6 or 8" jointer

[SteveHall]

I have an old 6" Delta and with the way I use it, a 4" would be adequate because I only ever edge joint.

When I need to true a face, it is often larger than 8". So I use the sled + planer method. With a particle board sled and careful shims/hot glue you can get just as flat a surface as a jointer. And my lunchbox planer goes up to 12"!

The only advantage of a wide jointer over the planer+sled method is time. And I'm a hobbiest, so a few more minutes doesn't bother me.

 

[chris_goris]

The only advantage of a wide jointer over the planer+sled method is time. And I'm a hobbiest, so a few more minutes doesn't bother me.

This is assuming your planer could pull through a sled and the board of any length (im guessing anything over 3-4 feet) with no snipe?.

 

[SteveHall]

This is assuming your planer could pull through a sled and the board of any length (im guessing anything over 3-4 feet) with no snipe?.

I've got my planer pretty well adjusted and have straight infeed/outfeed so I might loose an inch or so even on short boards. I guess I think of face jointing as a milling operation prior to cutting to size. Edge jointing can happen later, even right up to glue up. I'm probably missing some of the useful functions of a jointer though. For example, it would never cross my mind to use it for rabbeting . I'd probably still use a table saw to put an angle on an edge, too.

Somebody tell me what I'm missing.

 

[old-delta]

FYI: 220v machines don't use any less electricity than their 110v counterparts. 2x the voltage and 1/2 the current is the same amount of power.

240V motors pull half the amps as does 120V. Look at the motor badge on dual volt motors and see the specs. They also run cooler due to less heat . I run all my machinery 240V including the shop attic fan.

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

240V motors pull half the amps as does 120V. Look at the motor badge on dual volt motors and see the specs. They also run cooler due to less heat . I run all my machinery 240V including the shop attic fan.

No argument that 240v motors pull half the current as 120v motors. I say exactly that in my post that you quoted. The electric company charges based on how many watts you use and for how long (kWh -> kilowatt Hours). Watts=Volts*Amps. Double the voltage and half the amps is the same amount of watts and therefore the same cost for the user.

I suppose it is possible that they could run slightly cooler due to less current flowing in the wires, but I would be surprised if it was significant. You can be darn sure that the cost to run a 240v motor is *NOT* 50% of the cost to run a 120v motor.

 

[old-delta]

No argument that 240v motors pull half the current as 120v motors. I say exactly that in my post that you quoted. The electric company charges based on how many watts you use and for how long (kWh -> kilowatt Hours). Watts=Volts*Amps. Double the voltage and half the amps is the same amount of watts and therefore the same cost for the user.

I suppose it is possible that they could run slightly cooler due to less current flowing in the wires, but I would be surprised if it was significant. You can be darn sure that the cost to run a 240v motor is *NOT* 50% of the cost to run a 120v motor.

I agree they don't run *half* the cost to operate. I will say it cost considerably less to operate over long periods of time, especially if they are cycled often.

 

[wwidmer]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm still not set on which size I'll get, but I'll use all your suggestions in my decision. Probably still about a month away from a purchase unless a great Craigslist post comes up. Have to convince the wife we need to wire the barn for 220.

Sounds like a 6" will meet your needs, though an 8" would be nicer to have. Used 6" jointers are pretty common with 8" ones coming up occasionally for a nice price. Depends on your budget. Don't know your specifics, but you should have 220V available at the barn breaker box & it should not be difficult to add 220V line/outlet(s).

Good luck in your hunt & purchase