Joints (no Blue smoke...)

Last project I tried a simple joint. Now I was smoking - euhm, reading ! - more about joints. Quite some to choose from: https://www.core77.com/posts/43001/Reference-The-Ultimate-Wood-Joint-Visual-Reference-Guide
Which joints did you already use/try (any type)? Tips/tricks?

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Try em all! Joinery is a complete field in itself. In the old days when everything was done by hand jointer was a job description, not a power tool. There’s whole books on the subject (that link just brushes the surface), plus you get can get into decorative vs structural joints.

If you get tired of Maslowing different joints you can get a myriad of jigs, special tools, special purpose machines (just saw an article on a joint part making machine.

You may find this type of jointery is more addicting than the smokey kind and (as long as you watch those sharp cutty things) less harmful to your health. Don’t mix the two, I had a patient who nearly cut off a finger with a table saw after “using his medicine”

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The jointer is probably the most dangerous tool i have in my shop. It’s very easy to get complacent with it, and forget to use a guard, until it snipes hard and throws a board into the wall. Those spinning blades would probably devour fingers faster than they chew wood…

Those medieval jointers (also called joiners or junctors and likely more translations of their title) were usually easier on your fingers, as long as you both moderated your ale consumption.

I have a 6" Craftsman, and access to an 8" Rockwell of the modern persuasion. Either could give you the nickname “Stumpy Nubs” without making a single YouTube video. Neither is very good at dovetails or other joints.

A hundred or more years ago the local Finnish immigrants didn’t have power tools, or for that matter electric power. Before the stitching incident I was working with a couple hand hewn, with a broadaxe, 50 foot/15m ceiling beams. Would have been a lot easier if they’d have had an electric jointer, the top surface looked like it was chopped with a dull axe and it was hard to get those dimensioned 2x8s (3.8x18.4) into position.

https://www.npg.org.uk/research/programmes/making-art-in-tudor-britain/workshops/workshop-2-abstract-4.php

Well, a modern jointer simply makes one side of a board flat. At best it will give you 2 flat perpendicular sides. You need a planer or table saw to have 2 parallel flat sides. However, running the mating sides of a board over a jointer before you cut your dovetails will ensure that the flat sides of the boards line up completely flush, with no twist or gaps.

I have an 34-207 Delta Milwaukee 6 inch belt driven jointer :slight_smile: they don’t make em like that anymore…

The original jointer(joiner, etc) was a person who’s job was joinery.

I got a late 1940s table saw when I looked up 34-207. I like Delta tools of that vintage, anything made before the move to Alabama, although the only one I own is a 7" metal shaper. My contractor saw, bought new around 1980, was made in Alabama post move. Interestingly it was one of the early straight legged versions. I called them and was told the curved leg dies wore out and we’re too expensive to replace. Despite that it’s been a good tool.

I looked at a house that had a pole barn full of Wisconsin made Delta tools the owner used to make beehives. Wife wouldn’t go for it, the house was a disaster (older couple, health issues, couldn’t keep up) wouldn’t accept that it was easier to build a new house than that shop, or I would have tried to talk him into selling the tools with it. Might try to get them anyway, try to sell Mrs. Moose on a new shop for the new house. Likely faster than the northern shop in the barn project is going

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