Jointing/Thicknessing on the router table - a new approach?

interesting approach, i like it a lot. it’s probably very important for your safety to keep the piece moving through the cutting path without stopping, and to keep the piece tight against the fence. i could definitely see this being put to use – it’s also a good reason to mount a router in the middle of a very long table/bench :-)

The one significant drawback that exists with most alternative jointing methods other than a jointer is that they only edge joint, and don’t address the face. The jointer flattens a reference face, then puts an edge 90° to the face. If the face isn’t perfectly flat, there’s no guarantee you’ll get an edge that’s truly a uniform 90° to the face. I have seen people set up a tram system for their router so that the can flatten a face, but it’s a slow go. Hand planes seem to be a more efficient alternative for face jointing if you don’t have a jointer.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

You can also do that on the table saw. A longer fence helps for long stock and there’s also the offset fence method on the table saw. A long fende with a small step with the front half thinner by a 1/16” or so. Visualize looking at a jointer infeed and outfeed table from the side.

I have seen relatively few new things over 40 years. Just new peole discovering the old things.

-- Few folks really know how to maximize the potential of their tools!

Interesting approach.. I’ve been joining using the first method you mentioned and this would be an easier way to do it. My only concern is some nasty kickback on square-r pieces like the one you used. Any hangups could make the board literally explode off the table

-- Dan, Rochester, NY

I think this can be very onsafe just because the wood is trapped between cutter and fence Be very careful.

-- where ever you go there you are

Thanks to all.
I think I’d realised that there was a potential kickback problem, but somehow it hadn’t really sunk in as to how dangerous that could really be. You have, quite possibly, saved my digits or more.

-- "Do not speak – unless it improves on silence."

I’m glad to see this was pointed out. A very dangerous way of doing what your doing.

Like Barry said, use a hand plane.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

there is a better way of doing this on a router table.

what u do is place a 1/16th piece of plastic laminate on the infeed side of your router table and set the cutter flust to it that way you are taking very thin cutts and the board is no longer trapped between the fence and the bit. I think u have been lucky so far with your method. i also recommend using alond and tall push block and featherboard for max safety.

good luck.

Cornflake’s method is a safe one. I’m just afraid what you’ve got there in your photos is a recipe for a rocket launcher. :-)

As Scott mentioned, none of this addresses the problem of a board that doesn’t have a flat reference face, which leads me to another question. I have always wondered why edge jointing on a router table would be necessary in the first place. Since it only works well on a flat board, don’t you get the same result by ripping on the table saw with a good blade? I use a Forrest Woodworker II most of the time, and it leaves an extremely smooth surface. I’ve never felt the need to do any further prep on my glue joints, and I’ve never had a problem.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

There are a lot of good responses here, so this is simply another idea to consider. I do agree with using hand planes, especially on small pieces, but if you want to do it on a router table, a simple sled would be much safer. I think I would make one much like a taper jig for a table saw. (You do need a miter slot for this) It could be as big as you need it. Using T-track and clamps, or toggle clamps will make it very safe, even for small pieces. Clamp any kind of stop on the router table on the infeed side for reference. This way you always take off the same amount of material. The time building a jig will always be less than the time you spend in the ER.

I would not be comfortable with the way you are doing it.

-- She thought I hung the moon--now she just thinks I did it wrong

On the router table I use the method cornflake described except I use a pair of thin washers standing against the infeed fence with a steel ruler for a straight edge to set the outfeed side of the fence. Then remove the washers and use the straight edge to set the outfeed side of the fence to the cutter.

You can purchase a 2” x 1/2” straight cut router bits to make 90 degree edges on you stock. I use this method for removing saw marks of the side of a board and for getting a good edge for gluing pieces together

To use the tablesaw to straighten a longer board I’ve used my 5’ aluminum level clamped to the fence basicly increasing the length of the fence before the material starts into the blade. It does matter which side you put next to the fence. You should palce the crown of the board away from the fence into the blade.

-- Darrell, making more sawdust than I know what to do with

I found these pics on a different forum. Not as bad as I thought…but it seems very time consuming!

I’d probably use transfer rollers under the slider to ride on the rails and a laminate or MDF for the cross piece to minimize friction under the router.