Old Boice Crane Jointer Question

Johnathon

J Flip
User
Understanding that owwm might be a better place to go for this question...

I have an appointment to look at a Boice Crane 1400 Jointer in the morning. It has been restored by the current owner and looks gorgeous. My fear is that the manual says it is 36", is that too short to be useful? Does being belt-driven and on an enclosed steel stand make it superior to a modern benchtop model?

I just want some assurance I won't feel like I made a mistake in the near future.

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pop-pop

Man with many vises
Corporate Member
A 36” bed should nicely joint a six foot board.

You will probably wish for more than 6” width before more length.
 

Echd

C
User
My jointer is also a 6" wide 36" long (37 from end to end of the tables that is). 5-6 feet as posted above is about right for "comfort". It can be an ordeal to manage longer boards.

While my jointer served me well, I got it inexpensively from a man who was upgrading because of those limitations and now I am also occasionally feeling them. I would buy a larger jointer if I could do it again.
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
You've got 2 questions there:

1. Is it superior to a benchtop model - 100X, yes. More weight, more torque, more capacity, infinitely better build quality, no plastic parts to break/ strip, etc. No brainer there in my opinion.

2. Capacity. This is subjective, and would be based on what type of work you do/ want to do. A good "rule of thumb" is that a jointer can "comfortably" flatten a board 2x the length of the INFEED table, (i.e. on this one, w/ an 18" infeed table, you should be able to joint a 36" board, no problem. There are always workarounds for the occasional long board, (roller stands, etc), but for blow and go work, that rule of thumb holds pretty true in my opinion. I used to have an older Walker-Turner 6", of similar size - and the tool was awesome for what it was, very high quality, and for small work, (short lengths), it worked great. That said, when I built a crib for my first son, the long rails were a real pain to keep balanced/ flat, and I ultimately stepped up an 8" longbed, (60").

All of that to say - if it fits the size work you do, (comfortably ~5.5" or less wide x ~36" or so long boards), it'll hold up forever.

Congrats, and enjoy!
 

Roy G

Roy
Senior User
Depends on the asking price. A lot of Delta 6" jointers show up on Craigslist. Not usually in really good shape like the Boice Crane but restorable.

Roy G
 

Johnathon

J Flip
User
I have heard many times that 6" can be restrictive. I plan to use a planer sled in the near future if something larger comes along. I haven't seen anything over 6" in my very low-end budget come through CL or FB in the past couple months.

I have only been at this for a year or so and recently got into starting with rough-sawn hardwood, but without a jointer I'm a little limited. This is mostly to get me off the ground for a bit and then one day I will consider paying down for a bigger machine.

The owner agreed to take $300.
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
one more, re: width - yes wider is better. Murphy's law is real, and once you buy this, you'll find that you come across ALOT of 7" wide boards that will have to be ripped down. That was my justification for the 8", though at which point, I started coming across alot of 9-10" boards. It is what it is, and cant be avoided, ha. And w/ everything, more capacity also commands more $$$, (exponentially so once you get above 8"), and a larger footprint.

If you do not currently have a jointer, and/or you are debating on this or a benchtop - go but this one right now. It'll serve you well, and will be a much higher caliber tool than a cheap knock-off. If you outgrow it, you outgrow it, but for the asking price of this one, you shouldn't have a problem getting your money back in the future, SHOULD you decide to upgrade, as your work, or space changes.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
I have heard many times that 6" can be restrictive. I plan to use a planer sled in the near future if something larger comes along. I haven't seen anything over 6" in my very low-end budget come through CL or FB in the past couple months.

I have only been at this for a year or so and recently got into starting with rough-sawn hardwood, but without a jointer I'm a little limited. This is mostly to get me off the ground for a bit and then one day I will consider paying down for a bigger machine.

The owner agreed to take $300.
HOLY CRAP!
I think that is a smokin' deal!!!
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
This is mostly to get me off the ground for a bit and then one day I will consider paying down for a bigger machine.

I built a lot of my furniture with a 36" bed 6" jointer. Longer stuff is an obvious pain, but having a good 6" jointer like that one beats the heck out of most other jointers in that capacity category. The thing about that particular model is that the fence locks at the front and the back. That makes for a very stable reference surface. The cool factor of that vintage design is off the charts. It makes other jointers look like something from Ikea.
 

Johnathon

J Flip
User
Thanks for the reassurances, everyone.

I took it home with me this morning. Now I just need to get it dialed in and start running stock through it.
 
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