Thread: New Sherwood 13in Deluxe Thicknesser with Helical Spiral Head on it's way

Very happy with mine, gets a lot of use and no problems at all. Like others, virtually no snipe.

Cutterheads can be sourced from SJE - Shelix K01.

Originally Posted by GRK

Very happy with mine, gets a lot of use and no problems at all. Like others, virtually no snipe.

Cutterheads can be sourced from SJE - Shelix K01.

Unfortunately they won't be the right inserts. The angle on the cutting edge will be 30° instead of 37° and the radius is only 100mm not 150mm. Happy to be proven wrong as that price is much better than from the current supplier we are stuck with.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Unfortunately they won't be the right inserts. The angle on the cutting edge will be 30° instead of 37° and the radius is only 100mm not 150mm. Happy to be proven wrong as that price is much better than from the current supplier we are stuck with.

By my measurements, the angle is around 35° on both the original and the SJE Shelix (verified by placing them edge to edge and the faces end up parallel). And when I place them together, the radius sure looks the same. Thickness also identical. Happy to be proven wrong though!

Originally Posted by GRK

By my measurements, the angle is around 35° on both the original and the SJE Shelix (verified by placing them edge to edge and the faces end up parallel). And when I place them together, the radius sure looks the same. Thickness also identical. Happy to be proven wrong though!

And indeed I am proven to be wrong!

Despite my rough angle measurements, the "base" on the SJE inserts is about 1mm wider than on the original Sherwood inserts!

Back to the drawing board ...

Originally Posted by GRK

And indeed I am proven to be wrong!

Despite my rough angle measurements, the "base" on the SJE inserts is about 1mm wider than on the original Sherwood inserts!

Back to the drawing board ...

Sorry GRK, using your post only to keep the overall context

The correct cutters are available from Timbecon and even though they are expensive you are not likely to need them or many of them, I kicked of the initial search for an alternative noting I already tried asking SJE and got NO response to queries, nor even a nah sorry we don't have them.

My reason for looking was i destroyed 4 of them on an errant screw and wanted some spares.

The Sherwood ones are 15x15x2.5 - 37deg cutting angle, R150 radius and radiused corners. These were quite common but have dropped off most vendors lists.

I found a factory in China that made 30, 35, 40 degree cutters but no 37.... though with a MOQ would custom make.... I haven't progressed that due to some other priorities.


To the question: do i like the unit that someone asked.... love it and highly recommend it.

Cheers
Phil

Did some more checking today, and confirmed the angles on the SJE and Sherwood cutters as 30 and 37 respectively.

Also realised my reference to the SJE cutters was wrong - as Treecycle has pointed out the ones I linked to were 100mm radius, I meant to link to the 150mm radius ones.

For the heck of it, I did try some SJE cutters (noting that this is not a great idea since the blade bolts will not tension properly as the cutter will not seat flat on the cutterhead). The SJE cutters cut very slightly deeper - not visibly but you could feel a very slight step.

Again for the heck of it, I reground a few of the SJE cutters on the Tormek (avoiding the very edge so as not to alter the geometry). Very quick, less than a minute per cutter. Worked perfectly in the thicknesser.

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

Sorry GRK, using your post only to keep the overall context

The correct cutters are available from Timbecon and even though they are expensive you are not likely to need them or many of them, I kicked of the initial search for an alternative noting I already tried asking SJE and got NO response to queries, nor even a nah sorry we don't have them.

My reason for looking was i destroyed 4 of them on an errant screw and wanted some spares.

The Sherwood ones are 15x15x2.5 - 37deg cutting angle, R150 radius and radiused corners. These were quite common but have dropped off most vendors lists.

I found a factory in China that made 30, 35, 40 degree cutters but no 37.... though with a MOQ would custom make.... I haven't progressed that due to some other priorities.


To the question: do i like the unit that someone asked.... love it and highly recommend it.

Cheers
Phil

Hello Phil,
Sorry I didn't see your enquiry, I just did a search and found your mail and just been reading this thread (I get so busy with different things keep up with forums is somewhat difficult!) but the general thing about the angle of the edge of the blade has little to do with the cut. Much like when you sharpen a kitchen knife - it sharp but a different angle will give you a finer edge depending on the job you are doing - a paring knife general having a 12-17 angle for fine cutting in soft materials, but a machete/cleaver has 30-35 angle for it's purpose.

