Wood Jointers Key Terms

Get to know the key terms of wood jointers

By Howard Robertson

A wood jointer is an excellent addition to any woodworking shop. You will need absolutely straight wood while making panels or any piece of furniture. A wood jointer is a necessary accessory for the wood-straightening process. The word "jointer" comes from the term jointing (or joining), which refers to the process of gluing pieces of wood together to produce a wider board. This guide covers some of the important terms that you will need to know, such as jointer fence, edge jointing, bed length and kickback.

Jointing or jointers

Wood jointing refers to the process of making a wooden board straight and smooth. A jointer is a machine that produces straight and flat edges.
Try: To learn more about the wood-jointing process and the working of a wood jointer, visit Cyber Woodworking Depot. Additionally, you can refer to The Cutting Edge, a supplier of woodworking tools, for information about wood jointers.

Bed length

The jointer has a large flat bed or table to support the wood. This bed is split into the in-feed and out-feed table. Bench-top jointers have a shorter bed, which limits the length of the board you can joint. The longer the bed length, the more support your wood board has.
Try: Visit Builders Square for detailed information on bed lengths.

Jointer cutting capacity

You can determine the cutting capacity of a jointer by the knives that are used in a jointer. The jointer will not work properly if these knives are not adjusted correctly.
Try: To learn more about the cutting capacity of a jointer, visit Fine Woodworking, a magazine dedicated to the woodworking industry.

Jointer fence

Unlike other woodworking equipment, a jointer fence is permanently mounted on the jointer table. A jointer fence runs across the table and the cutter head. You can adjust most of the fences as per your needs, which will assist you in making various types of joints. You can also use the fence to keep the board at a right angle to the tables, producing a square edge.
Try: You can learn more about fences and their uses at New Woodworker, an online information resource.

Parallelogram jointer

A parallelogram jointer is adjustable from four points for each table. It is also possible to reinstall these jointer tables if it gets out of shape.
Try: Sawdust Making 101 publishes information about the various types of jointers, including parallelogram jointers.

Edge jointing

Edge jointing refers to straightening a wooden board in preparation for edge joining.
Try: Woodworking Jointer, an online information resource, offers detailed information about the edge-jointing process.

Kickback

Kickback is one of the most dangerous problems while working with jointers. Kickback happens when the knives throw back the material in the opposite direction, toward the operator. This may also expose the operator's hands to the knives.
Try: To learn the techniques to avoid a kickback, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration.