Can You Use A Table Saw As A Jointer

As long as you have a table saw the heart of any woodshop then you can get by.

Can you use a table saw as a jointer.

Quite simply there are more versatile tools that are your first priority when putting together a woodworking shop. Turning your table saw into a jointer is simple. In fact all you need to do is construct a jointer jig which pushes your lumber close enough to the saw s blade to shave off slivers giving it beautifully flat and squared edges. Make a jointer jig for the tablesaw.

You don t need a jointer to get a straight square edge on a board. It doesn t require modifying the components of your table saw in any way. If you have limited space or funds make one tool into other tools. Just like a jointer the table saw setup requires an infeed and an outfeed side.

Even if you own a jointer jointing on the tables saw is a handy technique to know about. On a jointer the workpiece is fed along an infeed table set slightly lower than the knives. Build a simple table saw jointer jig that will give you the clean straight edges necessary to do glue ups and make other tight fitting joints. If you ever need to clean up edges on abrasive material like plywood particle board plexiglass the carbide teeth of a saw blade will stand up to it much better than tool steel jointer knives.

An l shaped auxiliary fence makes it easy to joint a board on a table saw see photo at right. Jointing on a table saw. The outfeed side must be perfectly even with the saw blade. The fence works on the same principle as a jointer.