Jointer Safety

The jointer is primarily used for flattening the face of a board and straightening and squaring the edges of a board. In special circumstances, it may also be used for rabbeting, beveling, and tapering. The stock is placed on the infeed table and pushed, with the aid of a push block, over the cutterhead and onto the outfeed table. The fence is used to help guide the stock. The length of the cutterhead, which defines the size of a jointer, indicates the widest board that can be surfaced.

1. Ensure that the guard is over the knives at all times while the jointer is being operated.

2. Adjust the depth of cut before turning on the power. For most cuts, the jointer should be set for 1/32”.

3. The maximum depth of cut is 1/16”.

4. The minimum length of stock for jointing is 14”.

5. Keep all body parts at least 6” from the cutterhead. Never place your hand directly on the piece being jointed within 6” of the cutterhead.

6. Use a push stick or push block when face-jointing flat pieces of stock or for edge-jointing any piece lower than the height of the fence.

7. Never joint the face of stock less than ¼” thick.

8. Push the stock clear of the cutterhead and make sure the guard has returned over the throat and knives before picking up stock.

9. To avoid rocking of the stock during cutting, always place the concave or most stable side of the stock on the table.

10. The outfeed table must be at the same level as the knives and is NEVER to be adjusted by a student.

11. Never joint end grain. It is a dangerous practice, especially on narrow pieces, and the jointer tends to splinter the work at the end of the cut.

12. Examine stock for loose knots and splits and avoid cutting these if possible.

13. Operations involving “stop cuts” or “drop cuts” require that the stock be held in place by a stop or clamp. The instructor must approve these special setups.

14. Never attempt to run a piece of wood across the jointer until the machine is running at full speed.

15. Your instructor must check special setups on the jointer for special operations such as rabbeting, beveling, chamfering, or tapering.

16. Use only clean, dry lumber on the jointer.

17. On stock that is severely warped, band saw the stock into shorter and/or narrower pieces before jointing, if possible. This eliminates much of the warp. Then joint the faces as usual.

18. Material must be pushed through the jointer and never pulled.