Thread: What thicknesser to buy

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

After you use a thicknesser or Jointer with the shelix cutters you will not go back to using standard blades the cut quicker, quieter and last a long time.

Jim

The qualities, including longevity, are not in question (from me anyway just the cost. Also as a cost proportional to the original machine price. The Carbatec machine I am considering is $1500 with HSS blades, but $2500 with the spiral cutters.

I haven't had the pleasure of using the spiral cutters so I can only do my charlatan thing and speak from heresay.

My experience with HSS vs tungsten is that for an all too short a period of time the HSS is sharper and gives a superior cut, whereas the tungsten begins life less sharp but retains that edge for a far (far far) longer period.

The cost is the issue and particularly in Superbunny's case where he is considering a retrofit in the latter part of the thicknesser's life. I believe if that is the path he wants to follow he should do it now, but I also think he should have a jointer before that.

Ahh... the constraints of money

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Just a question anybody. Where the hell does that funny symbol above come from? It appears every so often when I insert a standard smiley face. I imagine I am pressing a wrong key somewhere. I know I can edit out as I frequently have the need to correct my typos, but curiosity has got the better of me.

Life's a mystery.

Regards
Paul

This combination of keys, : ) ) I inserted extra spaces. Sorry to spoil the mystery of life

Originally Posted by NCArcher

This combination of keys, : ) ) I inserted extra spaces. Sorry to spoil the mystery of life

Thanks NC.

Life, for me, is still a mystery. Smiley faces are just one of the mysteries I can...well...smile over .

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

SB

I think your new Delta thicknesser will last you quite a long time and by the time the blades need replacing you may be questioning whether it is worth spending as much as the machine originally cost for a spiral blade; Particularly as the machine will be well worn by that stage.

To give a yardstick, I have an entry level 12" thicknesser (Timbecon) which is now in it's 7th year. About 2 years ago I replaced the carbon brushes at which time the shop said the old brushes were indicating it (the motor) was not long for this world.

It is used and abused. I thickness ironbark and spotted gum predominantly as well as pine. It is asked to do much more than it is really capable of and frankly I have been waiting for it to die at which time I will replace it with a 15" thicknesser; Probably Carbatec CTJ-381 or CTJ-680. I am undecided as to which and the price difference is insignificant.

I started out with two sets of blades one of which is double sided. I have probably sharpened them about fifteen times and I should have sharpened then more often.

Now this brings me to my point and it is on the spiral blades aspect; The spiral blades have the advantage of lasting well, particularly in harder timbers and it's easy to change the facet when the edge does dull. For the home woodworker they are are quieter and this is a big plus where you have to consider neighbours. In a commercial application the saving is on downtime.

But they are expensive. Nearly as much for the blade as you paid for the machine in total. I am slightly predudiced against them (because of the cost) because I can sharpen my blades myself. It costs me nothing to do this.

There are sharpening devices on ebay that are for thicknessers, but I don't know how good they are. Others may be able to offer advice. My sharpening machine is completely different and came with some other machines I bought a long time ago.

A possibility for you to consider if you are intent on having the spiral blades is to sell your HSS blades straight away on ebay before buying the spiral cutter. You can mitigate the cost slightly, but I suspect you can no longer advertise them as brand new.

Lastly, do you have a jointer? You may find that you will have to grovel to SWMBO for a budgetry extension and also a jointer may be of more importance than the spiral replacement blades.

The DW 735 looks a really nice unit.

Regards
Paul

I agree to most of what you say, after todays testing I am having second thoughts about the spiral head cutter. I put through some Qld Maple, Silky Oak and Red Gum today as a test of the machine and its cut. Well I'm very impressed with the results, as smooth as a babies bum, I kid you not. I have never had a thicknesser perform this good, I guess it's the 3 blades that make the difference as in the past I only had 2. I got a little snipe on the Red Gum only and after adjusting my feed technique I got rid of that also. The Qld Maple came out so good I don't need to sand it (but I will) and some of it was highly figured as well. I am one happy guy. I don't use a jointer, I think they are a waste of time, I use my Big Boy sander and I get near perfect right angles if not spot on every time. This way I get 2 jobs done for the same effort.

SB

Originally Posted by Superbunny

I don't use a jointer, I think they are a waste of time, I use my Big Boy sander and I get near perfect right angles if not spot on every time. This way I get 2 jobs done for the same effort.