So between 30, 37 or 40 you won't see a huge different - I have used/tested differing angled inserts in my thicknesser.

Yes I do stock 15x15x2.5R150 4r0.5 inserts - these are the standard for the Cater Tools head and if I was a gambling man I would guess that they supplied those heads.

Anyway if you want 5pcs to test and compare just let me know your address and I'll put them in the post tomorrow(it's kinda rainy here now and I can't be bothered to go out!)

Cheers

Steve


PS I forgot to add - also I do have some of the strange SuperCut head inserts in stock (27mm wide with 2 holes) - which some Sherwood planers use.

PPS If you REALLY want some with a 37 degree angle I would be able ask the factory to make some.

See post below . . .

Me being me - I've already asked the factory if they have ever made or been asked to make 37º inserts ... will let you know.

Scratch that - and all that goes before it . . .

Have a few hundred 15x15x2.5R150-37º 4R0.5 inserts on order . . . will be in stock in a couple of weeks

Originally Posted by sje-tools

Me being me - I've already asked the factory if they have ever made or been asked to make 37º inserts ... will let you know.

Scratch that - and all that goes before it . . .

Have a few hundred 15x15x2.5R150-37º 4R0.5 inserts on order . . . will be in stock in a couple of weeks

big smiley face needed for Steve, and I should have been quicker on the first reply.

for your info i do have some of the 30deg versions here and they don't key correctly on the head and I've been completely sidetracked on preparing christmas lights recently.

Great to hear that you found the thread and back tracked my original email.

I'll take 20 off your hands as soon as you have them in stock as i do have a bunch of recycled timber to play with and didn't really want to burn more cutters without spares.

THANK YOU for getting them made and bringing into stock

All the best
Phil

Please let us know here when they are in stock so that no one swoops in and takes all your stock before we get a chance.

I wonder if some of the negative comments on inserts have slowed sales with the new price at the moment.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

I wonder if some of the negative comments on inserts have slowed sales with the new price at the moment.

I don't think so, perhaps other issues. They are perhaps the quietest "lunch box" style thicknesser on the market. I'm happy with the finish from mine & the reduced noise levels.

Firstly a thank you to Phil for his words of wisdom on this thread.

Timbecon were having a massive discount on this and I couldn't resist. A great price for a spiral cutter machine. Like most Sherwood products there is another brand in the world that's exactly the same other than colours and branding. After a long search I found this .... Grizzly G0940 - 13" 2 HP Benchtop Planer With Helical Cutterhead
So I went to Grizzly's web site and downloaded a far better manual than Sherwoods ... You'll find it on the right side of this site. 13" 2 HP Benchtop Planer With Helical Cutterhead at Grizzly.com. I can't believe that Sherwood's manual didn't mention levelling the infeed and outfeed tables.

I took some 4 x 2 and passed it through a couple of times and the results were outstanding. I did get a bit of snipe but I think it might have been technique. I found a few youtube videos that describe how to minimize snipe so I have a few questions.

Did you level the tables or leave them at the factory setting?
One video mentioned having the tables slightly higher to eliminate snipe. Has anyone done that?
Another said raising the board slightly higher before and after planing helps? Does anyone do that?
What have you found works best?
Also included that wasn't mentioned in the manual was an extra driver and a funny little magnetic thing. Is that for picking up the cutters?

Dust collection is pretty good but I was looking for a quick connect adapter between my DC 4" hose and the adapter they supplied or an alternative. At the moment I have to unscrew the hose clamp from a quick connect adapter (which connects to my router table) to on the DC end to connect with the unit. A bit of a pain!!!!

So far loving the unit particularly the price.

I use one of these on my 4" hose and they make changing from one unit to another quick and easy.
I think they forgot to take the magnets out of these units as the Grizzly manual says on page 28 item 4 to use the magnets to remove the blades, but it is referring to straight cutter blades. The manual covers 2 types of machines. The square inserts are non magnetic.