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Looking to make a purchase for the "shop" and wanted to get the forum advice. Could an edge sander be used in place or a jointer? I assume an edge jointer may not make the cleanest edge but should get good enough to be cleaned up with a quick run over with a jointing hand plane? I would just think I would get more all around use with an edge sander vs jointer, especially if i could use it for this purpose. Any comments? Of course the next question is, would an 8 x 30 from grizzly be a good choice? (saw it on the amazon tool link above) Any recommendations? Would like to stick with something on the link above to help out the forum

NO!
   A jointer will square and true and edge. The edge sander only sands it. How square and true it will be is very questionable.
   I find that use my jointer less and less. I prefer a granite plate and hand planes for trueing edges.

I find just the opposite, I am using my jointer more and more. In fact, I wish I bought a bigger one. The best thing a jointer will do is make a surface perfectly flat.

I agree with John the granite plates are great. I just got a big one from Grizzly and I am inventing reasons to use it. It is so slick and it really does give you a perfect surface, but I am not ready to trade in my jointer yet.

Get both...

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

time to show my stupidity, how do you use the plate? do you use it as a "shooting board"? just looked them up on grizzly and dang, 60+ bucks shipping? thats more than the plate!   

[QUOTE=FrankC] 60+ bucks shipping? thats more than the plate!    [/QUOTE]
And that's not all--a 12 X 18" granite plate weighs about 80lbs! Each larger size takes a big jump in weight. Keep that in mind for when the truck arrives! I've got a wimpy 9 X 12", but wouldn't want to be without it. I use it mostly for sharpening, and I ain't goin' back to stones!

I'm from the "other" school. I sold my jointer as I never used it since acquiring a 6"x89" Woodtek edge sander several years ago. I occasionally have a problem finding the glue joint after joining and carving the plates. Sometimes use a scraper to kiss the sanded surfaces before gluing.
I do think that there is a bit of a "finesse factor" in using the edge sander as a jointer. A light touch goes a long way. I like the fact that the workpiece is "stationary" when being jointed.
That said, I admire the folks that use planes to produce a fine glue joint.
Nelson

#7 jointer plane on a shooting board. 2 min work. But I am a cheapie, if I don't need a $1k machine to get the job done I don't buy one now I love nice tools and have updated my bandsaw and tablesaw and soon to update my drill press but for making joints on tops and backs #7 Stanley and a shooting board works great and sets up in a flash. It also take up no extra floor space when not in use.MichaelP38793.5135300926

Nelson, you must have a better touch than I. I can't ever get a good square edge on my sander. (Grizzly 6 x 80). What I think is happening is that the seam of the belt is catching the leading edge of the wood and sort of rounding it over.
I'm of the camp that the jointer is THE most important tool in my shop. Maybe not the most used, but the most important. Every milling process I do starts with a perfectly square and level edge on at least one face.

I'm like Brock in that I have a jointer that I use but wish I had a bigger one. I have the Delta 6" Professional jointer. I wish I could have bought the big 8" one or bigger. I also have an edge sander, and use them both. If I am truing up an edge so I can rip a width on the table saw, I used the jointer...you just can't really do that very quickly on an edge sander. It takes too long.
The edge sander gets used to square up neck blanks and such, and on occasion it helps with a back or top glue joint. I can't see that one could replace the other. Two different beasts.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I find that most of the time I use the jointer to flatten stock, not joint plates with it. I get the plates close on the jointer, but finish them up by hand with a shooting board.

an 8" would be a lot better.... so if you are buying one that would get my vote.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=CarltonM] [QUOTE=FrankC] 60+ bucks shipping? thats more than the plate!    [/QUOTE]
And that's not all--a 12 X 18" granite plate weighs about 80lbs! Each larger size takes a big jump in weight. Keep that in mind for when the truck arrives! I've got a wimpy 9 X 12", but wouldn't want to be without it. I use it mostly for sharpening, and I ain't goin' back to stones![/QUOTE]

Funny you should mention that ... I just bought the big one (24 x 36) and it weights 400 lbs. I tried to take it down my basement stairs by myself on a refrigerator dolly.

I swear it was like a water skier being pulled up... Fortunately there were no major disasters, but maybe I don't have as much mass as I thought.   

Lifting it up 3' to set in the stand was fun too.   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=Brock Poling] I just bought the big one (24 x 36) and it weights 400 lbs. Lifting it up 3' to set in the stand was fun too.   [/QUOTE]
How about an OLF group buy on overhead cranes?    Brock, I'm glad you got it set up without injury! BTW, there's another thing folks should think about when handling granite plates: If you drop it, it may well crack (either the plate or the floor, OR YOUR FOOT!!)--an expensive accident!

Then Carlton, maybe we should consider a group buy on safety boots too, i'll bet not so many of us are wearing any!

I'll just pass on the granite plate...it's cheaper than losing a foot. Besides, that's exactly what would happen if I bought one. No sense tempting fate.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Jointer