Jointer

The jointer does one important thing very well. It creates a perfectly flat surface, either on the face of a board, or on the edge (with the face of the board riding against the jointer’s fence). When milling rough lumber, the jointer represents the first step, producing one flat face and one straight edge for reference. The board then moves to the planer for thicknessing and the tablesaw to be cut to final width.

To work properly the outfeed table should be set at the exact same height as the blades. The position of the infeed table determines the depth of cut, and multiple passes can be taken to produce a completely flattened surface.