Is a helical head on a jointer just a gimmick?

[Dixon Peer]

HSS is used in my shop for custom profiles in my shaper tooling. It is also used almost exclusively for molder tooling in the millwork shops around here (North Central New Jersey). I don't see any evidence in our area of the country that it's dying out.

[Gary Keedwell]

HSS is used in my shop for custom profiles in my shaper tooling. It is also used almost exclusively for molder tooling in the millwork shops around here (North Central New Jersey). I don't see any evidence in our area of the country that it's dying out.

Sorry man...I meant it was dying out in machine shops ....machining steel. Alot of machine shop innovations filter down to woodworking. I see CNC has finally made it's way into woodworking, where it has been a stable for decades in the machine shops. Years ago you wouldn't see machine shop measuring tools, for an example, in woodworking catologues. Rather recently, you see dial and digital calipers and dial and digital indicators in most woodworking literature.
Gary

[john blanchard]

Hi lewis,
If you want to try one first hand come to saintjohn after I get home dec 8th, I have them on my 15" delta planer and DJ 20 jointer, Ive only used them a few times but I realy like them. Ive always hated changing blades, the inserts are nice.

[Dixon Peer]

Sorry man...I meant it was dying out in machine shops ....machining steel. Alot of machine shop innovations filter down to woodworking. I see CNC has finally made it's way into woodworking, where it has been a stable for decades in the machine shops. Years ago you wouldn't see machine shop measuring tools, for an example, in woodworking catologues. Rather recently, you see dial and digital calipers and dial and digital indicators in most woodworking literature.
Gary

That's certainly true about machine shop innovations and practices making their way into woodworking. One of my favorite classes in high school was the metal shop; really cool making things with steel I thought. Now, my woodshop makes use of dial calipers, dial indicators, micrometers, all sorts of things that measure to the thousandth of an inch. I am not into CNC though.

[Lewis Cobb]

Hi lewis,
If you want to try one first hand come to saintjohn after I get home dec 8th, I have them on my 15" delta planer and DJ 20 jointer, Ive only used them a few times but I realy like them. Ive always hated changing blades, the inserts are nice.

Hey John !

How's it going? Time's drawing near for you now - only a few weeks to go. You must be chomping at the bit.

Thanks for the invite - I'll be sure to come down and have a go. If you don't have my e-mail still, let me know and I'll send it to you again.

Cheers,
Lewis

[Kevin Groenke]

I'm pretty close to flipping the switch on a Grizzly G0609 but I'm on the fence about the straight knifes vs the grizzly spiral vs the byrd shellix.

We recently upgraded from a DW735 benchtop to a PM209HH so I'm familiar with the benefits of the spiral, but I have reservations about a spiral in a jointer.

I am still surprised about the extent of the scallops generated by the shellix head. It seems that these scallops on an edge may result in problems edge gluing panels. Has anybody observed whether the scallops on edges result the edges not being square or otherwise not gluing up well?

Is there any appreciable difference in the surface left by the Byrd head vs the Grizzly head? I know that the Byrd is a true helix and the Grizzly is more of a stepped helix, but I'm most interested in the resulting surface. The Byrd inserts are visibly crowned which results in the scallops, can somebody with a Grizzly spiral head look at your inserts and tell me whether the inserts are square or crowned like the Byrd's?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

Anybody have an estimate on what an old 8" delta/rockwell 37-315 might be worth?

[Gary Keedwell]

Only thing that I can contribute to the carbide insert heads on a jointer is that I have not heard of one instance of a glue failure from edging a board. I have heard of visual markings left from milling but none that would hinder a glue up. I am particulary interested as I have worked with carbide inserts in the manufacturing industry and have an interest in buying one for my retirement hobby shop. I like the idea of never changing blades again.
Gary

[Paul B. Cresti]

Do yourself a favor and simply find a jointer with a Tersa head much easier in the long run (also see Esta or similair type)....but if you are concerned with the spiral type stuff then look at this !

http://www.casadeimacchine.com/cgi/n....htm&lingua=us

I still do not understand why people are so concerned with noise....it a shop with machines and it will be loud....deal with it and where ear protection...don't get me started

[Paul Johnstone]

I don't want to start a war here, but having never owned either a planer or a jointer, I am trying to learn what's great and what's not in my research of them. I

I have regular blades on both my planer and jointer.
I put my wood through a drum sander many times, so I don't worry about tearout as much. Sure, there's a little bit that still shows after heavy sanding, but since I do most of my work in oak, it's not that noticable.

I think you have to make the call yourself. I do admit that they are pretty cool. It would be nice to just rotate a fresh edge as needed and the other benefits touted .. but are they a "must have"? IMO, no.