Tooling at WOODWEB's Knowledge Base

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Rounding Over Corners on Blocks (Mass Production)

Woodworkers brainstorm in search of a high-volume, high-accuracy production method for a repetitive task of rounding over corners on small hardwood blocks. September 15, 2011

Cloth Versus Paper Sanding Belts

Cloth belts are washable and last longer, but may mark the wood more than paper belts. Here's a detailed look at all the pros and cons. January 12, 2015

Brush Backed Flap Sanding Wheels

A simple question about where to buy a replacement sanding wheel prompts an information-filled thread about brush and flap sanding technology. August 29, 2014

Shaper Cutter Choices, Alignment, and Balancing

In this interesting thread, a question about good cutterhead choices for occasional use in hardwood evolves into a conversation about setting up and balancing the shaper. August 19, 2013

Horsepower Issues with Helical Cutterheads

If you switch to spiral knives and you want to keep hogging out deep cuts, you may need to upgrade to a more powerful motor. July 8, 2014

Purchasing a Helical Planer

Extended discussion of the fine points of various new and used planer options. August 21, 2006

Choosing Flap Sanding Wheels

Advice on selecting sanding heads for profile sanders, and some thoughts on the best use of the machine.June 30, 2014

Antique, unsafe shaper knives

Safety and operational issues regarding shaper heads. April 4, 2001

Spiral Heads on Old Equipment

Re-tooling an old, heavy piece of iron with a new helical cutterhead can be the ideal value solution for some shops. August 18, 2009

Flattening boards with a planer

Methods for planing warped wood flat. September 25, 2002

Dado Tooling for a Sliding Table Saw

Advice on choosing and setting up dado blades for a sliding table saw. January 9, 2015

Scalloping Marks Left by a Helical Jointer Head

Helical heads reduce tearout, but leave a scalloped surface that some find objectionable. Here's a long and detailed discussion. April 10, 2008

Problem with Insert Tooling Teeth Breaking

A shop owner tries to figure out why teeth in his helical insert planer heads keep breaking (which leads to further problems and headaches). October 19, 2013

Increasing production flow

Presenting to a boss the numbers that prove production flow could be improved. (Business Forum) May 17, 2003

Interior Door Construction Questions

Here's a long and detailed discussion of lumber choices and construction methods for thick custom interior doors. March 20, 2012

Pros and Cons of Helical Heads for Jointers

A long discussion of spiral cutterhead performance. May 16, 2014

MDF and Tooling

MDF dulls tooling quickly, so craftsmen tend to keep a set of cutterheads dedicated to MDF. March 28, 2015

Cutterhead balance

Solving the problem of a vibrating planer/moulder. January 16, 2002

Troubleshooting Moulder Tear-Out

Tweaks to the knives, the feed rate, the drive belt set-up, or the bed board may help eliminate moulder chatter and tear-out. August 29, 2005

Machining raised panels

Addressing workpiece movement and tear-out problems. April 9, 2003

Troubleshooting Moulder Head Vibration

Many things could potentially throw a moulder head out of balance. Here, pros discuss the possible causes of excessive vibration. August 23, 2005

Slot Mortising Machine Tips and Tricks

Advice on bit choice and other operating tips for a slot mortiser. January 25, 2010

Rx for Wood Machining Defects

Dr. Gene Wengert examines the causes for defects in solid lumber caused by machining. 1998.

Does Helical Insert Tooling Create Glue-Ready Edges?

