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+-- Thread: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? (/showthread.php?tid=7346671)
How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - Wild Turkey - 02-25-2019
I face jointed 100' of 6" maple this morning and it seemed the boards were a little hard to push.
I haven't put that much lumber across the head since it's replacement.
If it warms up this afternoon I'll wax the bed and tighten the belt on the jointer (8" Delta) and see if that helps.
But I'm wondering how to know when it is time to rotate the inserts?
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - fredhargis - 02-25-2019
This will be interesting, I'm not sure. I know I rotated mine on the planer after about 6 years. Even then I didn't think they needed it, but at that rate they will still outlast me. As for hard to push, it would depend on depth of cut along with some of the other stuff you mentioned (waxed beds). I haven't rotated the one on the jointer yet, it's a little newer than the planer but probably over 6 years old. I will be following to see what the opinions are.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - EdL - 02-25-2019
IME, it's usually the bed that needs waxing, no idea how many 1000's of bd/ft mine has seen with no indexing.
Ed
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - FS7 - 02-25-2019
(02-25-2019, 02:41 PM)EdL Wrote: IME, it's usually the bed that needs waxing, no idea how many 1000's of bd/ft mine has seen with no indexing.
Ed
In terms of sharpness, probably very rarely. I did chip one once, but other than that simply cleaning the feed rollers and waxing the bed has been effective in keeping things moving.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - ®smpr_fi_mac® - 02-25-2019
I rotated mine after two years of hobby use in my PM100 because I had a couple of nicks. Probably didn't need to rotate them all but did anyway.
I noticed a better cut, but not an amazing improvement.
At this rate, if I get eight years out of one set of inserts, I'll be better than pleased; I had originally hoped for five years total before replacing them.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - rwe2156 - 02-26-2019
There's no diehard rule on it. All depends on how much wood, how hard the wood is.
I rotated mine once only because I thought I should.
When edge jointing I try to remember to put the fence at varying widths.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - Peter Tremblay - 02-26-2019
(02-25-2019, 01:37 PM)Wild Turkey Wrote: I face jointed 100' of 6" maple this morning and it seemed the boards were a little hard to push.
I haven't put that much lumber across the head since it's replacement.
If it warms up this afternoon I'll wax the bed and tighten the belt on the jointer (8" Delta) and see if that helps.
But I'm wondering how to know when it is time to rotate the inserts?
I'm not speaking from experience on my own equipment but rather other folks equipment.
I'd rotate when you start to see nicks in the blades. This will show up as a line or irregularity in the wood surface.
If you don't have a degradation of the quality of the wood surface I wouldn't rotate the inserts.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - KyleD - 02-27-2019
You need about a ten power jewels loop. Look at the inserts one at a time. Use a good light. There should be a clean line where one face meets the other to form the cutting edge. Look at a new insert edge to compare this. More likely than being dull you will find some chipped inserts. Rotate those to a new edge. I have used a helix head in a dj 20 delta jointer for about eight years and have never rotated the inserts all at once. They take a very long time to dull but chip easily. I estimate i have about half my edges left to use. I use it for pallet wood on occasion and this can be hard on the inserts; they get chipped by dirt.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - Arlin Eastman - 02-27-2019
(02-25-2019, 01:37 PM)Wild Turkey Wrote: I face jointed 100' of 6" maple this morning and it seemed the boards were a little hard to push.
I haven't put that much lumber across the head since it's replacement.
If it warms up this afternoon I'll wax the bed and tighten the belt on the jointer (8" Delta) and see if that helps.
But I'm wondering how to know when it is time to rotate the inserts?
1. First I would check the speed it is set at to feed. Then check the rollers that hold the wood down.
2. I have used my Grizzly 15" planer for 9 years now and never hit a nail or screw or other metal to get a chip out of the insert. If you see it skipping, or leaving a track it is ready to move it to another side.
3. Tighten the belt like you said would help if it is slipping and not feeding fast along with #1 I said. Check to see if you have any grease ports to lube.
Good luck and congrats on all of that maple which anyone would love to have. Can not wait to see what you are making from it.
RE: How to tell when you need to rotate Shelix inserts? - Wild Turkey - 02-27-2019
(02-27-2019, 05:32 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: Good luck and congrats on all of that maple which anyone would love to have. Can not wait to see what you are making from it.
I'm making shop shelves with it -- it's ugly and full of worm holes so I got it cheap and it will make some nice shelves
