# Grizzly Branded Byrd Shelix Cutter Head for the G0452P



## cmmyakman (Feb 16, 2011)

Congratulations on the switch. Sounds like you know what you were doing mechanically. I love my Grizzly Jointer with the carbide cutter inserts (received that way from the factory). The jointer is so quiet that I sometimes don't know/remember it is on. I wish 2 things though, 1) that it was wider, i.e. 8-inches versus the 6-inches and 2) that is was more stable, i.e. the base didn't move when pushing wood through it.


----------



## MattLinPA (Oct 18, 2015)

I agree with the movement when pushing and when I move (hopefully soon) to a better space that's one of the things I'm going to address. I'll likely build a mobile base with large locking urethane casters for the whole unit. Putting it in was pretty painless (hour/hour and half casually working to install it), it was setting the TDC to the out feed table that was a pain, but still not too bad. Overall though, the cutter head is outstanding and a great upgrade - if you're not going to a 8"+ jointer.


----------



## cmmyakman (Feb 16, 2011)

"I'll likely build a mobile base with large locking urethane casters for the whole unit."

Great idea - Thanks! I have my router table, band saw, floor drill press, planer and Ridgid Oscillating Sander each on their own base with urethane locking casters and I don't get the movement that I get with the jointer. I figured the base that the Grizzly jointer had would be more stable, but after pondering your idea, I think not.


----------



## MattLinPA (Oct 18, 2015)

" I figured the base that the Grizzly jointer had would be more stable, but after pondering your idea, I think not."

I agree - but I can't confirm that'll make "the difference" to keep it from moving. My floor tends to have a good bit of sawdust (no matter how hard I try to catch everything….) which I'm sure reduces the available friction between the concrete floor and the rubber feet.

Actually now that I'm thinking out loud….. It might be a design flaw with the Grizzly jointers to have the fixed wheels at the "outfeed" end where the load would be focused thus causing a reduction of load on the fixed rubber feet on the infeed side. Just swapping the location of the feet and wheels would likely add about 30-40% more load on the rubber feet (outfeed side), likely eliminating the need for the new base. Yum - reverse engineering pun!!!


----------



## dannmarks (Oct 22, 2016)

OK, I don't get it. I have never had a jointer that was not stable or moved. My Grizzly does not move once set down on the floor off its back castor. I had 3 other jointers in my life, but these were without castors at all and these units were meant to stay where they were. My floors were never ever slippery either. I have smooth cement, but not painted. Could you paint that area with non slip paint (Has sand in the paint) to hold the pads more securely. Sounds easier than re-engineering the base.


----------



## ColoradoKerry (Feb 13, 2017)

Matt,
Congratulations on the Byrd head, I'm contemplating doing the same myself.

How did you set up the outfeed table with respect to the jointer head? In theory, the cutters should line up with the outfeed table exactly, I guess. But theory and practice aren't always the same, so from what I read, the usual scenario is to set the knives .001 or .002 above the outfeed table. This is because on a normal jointer knife the very sharpest tip of the knife will wear quite quickly by that same .001 or .002 and then you'll have a nicely lined up outfeed table until the knives get too dull.

But the carbide tips in a helical head don't wear very quickly. And the cutting angle to the wood is completely different than a regular knife so even then wear on the tip doesn't translate directly to cutting height. And the tips would normally be rotated at different times. So it seems to me that on a helical head, one should set the outfeed table as close to the level of the tips as possible.

What did you do and has it solved any issues with tapering and/or snipe?


----------



## dannmarks (Oct 22, 2016)

I have always set my out feed table between .002 and .003 below the height of the blades. Or with my older Jointers set the knives at .002 to .003 above the out feed table at top dead center. This gave me a smooth cutting action with no snipe. I had carbide blades and they did not need to be changed often at all.

My current Grizzly 8 inch has the Byrd Shelix Cutter Head and I have not had any occasion to worry about the cutters being dull yet. I had to adjust the co-plainer action between the in feed and out feed tables by about .003 to .005 inches. But that did not affect the knife to out feed table aspect. It is still in the .002/.003 range.

Hope you find this helpful.


----------



## MattLinPA (Oct 18, 2015)

Hey Kerry,

When I first installed the Shelix, I don't think that I had the outfeed table set correctly (I had about a ~0.010 of snipe). I'm guessing that when I set it up the first time, I was distracted or rushing. After about 30bf of stock I finally had the time (or really I just had the "mindset") to attempt to set the outfeed table again. I took the fence off and set the table ~0.002-0.003" below the cutter edge (as best I could tell). I don't have any snipe now and have run about 200 bf material from Toasted poplar, Wenge, to Mahogany and Ash with zero degradation of edge on the cutters. If I had to guess, there has been significantly less than "0.001" of wear on the cutting edge.

The Jointer runs with much less effort and the finish it (When I run the board through at a reasonable speed) leaves is a perfect edge.


----------



## dannmarks (Oct 22, 2016)

I bought both the Jointer and the planer and both have the spiral cutterhead with 4-sided German-made carbide inserts for ultra smooth surfaces. After my work goes thru these machines the surface has such a smooth surface that a quick sanding progression is all that is needed. I am so very happy with both of these items. I do wonder if I should have purchased the 24 inch planer instead, but chose the 15".

So far that decision has not been a problem as gluing up larger surfaces has gone well. Apparently all the joints on my last 19 inch wide desk top are at 90 degrees making the surface flat and have held fast as I had hoped that they would. I used Red Oak that was slightly still on the green side. I machined it and glued up this desk top last November and then sanded and stained it. I then brought it in the house to see what would happen over the next few months. Still flat and ready to be a table.


----------



## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Have one on jointer and planer. Works great.

If you get one for your dw735 as well remember that there are 2 sizes. One small enough to fit through the bearing journals with the cutters attached will be 1/32 smaller than the stock head (mine works fine). The other will be the same size as the stock head but you have to remove the cutters as you would the stock head in order to remove/ install them.


----------



## ColoradoKerry (Feb 13, 2017)

Matt, danmarks,

Thanks for the good information, good to hear that it's still OK to leave the cutters proud of the outfeed table - getting them exactly on is, of course, rather difficult to achieve consistently!


----------

