This build came to life because I wasn’t using the electric planer I had laying around and I could benefit from having a jointer. Turns out I should have checked the machine before I started…

Design

Inspiration came from multiple builds I saw in the past from YouTubers I follow. Here’s one from the ‘Darbin Orvar’ channel that looks similar to what I ended up with making:

The idea is basically to flip the planer 180 degrees and use it as a jointer by adding a fence to it. For safety purposes, a cover should be added over the blades. I never got to that stage with my build because the machine died during the build.

It’s also nice to have an adjustable fence and other finetuning options for accurate cuts. If you are looking for something like that I suggest watching the video from ‘Get Hands Dirty’ by Cris.

Build

Base

Since every machine is different I didn’t look for or make any plan/3D model for this build. I started by molding a scrap to support the handle. Once that piece could hold it upright I could then clamp it by screwing pieces of wood to both sides. This clamping is achieved by making the middle piece slightly narrower than the handle. Once I had these pieces I could fill the remaining gap between the strips on the side.

Fence

After I had the base I started working on the fence. This is the piece that makes the 90-degree angle with the blades and supports your workpiece as you push it over the blades. For this piece, I traced around a part on the side of the machine and cut that shape out of one piece of plywood. This way I could slide the piece of plywood over the machine to make my fence and also to further support the machine. Once I had that, I added a spacer to the base and to the top of the fence to make a perfect 90-degree angle. For further support of the fence, I added a few metal brackets to it.

After this, it was time for a test run. In the beginning, it went great, no problems going through the wood and the result was looking pretty good. However, with the second piece of wood I attempted, a weird smell came from the machine and a corresponding sound of giving up. The machine died on me. Not sure what part failed but I know one thing; it’s not running anymore. So I had to stop the build here, unfortunately.

Result

The result of this build is disappointing because of the fact that I didn’t get to finish it. My machine decided it was time to be replaced so I’m probably just going to save for a benchtop jointer, instead of attempting to build another DIY one. However, the test run went fine so the concept of this build works! That is why I decided to finish the video and write this article. Hopefully, it will be helpful to somebody.

Links

If you want some more inspiration from my build, check out these posts.

Instagram 1 | 2

Hope this post has inspired you to make something!
And don’t forget to follow your excitement ?

Rico Lemmert

I love to make things, inspire people and help others. The Cornerfield Shop combines everything I love in one place.

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