Official Luthiers Forum!

Does anyone here have any opinions about the Byrd Shelix jointer heads?

http://www.sunhillmachinery.com/Conversion%20Page.htm

I am just about sick of sharpening and changing jointer knives, and as a bonus the insert jointer heads are supposed to be great for figured woods. Anyone use one for jointing?

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

Don't do it! Don't do it because you won't be satisfied until you have one on your planer too, and that gets into bigger money and time.

They are great. Quiet, excellent cut, easy to install. No downside I've found yet.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Thanks Kent.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

What's the fun in quiet? I remember when I had finally finished rebuilding my old Crescent Machine Co. 12" jointer and fired it up and face jointed a piece on it. My ex thought a train had run through the garage.

I haven't heard specifically of that brand of cutterhead, but in talking with a HS shop teacher, they went with an Oliver I believe, and he said he couldn't be happier.

Darrin

An oliver would be the bomb, but a little bit out of my range and a little bit too big to fit in the shop. There has been an old 8" oliver jointer on and off of ebay for about six months now, going for $599, i would think about getting it if i had just a little more floor space!

What i would like to do is replace the cutterhead on my 6" medium quality jointer, and i think i am just about talked into it.



Dude, aircraft carrier!

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

Yeah, they're pretty awesome. You won't be disappointed.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

I have owned two jointers in my lifetime. I previously owned a 12" MiniMax Jointer with the Tersa blade system. I currently own a Grizzly 12" jointer with a Byrd Shelix cutterhead. Undoubtedly, these are the two best cutterheads available to the world at this time. The Tersa system gave the finest finish I have ever seen on planed wood and rivals a perfectly handplaned surface; it handled figured woods very well but you would get the occasional small piece of tearout here and there depending on how figured the wood is. The Shelix cutterhead is quieter and can handle just about anything without tearout - the difference is truly amazing but the final surface is not as good in my opinion, as the Tersa system. The Shelix will leave minute ridges that need to be taken care of and the final surface isn't quite as dazzling. The Tersa is a pretty amazing system that automatically sets the blades at the proper height - in other words, a properly set up "normal" cutterhead should be able to compare with the Tersa.

However, I think I prefer the Shelix because of the ability to handle any wood - no matter how figured. And the surface quality is still excellent but might need a few passes with a sanding block to knock down any ridges.

Thanks guys, some of you have some massive jointers!

My shop makes more violins and mandolins than guitars, so i joint a lot of curly maple. It sounds like the shelix will do the trick.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

It would be awesome to refit with a helical cutterhead, but it's like kindergarten sometimes, "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit".