WWA Info Exchange

A couple of years ago I bought and installed a Shelix head on my DW735 planer. Base on the results I finally decided to buy a Shelix head for my 8" jointer. These are not cheap - it cost as much as I paid for the jointer new 20+ years ago. Also it took 2-3 months to arrive - they have a constant backorder situation. It took about an hour to do the swap. A couple of test cuts suggest I'm going to be very happy with this upgrade.

For those not familiar with these, the Shelix uses four-sided carbide inserts in place of long high-speed steel knives. The carbide gives longer life to the edge, and by using inserts, which are about 1/2" square, nicks to the edge are restricted to a small cutter. The insert has four good edges, so you can rotate the cutter three times before having to replace it.

there are plenty of videos and write-ups on the web how to install the head. If you have a generic Chinese import (mine was Woodtek, same as Grizzly, same as a ton of others), you can follow my instructions here.

After 2 months of waiting, I gave up on my order for a shelix head,
after reading your experience I should not have given up.
Maybe I will try again.
I was hoping that a shelix head would help with the dust collection
on my Shop Fox 8 inch jointer, by making smaller chips.
If you notice any dust collection improvement please make a comment.

Thanks
Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

It seems to make something closer to a shaving than the chips the previous head made. The dust collector pulls them just fine, but I've never felt I had problems before.
I'd say the Shelix is definitely worth the wait, esp. if you work with figured woods

Hey drstrip,

I don't have a Sheilix but I have used one on an upgraded joiner. The biggest difference that I noticed was how much quieter it is particularly when used with a dust collector.

Cheers,
Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

That's a point that perhaps I should have mentioned. The Shelix head is noticeably quieter than a standard head. Feeding is much smoother as well because instead of a long knife impacting the wood three times per revolution, there are always a couple of small insert edges engaged in the wood at all times. The surface appears to be smoother, though this could be an illusion, or it could be because the cutters are scary sharp at the moment.

David