Thread: Spiral head jointer with spiral head thicknesser.

also be aware there is a difference between a helical head and "segmented head"

the carbatec lunch box style thicknessers, have carbide segmented blades but are not actually laid on in a true helical pattern. so alot of the slicing style benefits of a proper helical head don't apply to these cheaper end of the spectrum units

Originally Posted by havabeer69

also be aware there is a difference between a helical head and "segmented head"

the carbatec lunch box style thicknessers, have carbide segmented blades but are not actually laid on in a true helical pattern. so alot of the slicing style benefits of a proper helical head don't apply to these cheaper end of the spectrum units

I wouldn’t be overly concerned about whether the cutters are set to cut in shear. On my Martin the cutters are set parallel and the cut quality is spectacular. If the cutters are sharp I can see no difference between parallel or shear cutting. I have had the opportunity to test side by side. Buggered if I can see a difference on fiddleback Blackwood.

Originally Posted by Enfield Guy

... On my Martin the cutters are set parallel and the cut quality is spectacular. If the cutters are sharp I can see no difference between parallel or shear cutting. ...

Scarcely a fair comparison. The Martin is a spectacularly expensive and extremely well engineered machine. Put a straight cutter head in it and would you be able to tell the difference? Your ears certainly would!

It is like comparing a Rolls Royce and a Fiat.

True, but, I also had a ctj380 thicky at one stage with an insert head that was not in shear. It also cut figured material cleanly. I was very fortunate to be able to upgrade to the machine I now have. Purchased second hand for a fair price but needed a little work. They are a brilliant machine but I’m not so sure I would buy second hand again.

cheers
b

Originally Posted by Prle77

Highly recommend spiral
pros
1) less noise
2) longer lasting knives (some models come with 2 sides, some with 4 side blades giving you 4 times the life of the knife.. plus lasts longer as its chipping smaller pieces rather than taking the whole line
3) less power.. (spiral slices rather than hits the timber so less power needed)
4) no need to align knives..
5) less snipe
6) better finish

Cons
blades tend to be a bit exy when you need to replace the whole lot.. but then again.. they last 4+ times longer than straight blades.. and cost is about 3 times so technically if you are to compare overall use then spiral blade replacement is also cheaper.. its just a big hit on a pocket when you need to replace the lot..

Your number 3) Less Power, not sure if this is true, I have read somewhere that because the blades are always in contact with the wood that this puts more load on the motor.

But, I would add a couple more Pros

7) Smaller shaving for better dust extraction.
8) Hit some metal/grit in the wood, just rotate the cutters that are damaged.

I will also add another Con

2) Blades take much longer to change on a Spiral block

not sure about straight knives but there are limit on how much you can take off on a spiral cutter blocks, on my SCM S7 you can only take off 9mm per pass.

Originally Posted by Albert

not sure about straight knives but there are limit on how much you can take off on a spiral cutter blocks, on my SCM S7 you can only take off 9mm per pass.

I wouldn't want to waste 9mm of timber if I could help it.

Originally Posted by Albert

on my SCM S7 you can only take off 9mm per pass.

Only 9mm !! That's HUGE.

Id be amazed to hear what 9mm of wood off a wide board sounds like going down the dust extractor chute towards the bin.
How wide a board could you put through taking a cut at 9mm ?

My straight knife Delta does a 3mm cut with each full turn of the hand wheel. With 450 wide boards going through Id be taking them down 1.5mm per pass at most. Id only take a 3mm cut on something like 100 wide or less if I had to.

Originally Posted by Enfield Guy

... Purchased second hand for a fair price but needed a little work. They are a brilliant machine but I’m not so sure I would buy second hand again. ...

For superior stuff like Martin and Altendorf, for many of us, it is either second hand or a dream!

I have a fox who comes and sits outside the door of my shed to listen to either the thicknesser or the jointer. He would sit there for hours. Don't know how he would feel about a spiral head. Hit a nail with the straight blade and you just knock one blade sideways a fraction and keep going.

Originally Posted by Camelot

I wouldn't want to waste 9mm of timber if I could help it.

true. When I buy bulk lots of rough sawn timber they come in various of sizes to dress them down to usable/uniform thickness

Originally Posted by auscab

Only 9mm !! That's HUGE.

Id be amazed to hear what 9mm of wood off a wide board sounds like going down the dust extractor chute towards the bin.
How wide a board could you put through taking a cut at 9mm ?

My straight knife Delta does a 3mm cut with each full turn of the hand wheel. With 450 wide boards going through Id be taking them down 1.5mm per pass at most. Id only take a 3mm cut on something like 100 wide or less if I had to.

it sounded just like a planer doing it’s job, happily.
its 630mm wide, I havent tried other timber such as Jarrah or Kwila. Only pine so far