Difference Between Jointer and Planer

January 2022 ยท 5 minute read

Jointer and Planer are widely used by the wood industry. There is confusion between the applications of Jointer and Planer. They are considered to do the same job. They have their applications which makes them different from each other. The cost of both the item is different from each other.

Jointer vs Planer

The main difference between Jointer and Planer is Jointer is used to work with single faces only, but Planer is used for make parallel faces. Jointer cuts the wood from below and does its job, whereas Planer cuts the wood from above and does its job. Planer is costly as compared to Jointer.

The jointer is machinery that is widely used by the wood industry. It is a heavy machine. This helps to make the edges of the wooden piece into a square. It makes the edges straight. This helps as the wooden pieces will be later joined with other pieces. It makes the edges square perfectly.

Planer is machinery that is widely used to make surfaces smooth and flat. This works from the above. It makes the surface parallel and maintains a consistent thickness around the workpiece. This machine is very large. It has several parts like feed gearbox, cross rail, column, bed, and many more.

Comparison Table Between Jointer and Planer

Parameters of ComparisonJointerPlaner
JobEdges to squareThickness of edge
FaceSingle faceParallel face
ThicknessRoughlyConsistent
Way of workBelowAbove
Warp removalYesNo
CostCheapCostly

What is Jointer?

The jointer is used to make the edges flat, and basically, it is squared. The wooden pieces are flat at the edges so that the pieces can be joined later on with other wooden pieces. It is also known as the jointer plane or Hand plane. A jointer needs a table and has two levels of mechanisms.

The tables are known as infeed and outfeed. Infeed is the table on which the workpiece does its work, and outfeed is the table in which the machine floats when it is cut from the cutting head. The piece is flat and placed on infeed then when it is cut in the cutter.

The piece comes on the outfeed. The cutting head has a blade that has to be managed so that the desired workpiece comes out. The fence is movable and is placed perpendicular to the table. It cuts the wooden piece on a narrow edge so that it can be used with other pieces using the butt joint.

The cutting head has more than two very sharp knives. The axis of rotation is perpendicular to the direction of feed. The cutting process happens in the opposite direction of feed. Knives are present in the cylindrical cutter. The length of the cut depends on the machine.

What is Planer?

Planer is a machine that trims wooden pieces. It is used to maintain thickness around the wooden piece. It completes the work in a single pass. The whole machine has three parts in it. The three parts are the cutter head, set of rollers, and table. The cutter head has a lot of knives which helps in cutting.

The rollers are in a set inside the machine. The table is the base of the machinery. The table can be adjusted as required. This machine can handle very large pieces also. Some machines do not have the mechanism of movement of the table. The cutter head is a sonly part that can be movable.

The machine has a high construction. It needs a powerful motor to complete the mechanism. It is also known as a planer thicknesser in the UK. The table is adjusted first then the only machine can be operated and work functionally. The knives remove the surface, and the roller pushes the piece forward and back. This happens at the last stage of the wooden piece.

This piece cuts the wooden piece into a perfect dimension so that the wooden piece maintains proper thickness all around the wooden piece. It is very much different, Jointer. The cutter head is actually under the bed surface.

Main Differences Between Jointer and Planer

  • A jointer makes a single edge into a square, whereas Planer is used to maintaining thickness.
  • The jointer is used to make a single face flatten, whereas Planer is used to making parallel faces.
  • A jointer makes thickness roughly, but Planer makes a consistent thickness.
  • Jointer does its job from below, but Planer does its job from above.
  • The jointer is used to remove warp, but Planers are not used to remove warp.
  • Jointers are cheaper than Planers.
  • Conclusion

    The fence is movable and is placed perpendicular to the table. It is also known as the jointer plane or Hand plane. The cutting head has a blade that has to be managed so that the desired workpiece comes out. The piece is flat and placed on infeed then when it is cut in the cutter.

    The cutting process happens in the opposite direction of feed. Knives are present in the cylindrical cutter. The wooden pieces are flat at the edges so that the pieces can be joined later on with other wooden pieces. The jointer is used to make a single face flatten. Jointers are cheaper than Planers.

    This machine can handle very large pieces also. Some machines do not have the mechanism of movement of the table. A jointer makes a single edge into a square. The whole machine has three parts in it. The three parts are the cutter head, set of rollers, and table. Jointers are cheaper than Planers.

    It is used to maintain thickness around the wooden piece. It completes the work in a single pass. This piece cuts the wooden piece into a perfect dimension so that the wooden piece maintains proper thickness all around the wooden piece.

    References

  • https://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-WLCS200302010.htm
  • https://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-KJQB200610166.htm
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