Thread: Spiral Head cutters

Trust me when I say, I feel your dilemma brutha!.

I've not yet got a carba tec spiral, shellix helical or the "v" style & I am not familiar with the Hammer ones.

There are claims the V style send the air & chips more to the center where the dusty picks up the shavings which being smaller are easier to remove.

There are claims that only the shellix is truly helical such that the cutter angle cuts across the direction of grain and gives less tear out, easier quieter better finish. (Everyone who has any of the 3 available types seems delighted with them). You know yourself tho if using an old hand plane that if the grains straight on and tending to tear out you skew the plane to slice at more of a angled slicing cut ...and the shellix helical by Byrd does this...while the others all cut straight on to my knowledge... (Maybe Hammers different?).

The sound reduction is quite a lot so if noise is an issue for you...then it may be worthwhile.

It's one of those individual decisions (price etc)...

No one else is in your shoes... to factor in all the variables...

Me I'd love a Byrd shellix helical over a spiral.....but you know what if a spiral head out of china to suit the Robland came up cheap on Gumtree tomorrow for $500 (or less and lets face it they could copy them in the blink of an eye, made from recycled sardine cans or case hardened plasticine) - I'd probably go don a balaclava, throw a chain round a auto teller machine in the dark and hook it to the tow bar and do a drive off, to get the cash to buy it before someone else did.

What we want and what we can afford is different for all of us and for me it's either feast or famine usually.

It's the same when I get my ambitions confused with my capability's.

If you can afford it and justify it, then...buy what the heart wants.

If your feeling flush and benevolent this week, loan me some and we'll get 2!

Hi Peter
I have a hammer a3-31 with the silent power cutter head and am more than happy with it.
i work with mainly Redgum in this neck of the woods and it handles it with ease. I get very minimal tear out and the finish straight of the machine is first rate.
it is very quiet all things considered, they do hurt the back pocket a bit when you buy but I would buy another one in an instant.
Hope that helps not sure what part of the country you are in but more than welcome to come and have a look in action if you are anywhere near swan hill or pm me
regards
stewy

Thanks guys for your comments.
Stewy I'm like you, I live in red river gum country and like to rework selected pieces of left over sleeper waste. I also play with recycled cypress. I have quite a stack of 6" * 1 1/2" cypress boards that were the verticle wall boards and cladding out of the first house that I lived in. 100 year old cypress with its knots is the real challange for a thicknesser. I'm pleased to read your comments and satisfaction with the A3 31.
I notice its running a 4hp cutting 310 mm, thats a lot of bundy for a home machine. The 410mm cut which I would preferr has 5.5 hp. I guess thats 3ph which counts me out anyway. But the question is if the silent head is so power efficent why do they need that much hp.
My thinking is a 15"carbatec with 3hp must struggle.

Yes Timberless Timber the hammer appears to shear the timber as a Helix does. If you need a driver when you have the balacala on


Peter

I guess thats 3ph which counts me out anyway.

You can get one of those single to 3 phase converters, BUT they ain't cheap - like usually more than the cost of the machine you want to run with them!.

But it's always an option... specially once we get back from the auto teller raid!

[/[QUOTE=Timless Timber;1684536]

You can get one of those single to 3 phase converters

Makes it all way way to "xy" for my little shop.

Peter

Just another thought for the mix.....
Have a look at the Dewalt 735 with a Byrd Shelix Cutter kit as another option.... lots of write ups on various woodwork forums.
Cheers, crowie

Good Morning Peter

There is a video on the Felder website where they video the same Hammer planer with a conventional and with a spiral cutter and with a decibell meter running. Ten decibells is a big sound reduction.
Silent-POWER® - Comparison spiral knife cutterblock - Hammer planing machines - FELDER GROUP AUSTRALIA woodworking machines from Format Sliding Table Saws to Dust Extractors



Fair Winds

Graeme

I have the silent power cutter head (Hammer A3 31) and I'm very happy with it. I can turn it on and have a conversation with someone without raising my voice. The chip extraction is also very impressive. The most impressive feature is the finish it leaves on the timber. It's crazy good!I actually had the straight knife machine on loan whilst I waited for my spiral/silent head to come from overseas. The biggest difference was the noise (about 50% less) and the quality of finish.

I can also vouch for quietness of the machine it is great, the dusty makes a lot more noise.
and as groeneaj says the finish is first rate. I mainly use redgum and it handles it with ease even at full width and the finish is great with bugger all tear out. Have had mine for about 8 months and are yet to change the cutter bits yet i couldnt be happier with mine
Stewy

I can't wait to get mine in about 6 weeks as I have also ordered the Silent Cutter Head.

The wait is painfull but well worth it
Stewy

I bought Shelix cutters for my jointer and thicknesser at this years SWWW and have fitted them as shown on the thread below.....

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f155/s...-heads-174787/

I can't comment on Felder/Hammer but I am very happy with the Shelix helical cutters fitted to my JET 8" jointer and Carbatec 15" thicknesser.
Just a couple of observations;

• as others have noted, I can now carry on a normal conversation while running either machine
• the surface finish is well beyond 'better', I straightened and thicknessed some hairy oak this afternoon and the surface finish could best be described as polished! To prove the point, I put some shellac straight onto the machined finish and got a gloss finish after only a few coats!
• I presume its because of the shape of the cutter AND the size and shape of the wafer removed by each insert but swarf is now EJECTED from the dust chute rather than sucked out!
• with the machine operating and the dust collecter hose disconnected, the swarf flies out the chute landing well more than a metre away!
• some timber I have previously been unable to dress at all is now dressed and being used

I am so glad that I made the change....

fletty

Thanks guys for all the positive feedback.

There is a video on the Felder website where they video the same Hammer planer with a conventional and with a spiral cutter and with a decibell meter running. Ten decibells is a big sound reduction.

Graeme I had watched that video, very good demo.

The guys with the A3 31's, What size amp. point are you using?

Also Woody, with the 5.5 hp in your 41 (I assume the planner thicknesser) what power sourse are you using?

All the positive coments re the "silent head" No body has made comment on the reduced power requirment claimed.



Peter

You need a 20 amp plug
stewy