opinion on a jointer

[scuffle]

Hey everyone!

A friend of mine has told me he would buy me a jointer as payment for a guitar (he works at a tool supplier so he gets stuff cheaper than me). The company he works for deals with Hare & Forbes machinery house so I was thinking of getting this one. Keep in mind all I am doing is jointing body/neck blanks.
http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W619
I told the tool rep I work with 2 inch thick blackwood and he told me this wouldnt cut it (pardon the pun) and I would need to get a more powerful motor than the 1hp on this machine.
Has anyone had experience with this?

Also would this be any good? It apparently has a more powerful motor than the one above...
http://www.carbatec.com.au/carba-tec-6- ... nter_c2340

I would love to save up and get a bigger and better one but the funds arn't really there atm so these are my options

[simso]

The other one is better, I have the other one they offer, and we use it daily for commercial work

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W629

So save the bucks and upgrade if you can

[demonx]

I was going to point you towards Ledacraft as the one I've got was around $600, but it seems that over the last several years the price has risen closer to a grand. Only main difference in my older one is grey and this is white!

http://www.ledamachinery.com.au/index.p ... ner-detail

However, since I cannot offer advice in that department, I offer a website instead. I often use this site to help research machines and find other brands/options etc.

http://www.machines4u.com.au/

[Graham Long]

Hi Andrew & Steve,
I'm also in the market for a jointer, the Hare & Forbes 8" looks good and is competitively priced.
Steve are you using the straight blades or the spiral cutter?
The spiral cutter they offer looks OK, the individual cutters appear to be angled, so should give a better cut.

I've been looking for some time (procrastinating really) and was ready to buy the Laguna one until the dollar fell and the price went up.
BTW
I've just signed up with Hare and Forbes, and they are offering a couple of discount vouchers for internet purchases - $20 for over $100 purchase and $50 for over $300, the catch is the discount is on the next purchase, anyway its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

I think i've just about talked/typed myself into it. An 8" 2HP Spiral Cutter Head Jointer for under $1600 with a 2 year warranty. ---- I'm sold. **** just got to convince the Boss***(she who must be obeyed)

Cheers
Graham
I'll let you know how I go with my sales pitch.

[demonx]

I have a 6" jointer and my honest advice is I have NEVER needed it to be wider for guitar building. It's one machine I don't see myself having to upgrade. Going from 6 to 8 is a decent price hike for something I'd never need.

[simso]

I have the standard blades, no spiral cutter

Been years and I've never adjusted or reset or sharpened the blades, and we use it daily

I do know the blades are sharp, as I had a blockage in the outlet chute, so I unplugged machine from power, reached in to unplug and clear the chute and slit my hand clean open, man they are sharp

[Graham Long]

Hi Alan,
I have quite a lots of rough sawn 8" plus boards (from a Lucas Mill) that one day I'll be using, so thats why i'm interested in an 8" Jointer.
I did try to clean some up through the Drum sander, but it wont take out any wind out of the board, i did manage to flatten after using wedges to sand off the high spots but it took ages.

Steve,
The guys at Gregory Machinery in Brisbane gave me a demo of the Laguna jointer with spiral head cutter. It was at last year's wood show.
They machined a rough sawn 8" figured board (supplied by yours truly) I was impressed, very quite, even when taking a deep cut and no tear out.

[Nick]

A friend of mine has told me he would buy me a jointer as payment for a guitar (he works at a tool supplier so he gets stuff cheaper than me). The company he works for deals with Hare & Forbes machinery house so I was thinking of getting this one. Keep in mind all I am doing is jointing body/neck blanks.
http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W619

You are willing to sell a guitar for less than $500 effectively (time your mate get's his staff discount)? Get your mate to spring for the 2HP machine Steve pointed out, at the rates he would pay for the upgrade he'd still be getting a bargain and you'd be getting a more usable machine.

[scuffle]

A friend of mine has told me he would buy me a jointer as payment for a guitar (he works at a tool supplier so he gets stuff cheaper than me). The company he works for deals with Hare & Forbes machinery house so I was thinking of getting this one. Keep in mind all I am doing is jointing body/neck blanks.
http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W619

You are willing to sell a guitar for less than $500 effectively (time your mate get's his staff discount)? Get your mate to spring for the 2HP machine Steve pointed out, at the rates he would pay for the upgrade he'd still be getting a bargain and you'd be getting a more usable machine.

at this stage yes i am considering my skill level and the fact that i just want to build (i cant afford to keep funding new builds myself) i am more than happy with the deal and i know he cant throw more money at me as he is in the same situation i am (two kids and lack of work) but as i said...i am fine with it. as long as i get to build a guitar!

Allan,
The ledacraft you directed me to only has a 1hp motor, the same as the jointer i am considering. This was the only thing bothering me as i was told it wouldnt be powerful enough. Have you had any troubles with it not coping? is there something else i am over looking with a good jointer?

thanks for all the help guys!

[demonx]

I just looked at the plate in mine after effortlessly running a 3" wide tassy blackwood neck blank over it. Yes its 1hp. So yes, a 6" wide 1hp machine should be ample. I could. Imagine if the machine was wider and you were passing wider stock it may need more grunt.

Reading the comments above, I'd agree the spiral cutter would be a nice upgrade, but only necessary if you're using figured timbers (quilt, flame for eg) otherwise it's not needed.

[scuffle]

awesome! im only going to be doing body blanks/neck blanks like yourself. and they will be thicknessed using a thicknesser so the widest would be a 3 inch neck blank.

[slowlearner]

Got the first jointer you mentioned in March last year...

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W619

It's a Chinese machine but pretty useful. I'm still getting the hang of using it I think, but it cuts jarrah and tassie oak no dramas. Can't see why you'd need 2hp. Of course I'd like a spiral cutting head, but it's the same price as the machine and I can't justify that really!

[scuffle]

i did see the spiral cutters. the price made me need a sit down

i figure slow and shallow passes should be fine. just dont go hogging half and inch off at once

[demonx]

i did see the spiral cutters. the price made me need a sit down

Only reason I haven't upgraded the cutter yet. One day, but there are plenty of things more important.