A shop owner asks about helical insert jointer knives for edge jointing, and sets off a long and informative discussion about the comparison between high speed steel, carbide knives, and insert cutterheads. April 18, 2015

Increasing Shaper RPM for Use With Router Bits

A discussion of modifying a shaper to work effectively with router bits, versus shop-rigging a router table or integrating a router into a re-purposed shaper bed. February 14, 2010

Better moulder finish quality

Eliminating snipe on mouldings. August 13, 2002

Feed rates and spindle speeds

Programming CNC machines at the proper feed rates. August 13, 2002

Troubleshooting Planer Performance with a New Helical Head

After you install a new helical insert cutterhead, you typically need to make other adjustments to the machinery before it will run properly. February 15, 2015

Troubleshooting problems when moulding MDF

A detailed discussion of challenges in getting a smooth finish when putting profiles on MDF material. February 13, 2001

Spiral Cutterhead Experiences

Woodworkers discuss the cut quality and performance they've achieved by switching to spiral insert planer tooling. March 26, 2009

Tooling for Teak

Teak is hard and abrasive, and takes its toll on knives and blades. This long, informative thread delves into the heavy-duty tooling choices for handling extra-hard woods, and also touches on useful techniques for working with teak. December 1, 2005

Chip Removal and Planer Finish Defects

A classic defect with a well-known cause: chips recirculating around the cutter head and being pounded into the wood. But how to fix it? May 15, 2012

Chip Dents, Cutter Choices, and Dust Extraction

Dents made by chips being pressed into the wood by the planer or jointer knives are a common problem. Here's a thorough discussion of causes and remedies.April 15, 2013

Multiple Dowel Moulders

Dedicated machinery to make more than one dowel at a time is an unusual application. Here's a detailed thread on the ins and outs of it. July 3, 2008

Tooling for a Five-Head Moulder

Advice on spiral cutterheads for quick, clean production of S4S stock. August 31, 2009

Sharpness of High Speed Steel Versus Carbide Tooling

Here's a long, technically detailed, and authoritative thread that explains why high speed steel can be sharpened to a finer edge than carbide, but will lose that edge quickly in hard or abrasive materials. (And more.) February 22, 2011

Shop-Built Beaded Face Frame Notching Machine

A Woodweb member displays the machine he invented and built to automate the notch cuts for beaded face-frame joinery. June 15, 2009

Choosing a Moulder and Shaper Knife Grinder

Advice on how to get into knife grinding for your own shop. August 31, 2010

Saws and Techniques For Cutting Moulder Knife Steel

Advice on choosing and using equipment for cutting off moulder and planer knife blanks. October 1, 2010

Troubleshooting Cut Quality on Door Profiles

A cabinetmaker's knives are wearing out too quickly. The discussion leads into various aspects of door profile machining. September 17, 2008

Equipment for Cutting Knife Steel

Cutting with plasma versus grinding wheels. January 16, 2004

Shaper Cutter Choices

A small shop owner who has just purchased his first shaper gets advice on his cutterhead options. December 1, 2005

Tool Wear and Resawing Teak

Teak dulls blades and loads up sandpaper. Here's advice on the tooling required to process it. February 17, 2014

Insert Tooling Versus Knives

Machine owners weigh the pros and cons of standard planer knives compared to helical insert tooling. It gets complicated. October 27, 2013

Spiral cutters vs. knife cutters

Which type of cutters is best for this special application? July 24, 2001

Custom Cope and Stick Shaper Knives

A shaper owner considers cutter alternatives for making custom door parts. July 16, 2009

Dust Collection and Planer Noise

Airflow from a new dust collection made a planer noisier, but switching to helical insert tooling made it quieter again. January 12, 2015

Troubleshooting Jointer Chatter

A chatter problem in a new jointer sets off a discussion of knife types and maintenance issues. December 26, 2006

Axial Constant Grinding: Is It Worth It?

A discussion on the costs and benefits of switching to an axial constant system on moulder and shaper knives. August 18, 2009

Profile Grinding Bent Wood

The developer of an innovative method for extreme-bending hardwood explores options for profiling his bent pieces using abrasive wheels. March 12, 2014

Tooling Up with Your First Moulder

A woodworker gets advice on accessories to go along with his first moulder purchase. October 4, 2007

Compression and Chatter

Pros discuss the meaning and causes of "compression" and "chatter" in moulder operation. October 4, 2005

Choosing a moulder

Jointed- vs. non-jointed-head moulders; choosing the right machine for a custom moulding business. November 21, 2000

Measuring Router Bit Diameter

Advice on how to verify whether tooling diameter is correct within proper tolerances. January 12, 2015

