A table saw makes cuts. A planer makes surfaces flat and parallel. Some people assume there’s a hybrid tool that does both—there isn’t, not really. But understanding how these tools work together is where precision woodworking starts.
What a Table Saw Actually Does
Table saws cut wood to width. That’s their main job. You set the fence, push the board through, and the blade rips it to whatever dimension you need. They also crosscut, cut dadoes with a stacking blade, and make angled cuts with the blade tilted.
What they don’t do: make your boards flat or consistent in thickness. If you feed a warped board through a table saw, you get a warped board that’s now narrower. The saw follows the surface—it doesn’t correct it.
What a Planer Actually Does
Planers make one face of a board parallel to the opposite face. Put a board in, set the depth, and the rotating cutterhead removes material from the top while the bed supports the bottom. Out comes a board that’s consistently thick from end to end.
Here’s the catch: the planer follows the bottom face. If that face is cupped or twisted, the top gets cut parallel to that imperfection. You end up with a board that’s consistently thick but still not flat.
The Missing Piece: The Jointer
To actually flatten boards, you need a jointer first. The jointer creates one dead-flat reference face. Then you run the board through the planer with the jointed face down, and now the top gets cut parallel to something that’s actually flat.
The sequence matters: joint one face, plane to thickness, then rip to width on the table saw. Skip the jointing step and you’re just making consistently-thick warped boards.
Can a Table Saw Substitute for a Planer?
Sort of, for certain tasks. A table saw with a good blade leaves a clean enough edge that you can glue boards together without additional surfacing. Some people use sleds to plane thin stock by running it over the blade horizontally.
But for actual thickness dimensioning? Not practical. You’d burn through blades, waste tons of material, and still need to sand out saw marks. Get a planer.
Can a Planer Substitute for a Table Saw?
Not even close. Planers work on faces, not edges. You can’t rip a board to width with a planer.
The Real Workflow
Rough lumber comes from the mill oversize and usually warped. Joint one face flat. Plane the opposite face parallel. Joint one edge straight. Rip to final width on the table saw. Crosscut to length.
Each tool has a specific job. Trying to skip steps or substitute tools is how you end up with furniture that doesn’t sit flat and drawers that don’t close.
Starting Out
If you’re buying tools, a table saw comes first—it’s the most versatile. A planer comes second for serious furniture work. A jointer is nice but expensive; you can work around it with hand planes and careful stock selection while you save up.
