Rotted Wood

[Norm]

This is some hard maple I finally got dried enough to start working with. I let it sit for a year to spalt some and most likely could have let it go for another half year to get some better spalting. It is still hard as a rock with no punky spots so it can be used without worrying about strength.



And the lovely Miss Patty after trying out her new jointer. Man is it ever quiet with the spiral head in it.

[Troy]

Norm - I like it.  Sometimes the really spalted stuff just looks too busy.  That board has plenty of character.  Nice job Patty!  So what is that wood destined for?

[shopteacher]

 That is some really nice looking wood and will even be better looking once it formed into a project. What's Patty going to make out of it? ;D

[metalspinner]

Beautiful board!  Knowing just when to stop spalting is something I haven't figured out yet.  It is usually to long and punky.  That board looks perfect! Spalting all along the length. Way to go! 8) 8)

[isassi]

Nice wood Norm. Which model of Grizzly jointer is that and how do you like it? I need to buy a jointer, and I want a long bed 6 inch.

[TexasTimbers]

Nice job Norm.

Jay I had a 6" Grizzly up until I took down my woodshop in '97. I sold it because I never used it. I never used it because I didn't like it. I didn't like it because I could never get the results I wanted. I could get a better straight edge on the table sae with a jig I made for long stuff, and the router table for stuff 4' and shorter.
When I finally set my shop back up this spring, I',m not going to take up space with one.
I've read in WW mags about w'w'ers who can't function w/out them, but I have built things where you couldn't see a seam except for the grain and trued it all up on a table saw, or a router table, and once on a book case where I had used full length pieces of trim (17') at the customers request I used some clamp-together straight edges.
To each his own. Maybe I don't use one because I never did master it.

[Norm]

Well Patty was going to make a door for our bedroom out of it but it seems the sawyer didn't cut it thick enough. I thought I'd cut more of it at 6/4 but most is at 5/4. I have the next section of log on the deck to cut so I'll see if I waited too long for the spalting in it, if not I'm going to cut it all at 6/4 and wait for it to dry.

Jay I'll have to look and see what the model number is when I get to the shop today. I'm like kevjay that I've never had great luck with them until I used this one with the spiral head in it. Next on the want list is a 20" planer with the spiral head in it.

You folks with the cute little crumb chrunchers in your profile photos always make me smile when I see them. My boys are grown now and it's been ages since I was around little ones. The pics make me remember how much fun they are when younger.

[beenthere]

kevjay
As long as the jointer has the right adjustment points, there should be no reason an excellent 'joint' can't be made. The output table has to be parallel to the input table, and the output table at the correct height to the blades. Anything less than perfect, will give bad jointing end to end. Mastering these adjustments is a must. I suspect all jointers now have the fine tuning adjustments on them, but it would be worth making sure before purchasing.
An 8" jointer gives one more 'knife' width to save for the fussy joints. Usually I'll run edges on the left of the knives, and then as the knives get nicked or dull, move the fence to a 'sharp' location and so forth until the entire knife needs sharpening. Avoid as much bark on boards as possible, and never run painted boards will help keep knives sharp longer. If they get a knick, then move one knife slightly to misalign the nicks will extend the time between sharpenings too.

[Norm]

Jay it's model # G0593

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0593

[TexasTimbers]

beenthere,

Your advice follows verbatim standard jointer technique, and is what I tried to follow the whole time I had the thing. I think I just had a bad attitude with it. I didn't like it. I didn't like the way the machine had to be used, I didn't like the feel, I didn't even like the sound of the thing  :'(
I'm not being sarcastic or facetious either, I really didn't like that tool. I can't explain it other than I just had a totally illogical and inexplicable dislike for it. : I always founf myself using other means to true up a joint edge than using the jointer until it got to the point It started collecting a thick layer of dust. Literally.
The good news is I sold it for nearly what I paid for it less the shipping.