Tool Diameter Measurement Precision

What tolerances are involved in mating a shaft to a cutting tool? January 12, 2015

Keeping cutterhead balance

Number of knives and other factors in cutterhead balance. (From WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum) March 5, 2003

Creating templates for moulder knives

Thoughts on producing templates for cutting moulder knives. June 14, 2000

Jointed Moulders Explained

Here's the rundown on what makes a jointed moulder different from a regular moulder, how it works, and what it's good for. October 4, 2007

Moulding Cutters for a Shaper

A newcomer seeks advice on tooling up to make mouldings on a shaper. In a long discussion, pros explain some of the options. August 31, 2005

Stepping Up to a Shaper

After burning out yet another router, a one-man cabinet shop owner gets advice on investing in a shaper and some raised-panel cutters. July 3, 2008

Tooling a Moulder for Kerfing Jamb Stock

Can a saw blade or dado blade be adapted for use on a moulder to cut 1/8-inch kerfs? August 18, 2009

Specialty Planer Heads

Pros discuss the options and their preferences. April 10, 2005

Home-built band blade sharpener

Plans and pictures. February 18, 2003

Proper Grinding and Maintenance -- Will Increase Moulder Tool Life

Good grinding and maintenance help increase moulder life. February 23, 2001

Replaceable Cutterheads Versus Re-Sharpening

A quick discussion on the pros and cons of resharpening your own tooling on the planer. April 18, 2015

Climb Cutting on a Moulder

Molding manufacturers discuss the potentially dangerous but sometimes necessary practice of climb cutting. January 22, 2006

How to make a tenon

Accurately sized tenons without a tenoner. September 25, 2002

Changing Heads on an Eighteen-Inch Planer

A woodworker who is swapping out straight knives for an S-helix head for his new Powermatic planer gets advice on the task.October 19, 2013

Rapid Dulling in Planer Knives: What's Wrong?

Trying to figure out why knives go dull so fast in a planing operation that handles both reclaimed and freshly sawn lumber. January 14, 2008

Comparing Insert Cutterheads

Do the differences in cutting tooth alignment between different brands of insert cutterhead matter? January 8, 2010

Running Tight Radius Trim on a Moulder

Short-radius curved mouldings are tricky to run on a moulder (a CNC or lathe works better). It can be done, though — here are photos and advice. May 17, 2011

Tooling Up to Run Mouldings

Pros give advice on how to choose and use equipment for producing mouldings.

Cutterhead Options for a Five-Head Moulder

Shop owners who machine S4S mouldings discuss the relative merits of carbide versus high-speed steel knives, and 2-sided versus insert cutter heads. September 15, 2006

Single Knife and Counterweight Setup on a Moulder

Using just one knife rarely gives the best results. November 19, 2006

Suitable Bits for Cutting Thick Solid Hardwood

High speed steel (HSS) outperforms carbide in solid wood because of heat issues. But HSS is getting hard to find. How about a carbide spiral fluted hogger instead? January 3, 2012

Rigging a Lathe and Router for Cutoff Operations

Woodworkers discuss a novel arrangement of lathe, router, and saw blade for an unusual machining and cutting situation. November 3, 2010

Increasing moulder knife life

Increasing length of runs between sharpenings. March 21, 2002

Saw Blades for Hardwood

Tips on choosing a saw blade that's appropriate for the machine and purpose. January 3, 2014

Custom pressure shoes for moulders

A discussion of home-made and custom-ordered pressure shoes for special profiles. August 12, 2001

Router Bits for Raised Panels

Horizontal versus vertical bits for cutting raised panels. January 28, 2004

Choosing and Setting Up Insert Cutters for a Shaper

A woodshop owner gets advice on how to make insert tooling work properly with his equipment. July 11, 2007

Hook Angles for Hardwood and Softwood

Moulder pros discuss the reasons to prefer a 12° or a 20° hook angle in different situations, for minimizing tearout, getting a good finish, and maximizing tool life. May 28, 2008

