Thread: Tersa Cutter Head Finish Issues

Have you tried new blades? On my C26 when I see the quality drop I put in a new set (or turn them around if not previously done) and inevitably the finish improves.

Thanks HPF, C26 came with the Cr blades, now workout. I have fitted new M+ set & planed some spotted gum. In jointer mode it felt like the wood was chattering & in thicknessing mode, the finish was uneven. Peter

No idea what blades came with the machine, they are long gone. I use Leitz blades, after posting the above reply I googled Tersa to find out that there were HSS, M+ and carbide versions. I will have to check when I am at my workshop next what the Leitz blades are, if indeed it says on the pack. I am sure that they aren't carbide though based on the prices I saw.
I have jointed and thicknessed kauri, huon, oregan, Tas blackwood, Tas myrtle, blackheart sassafras, some gums and no doubt a few others and generally been pretty happy with the results. I only take off about 1mm at a time, sometimes less on the thicknesser.

On a different note...what do you think of the performance, quality and accuracy of the C26? Rob

No problems with the machine quality to date. The tersa blades don't last as long as I would like/expect. I looked into a helical head but for some reason Minimax only offer it for the 3 phase machine and Byrd don't yet offer one. The accuracy is up to my level of ability so I am happy with that aspect. The thicknesser depth gauge is out by about 1mm but I don't rely on that other than as a guide and measure as I go along. At the time I would have loved a Hammer but couldn't justify the price difference. To quote the great philosopher Harry Callaghan (aka Clint Eastwood) - "a man has to know his limitations "!

Hi HPF & Rob, I would agree about very small cuts. Have just finished a Western Red Cedar project with excellent results. Will return to the Spotted Gum project soon. The C26 is a well made machine. The sliding table is great & its fence seems to hold square. I find the rip/planer fence fiddly & have to check square in planer mode every time. Peter

SCM now offer the spiral cutter block on all their Minimax machines even the single phase down to the Genius range. Check the I Wood Like site for all the options. This makes the Genius range even more attractive.

Well I followed up with I Wood Like and yes, you can get a spiral headed new machine.
But.... you can't get a retrofit to an existing machine. Their reply was that they "stopped a year ago due to very expensive cost of part and labour!!".
I guess that my (and other users) only hope is that someone will get Byrd to make the first one. Byrd have what they believe is all the measurements but they need to be verified before they will produce one.

When I was shopping for a combination machine it was between the Hammer and Minimax as i reckoned the MM was as good as the Hammer and a fairer price. I shopped the question in the US fora and all the responses I got said the Tersa was equal to the spiral head in finish and a lot said they reckoned it was better on the timber they put through it. I was simply over the problems of nicked blades and MM would not supply a spiral head so the Hammer won the toss bit it would have been the MM otherwise.

I started this thread which may be of some interest https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....hlight=minimax

Holbren may be a worthwhile source of heads https://www.holbren.com

Thanks for the Holbren link Chris. Much appreciated.
While not wishing to hi jack this thread, for those with Dewalt 735s, I noticed on the site that there are two different Byrd heads available for the Dewalt. The original was slightly undersized (as noted on many YouTube videos on swapping the cutting heads) so they now have an OEM size unit but you have to remove all the inserts to install.

I bought a head from Holbren with no problems, just a long wait for it to be made, something like 3 or 4 months from memory.

Chris, which head did you buy?

It was for a Powermatic thicknesser made by Byrd, the stock version that Holbren list on their website. I must admit that when I want something like that I ring the company and discuss it with them as one phone call replaces a week of emails in my experience.