planer blade replacement for portable ss planer

[woodmeister]

wondering how hard it is to pull the cylinder out of planer to replace the blades. Don't care for the metal one they use and I have the magnetic twin blade setters but not much room when setting them onto cylinder. Thinking is cylinder comes out it would be a more accurate way of setting them. Any input from anyone?
Tom

[Mike907]

Shopsmith must think so, too:

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... head-1.jpg

It makes me think about handling three twelve inch weighted razor blades at one time.

Mike

[jsburger]

Shopsmith must think so, too:

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... head-1.jpg

It makes me think about handling three twelve inch weighted razor blades at one time.

Mike

Since that is a stock photo from the SS factory service page I am not sure they would recommend it for the consumer. That page specifically mentions planer cutter head tune up. Presumably when they do that factory service they do remove the cutter head to perform their tune up.

I have used the setting tool that comes with the planer many times on a number of different planers and have never had a problem. I am sure removing the cutter head is not all that hard but I think it would be much more time consuming to do it that way. IMO there is no need to remove it since the supplied setting tool works just fine. Many people here have expressed dismay about the blade jig but I do not know why. It has always worked just fine for me. My guess is that to some it is too low tech to work but it does work just fine.

The same can be said for setting the jointer blades. The SS method is very low tech but works just fine. I use the SS jointer blade setting procedure on my 6" Powermatic jointer with perfect results. I also use the SS planer/jointer blade sharpening jig to sharpen the Powermatic blades.

[woodmeister]

I have been successful using the magnetic (2) gages but for some reason I still get wavy cuts from time to time. Not much room to set the blades with them and the metal strip they give us looks to low tech as it looks like it can be a lot a of area to set them too. Must put a mark or something on it to use same spot each time?

[jsburger]

I have been successful using the magnetic (2) gages but for some reason I still get wavy cuts from time to time. Not much room to set the blades with them and the metal strip they give us looks to low tech as it looks like it can be a lot a of area to set them too. Must put a mark or something on it to use same spot each time?

You get wavy cuts because the blades are not all set to the same height. That tells me your magnetic gauges are not working. Remember there are leveling screws under the SS blades to set the height. If you only use your magnetic gauges to pull the blades up and then tighten the blade wedges they will have a tendency to move down. With the SS gauge you use the leveling screws to raise the blade to the proper position and when the wedge is locked the blade will not move. As I said, I have done this many times with the SS gauge and never had a problem. The first time, no fooling around.

If you read the instructions for the gauge it tells you to do exactly that before you use it. It gives you a dimension where to make the scribe line. Maybe that is why some people don't understand the gauge and how well it works. The only thing I have ever wondered is why SS doesn't supply the gauge with the line already on it.

[JPG]

What I do not understand is why SS no longer makes the gauge with a radius(equal to the blade radius) so radial positioning becomes irrelevant.

Yes the straight edge is cheaper to make.

[woodmeister]

Today I used the magnetic gage set up and it turned out perfect!! Maybe before hand I was in to big of a hurry. Thanks for all the input. You guys are the best.
Tom