Edge jointing technique

pop-pop

Man with many vises
Corporate Member
I am making new benchtop for my folding portable workbench. Each laminated SYP top half is about 2” x 9” x 30”. After using both a powered jointer and a jointer plane, I was still getting a gap at each end when I butted the top halves.

Saturday, Chris Schwarz and Megan Fitzpatrick hosted an online Q&A. One Q was from a guy with the similar problem.

Chris explained how he gets a straight jointed edge with a jointer plane. He first scoops the middle of the edge slightly by taking a few short strokes with the plane until it stops cutting.
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Then he finishes with full length strokes.

I tried that technique and voila!
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gamiller3rd

Pappy
Senior User
Sounds a lot like a spring joint. Basically you want a slight gap in the center that is closed by the clamp. Theoretically one clamp is all that’s needed
 

pop-pop

Man with many vises
Corporate Member
Sounds a lot like a spring joint. Basically you want a slight gap in the center that is closed by the clamp. Theoretically one clamp is all that’s needed
Not quite. The end goal here is a straight edge not concave one as in a spring joint.

As I see it, that temporary slight concavity tips the plane’s toe ever so slightly down at the start of the cut thus limiting the depth of cut at the very start. Thus, the plane starts to cut after the already low leading edge. Others may see this differently.
 
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