Use Your Router Table as a Jointer

The starting point for most projects is creating a perfectly straight, smooth and square edge on your boards. This is especially true when you’re gluing boards edge to edge. Want a seamless glue joint? You need to start with a good edge. If you have a router table, you also have a jointer, the perfect tool for straight edges.

Why a router table?

Router tables are very versatile. In addition to all the stuff you can do on the router table you can take the router out and use it hand-held. Thanks to the high rpm of the bit you’ll get a GREAT surface when jointing. With carbide router bits you can joint nearly anything, even man-made materials, something you shouldn’t do on a jointer with tool steel knives. And, using the router table as a jointer serves your needs, you don’t need to buy a jointer.

What you need

Any straight bit can be used for jointing. A ¾” diameter bit works great. You need to be able to shim the outfeed face of the fence to create an offset between the two halves of the fence, just like the tables on a jointer. The Kreg router table comes with shims for this purpose. With two different positions for the shims you can control your stock removal.

Set up

Setting up to use your router table as a jointer is fairly straight forward. Use a straight edge to align the outfeed fence with the bit, make test cuts, adjust as necessary.

More on the router table

Router tables are great for joinery, including tricky joints like drawer lock bits. There’s virtually no end to what you can do on a router table.

More info

For more information on Kreg products visit the company’s website or call (800) 447-8638.

6 Responses to “Use Your Router Table as a Jointer”

1. Paul January 3rd, 2023

   Do I need to shift the pressure with which I am holding the stock to the fence as I move through the cut? Or focus only on holding the piece square against the outfeed fence for the entire cut?

   When setting the fence position, do I set the *outfeed* fence to the cutter, or split the difference between the two fence halves?

   BTW, I think washers on the fence fasteners can work well as shims.

   Reply

   • Customer Service January 6th, 2023

     Yes, start with pressure on the infeed side and shift to the outfeed as the board is fed through. Pressure on the outfeed side is critical.

     Reply

     • Paul January 9th, 2023

       Thanks!

       And when setting up the fence? Align the outfeed side with the cutter edge, or with the workpiece pushed up against the infeed and outfeed sides?

       Reply

2. ERIC W August 12th, 2022

   If you did not have an adjustable outfeed fence, you could put 2 shims behind the outfeed fence to move it out. EEE

   Reply

   • Blake Dozier September 3rd, 2022

     Thank you for the helpful hints, particularly regarding snipe. Sometimes I need outside guidance to identify the cause of the problem and, then, the solution. I have used shims for years when jointing but never realized what was causing the occasional snipe. Snipe no more! Thanks, again.

     Reply

     • 

       George Vondriska October 26th, 2022

       Happy to help!!

       Reply