# 10 inch board on 6 inch jointer



## bernwood (Aug 19, 2010)

Hi… working rough lumber is a new challenge for me. I always bought finished lumber but inherited my Dad's 6 inch jointer and 12 inch planner. I got those rusty old tools working just fine, but tonight I wandered into uncharted territory. I'm trying to get one finish side of a 10 inch wide,very rough and bowed piece of cherry. I'm making progress, but was wondering if there's an easier method. I removed the guide off the jointer and running my boards leaving a distinctive high mark on one side. After a couple of runs, I clamp the board on my bench and hand plane high side down to smooth portion of wood. Then it's back to the jointer. I do this as often as I need. Other then buying a wider jointer, is there a better method? Thanks in advance… even if I don't get a better answer. This site is awesome!!!!!


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

i just run then in the planer
turn them over and end for end
bring it down slowly
seems to work
as one side gets slightly straighter
it is the new bottom
letting the top cut better
flip and do some more
light passes
so the rollers don't 'distort' the board

been doing it for years


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

The easy way is to rip the board down the center, flatten each
half, thickness it, then joint the edges and glue it back together.

Maybe that's not so easy after all…. but it does get around the
limits of your jointer and prevent you from turning half the board into
shavings and making it too thin in the process.

David's suggestion is a good one too - if the wood is stiff enough
to resist being pushed flat by the planer, you can remove a lot
of cupping, but usually not twist, with just the planer.


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## bernwood (Aug 19, 2010)

Thanks Dave and Loren… I think I might try those methods in the future. As for now, I have 2 cheery planks I acquired from a fellow towns person which have spent the last 40 years stored in the corner of his barn. Got them dirt cheap, but they're very twisted and rough. They were so twisted I had to cut them into shorter pieces to manage them, but I seem to be making good progress. I tried David's method in the past but my success was ruined by my impatience. I will try the gentle approach. I'm willing to try Loren's method, but how long of a board have you had success with? 
Solving problems is no problem for me… it's my greatest woodworking pleasure. Even when I fail at ideas and attempts, I learn more. I have made so many mistakes in the past, I'm actually getting good at woodworking.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Marc Spagnolo (I probably misspelled that…) at The Wood Whisperer did a great video a while back, called "The Jointer's Jumpin" where he goes into pretty decent detail about a variety of methods for surfacing rough lumber. It's well worth a watch….


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## Sawdust4Blood (Feb 16, 2010)

If the wood is highly cupped, then Loren's method will get the lumber trued with the least amount of waste. If it's bowed or twisted, then I don't know if ripping it will buy you a lot other than making it fit easier on your jointer. In that case, you can reduce waste by cutting the boards to the shortest possible length before milling.

I don't know what the current thickness is but let's say it's currently 4/4. If a 10 inch wide board is highly cupped, it is very unlikely that you'll be able to get it trued up at a finished thickness of 3/4" unless you rip it and re-glue it as Loren suggested. If you're careful with the grain alignment, you can make the finished joint almost invisible. I used this method a while back on a cherry project and as the wood has darkened with age, it is now impossible to tell it was ever ripped. The board I had was almost 15 inches wide and the cupping was so bad that I had to rip it into three pieces and re-glue. I didn't have much bowing or twist, so I worked it in lengths of about 4 feet because that worked well with my project plans.

Of course there is also hand planing but I just suck at that and don't have the patience.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

I make a "sled" from 1/2 inch plywood to plane rough and/or twisted wood.

Lay the board on the bench, and then place the sled on top of the board. Place tapered shims between the gaps caused by the twist in the board.

Screw the plywood to the board to the plywood in two places near opposite corners (in places that will be discarded or hidden in the final project). Make sure you countersink the screws deep enough so that no part of the screw head is exposed. Also make sure that the screw length is short enough so that they won't be hit by the planer knives.

Run the sled/board assembly through the thickness planer until the top of the board is flat, remove the sled, and plane the opposite side.

If the twist is "large" you should rip the board into narrower pieces before planing or the finished board may be too thin for the project.


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## bernwood (Aug 19, 2010)

I've been reading and thinking all suggested methods. Thanks a bunch… and I watched the "Jointer is Jumping" link posted above by dbhost. Because I had already started my own solution, I decide to continue with it. I ran the extra wide board on my 6 inch jointer and after every pass, I hand planed down the high side. When I was happy, I ran the board through my 12 inch planer and flipped the board over to smooth out the side I worked. The board came out pretty good. The hand planning was fun. If somebody wants to try my method… it works pretty good but know I had to remove the knife guard to accommodate the width. Keep safety in mind at all times. First, I made sure all knives were secure. Then I used a handle pad with rubber on the bottom. My hands and fingers never come close to blades and cutters. Such push blocks and sticks are my best friends in the shop. You're suggested methods are not forgotten. I will try them all. This site is a good resource… many THANKS!


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