SB

SB

It sounds as though you are not thicknessing longer timbers. I am not familiar with your sander, but I imagine it is a disc sander and table possibly with an associated linisher. I can see where it will produce good quality right angles and while this can be done with a jointer, it is a side benefit and not it's primary purpose.

The jointer's forte is straightening timber over it's length either on edge or the face. It will also take the twist out of timber. The thicknesser, magnificent machine though it is, will really only follow the original line of the timber. A curved timber will be thicknessed but remain curved.

The three blades of the 735 sound good. I had not realised it was a three cutter head until reading this thread.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

SB

It sounds as though you are not thicknessing longer timbers. I am not familiar with your sander, but I imagine it is a disc sander and table possibly with an associated linisher. I can see where it will produce good quality right angles and while this can be done with a jointer, it is a side benefit and not it's primary purpose.

The jointer's forte is straightening timber over it's length either on edge or the face. It will also take the twist out of timber. The thicknesser, magnificent machine though it is, will really only follow the original line of the timber. A curved timber will be thicknessed but remain curved.

The three blades of the 735 sound good. I had not realised it was a three cutter head until reading this thread.

Regards
Paul

The Big Boy sander/lanisher is a big one and I often do 1.2 m lengths on it with no problems. As I make all my projects from the slab I've never had a problem with my timber, the Big Boy has a 90 degree base and i can tilt the big belt from 90 dergees all the way to horizontal belt length wise, not as the little ones do. No disk. I do one edge on the sander or use the jack plan to get a flat side and off I go to the thicknesser. No probs over the years.

SB

If you can do a technical drawing Shelix will do a one off. But i wouldn't doubt they have one for the Dewalt at any rate. I rang them in the US and found them very helpful.
I have the 8" Carbatec jointer with a shelix head and their 20" thicknesser which i will convert to a shelix some time in the next 6 months.
If you have had a go with a shelix you would never go back...it needs less power from yr machine, its quieter (heaps) and i haven't had any tare off what so ever.
As to buying a Dewalt over a 15" carbatec...i would say pay a little extra and go for the Carbatec. The reason i went for the 20" is because the diameter of the cutter block was something like 25mm larger in diameter over the 15" and its a 4 blade head. I can only imagine the 15" Carbatec would be significantly larger than the Dewalt...The larger diameter the lower the included angle at which the cutter blade hits the wood.....to me the bigger the better....apart from that Carbatec stuffed me around so much they offered the 20" for the same price as the 15".
So it was an easy choice.

Originally Posted by sinjin

If you can do a technical drawing Shelix will do a one off. But i wouldn't doubt they have one for the Dewalt at any rate......

The Australian agent has them in stock for that model.

He does cliff...but have you seen the price difference??

Used my De Walt today, I'm making the box in the latest Australian Woodworker, what a pleasure it was to thickness wood down to 16mm perfect and ready just for a light sand. No snipe yet but it's all in how you feed it in, and to think De Walt don't pay me to say this. Yep the shelix cutter head will be waiting much longer if the De Walt continues to perform like this or the price comes down from the silly sky.

SB

For general interest I can add that I have just fitted a true "BYRD" made in USA cutter head to my 2 yr old Cabatec CTJ-381 thicknesser and the results in all respects are really amazing. Firstly the quietness of operation has to be seen to be beleived. The original machine could be heard from several hundred metres away especially with the high capacity cyclone DE fitted. Now the running noise is more like a drill press and just a little more noise when cutting with no change in noise with the DE connected. As for the finish on the first run of a few hundred M's of difficult hardwood no snipe and no need to use my wide belt sander. One other point the Grizzly.com website has a 72 page manual for a similar unit to the CJT-381 than can be downloaded as a .PDF file.
Paintman

H7769 20" Shelix Cutterhead from Grizzly I ordered my 8" Byrd head from these guys after being directed to them by Byrd

By chance does anyone know if this is the right code for the 20" carbtec thicknesser?

Ok just rang Grizzly...that is is the correct one for those who maybe considering a Byrd for their 20" thicknesser.

Originally Posted by sinjin

If you can do a technical drawing Shelix will do a one off.

Just wondering how you found that out. I sent email to Byrd address from web site asking about scheppach and metabo and didn't get a response.