BIG UPDATE III----SHOPMADE HELICAL CUTTERHEAD

Well, it’s installed in the planer. Watch the videos below to see how things turned out. I still haven’t finished editing the machining video, but I’ll get to it.

See my first Topic SHELIX CUTTERHEAD
and Part I and Part II of this blog entry

Here I begin inserting the teeth.

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...and here I finish. I didn’t want to bore you with watching me insert every tooth.

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Here is the first time I actually power up the planer. Pretty intimidating, if you ask me. I was ready to run for the hills !!!

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FANTASTIC!!! There was virtually NO AIR TURBULENCE!!! The flat knives in the original cutterhead blew quite a breeze from the front of the planer, but with these…ah, there was no breeze!!! And the noise level is much easier on the ears (even though I do wear ear protection). I think a planer with an induction motor instead of my universal motor would really be whisper quiet.
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The first board planed…Quite interesting results…

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WOULD YA LOOK AT THOSE PURDY LITTLE SHAVINGS COMIN’ OUT!! Way better than big wide ones that clog up my underpowered dust collection system.

PLEASE PAY NO ATTENTION TO MY INCREDIBLY MESSY SHOP…LOL
...although…the lumber rack is ok! ;-D
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You can see that there is a re-design called for. A slight adjustment in the tooth angle. When each tooth reaches the very lowest point in its rotation, each corner of the tooth should be at the exact same height. That will solve the problem.

But I think that zig-zag cut could be used to make some interesting moulding… Thanks to everyone for supporting me and giving such kind comments!!!

-- Lane Custom Guitars and Basses