger size jointer and am glad that I did.
 
Maybe you should ask your wife if an extra 4" would be nice.:D
Seriously - I envy the fact that you've got room and budget to even consider the 12".
 
Guys, I'm probably the least likely to want to put a damper on things, but let's watch the innuendo a bit...there is a line in the Code of Conduct (the last sentence, to be exact) that says we're not supposed to post sexually-oriented material. I know it's a fine line, and I truly enjoy the humor in the posts so far, but rules is rules.

- Vaughn, who's taking off the Mod hat and putting the Admin hat back on... ;)
 
greg, as you know i don`t even use a jointer.......so my arguement would go toward either increasing planer size or looking toward a widebelt. i`m basing this on what you`ve said about your plans and existing tooling......tod
 
In a perfect world (a woodworkers world;)) you would have a 16" jointer, a 24" planer and a 36" wide belt sander :D:thumb:

Like Jeff said, no one knows your needs better than you, but for the extra 2K what can you add to your shop that might enhance a 12 Jointer, over having only a 16" jointer and nothing else?

Got to admit, it would sure be nice to have the ability to flatten a 16" wide board, but unless you are getting this wood REALLY flat to start with, you will have to start with a seriously thick board to get down to a 1" thick flat board, and if you are getting the wood SERIOUSLY flat to start with, then maybe you need only a wide belt?

No matter what happens we do expect pictures!! :thumb:

Cheers!
 
I very rarely need the full 16" on my J/P combo when using the jointer, though I have often been glad I had more than 12". There is still alot of 12 - 14" lumber out there. A curious luxury to consider is convenience, like the space behind the fence. When doing a run, say 10-20 pieces for a project it is nice to be able to stack them up behind the fence staged, run them, stack them behind the fence on the outfeed table, then do it all again... Point being, I guess, there are some things you wouldn't think obvious when it comes to larger capacities. I don't think I have once regretted getting more than I need at the time, because needs change over time, especially considering where you might want to head as a professional.
 
greg, as you know i don`t even use a jointer.......so my arguement would go toward either increasing planer size or looking toward a widebelt. i`m basing this on what you`ve said about your plans and existing tooling......tod

intresting tod. how do you joint the edges of a board for glue up
Reg
 
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