Tooling Considerations with a Moulder Upgrade

Shop owners and experts discuss the tooling costs and choices relating to a new moulder purchase. June 23, 2006

Feed speed and knife life

How the former affects the latter. January 15, 2003

Custom Cope and Stick Cutters

What's the most economical way for a small shop to get custom cutters for special profiles? July 14, 2010

Spiral Insert Cutter Finish Quality

Spiral insert cutter heads may leave faint lines on planed wood. October 2, 2005

Machining crown moulding

What's the best way to run crown moulding? May 2, 2001

Brett Wood Species that Require Carbide Tooling

Some wood species will destroy high-speed steel tooling. Here's a partial list. March 16, 2015

Safety and climb cutting

Safety issues involved in climb cutting with a shaper. January 21, 2003

Good Results with a New Helical Cutterhead

A woodworker praises his new helical planer head. July 29, 2011

Knife Steel 101

Here's a nice rundown of the various materials used to make cutter knives, along with some lively discussion. November 27, 2007

Buying a Used Shaper

A shop owner considers a second-hand shaper with a one-inch spindle, and hears advice from colleagues. May 28, 2006

Getting Started with Finger-Jointing

Advice on tooling up to finger-joint moulding stock on an occasional basis. April 2, 2013

M42 high speed steel

Information on M42 and jointer knives. April 2, 2002

To Nest or not to Nest?

A spirited discussion on which is more productive: nest-cutting parts with a CNC router, or using a beam saw and point-to-point machining center. June 30, 2005

Shaper Spindle Replacements in Different Diameters

Customizing the spindle on your shaper could be a good investment. April 15, 2012

Cutting M2 Knife Steel

Is burning the steel while cutting a concern? January 16, 2004

Making Templates from Existing Mouldings

Moulding shop pros discuss how to scan and import profiles of existing mouldings in order to make exact drawings or manufacture new knives. November 10, 2006

Regrinding Corrugated Knives

Is it worth it to try re-grinding an odd-lot batch of old knives to new, useful profiles? Or alternatively, is there a used-tool market for them? July 25, 2010

Hardened or Coated-Steel Knife Material

Use and value considerations of plasma-coated or hardened cutters. August 30, 2007

Helical Cutterheads and Clean Gluelines

Will a helical cutterhead leave little lines that may compromise glue joints? Professionals discuss finish quality, sharpening, and setting. March 26, 2007

Helical cutterheads

Surface quality compared to other cutterheads. November 18, 2002

Tooling Life: Assessing Cutterheads for Replacement

Straight-bore cutterheads can last a long time, under ideal service conditions. But here's what to look for if you're wondering whether it's time to replace one. April 21, 2011

Machine Design For Complex Carving

It's hard to do, and might not pay off. April 10, 2005

Raised Panel Bits for Routers

Shapers are more powerful, but vertical raised panel bits put door panels within the reach of a good router. April 30, 2009

Teak and Tool Wear

Teak contains silica sand, and it quickly wears down cutting edges on every kind of tool. October 27, 2011

High-Speed Router End Mills for Mortising

Thoughts on end mill bits for high-speed mortise cutting. January 11, 2007

Using jointing attachment on moulder

Proper methods for jointing knives on a moulder, and myths concerning their sharpening. February 28, 2001

Rounding Board Ends for Pallet Production

Equipment and methods for high-volume rounding work. May 4, 2005

Tooling Up for Door Production

A discussion of the ideal machinery setup for efficient production of cabinet doors on a regular basis. February 26, 2007

Causes of Grain Ridging in Moulder Finish

This thread includes a nice concise summary of issues that cause finish defects in mouldings. August 21, 2012

Setting Up Three-Phase Power

Owners share advice on ways to upgrade the shop's power supply. June 12, 2005

Getting Your Waterstone Back in Shape

If your waterstone isn’t flat, it can’t deliver a proper edge to your tools. Here's how to fix that. December 18, 2013

Zero Clearance Table Saw Inserts

Buy 'em, or make your own? June 28, 2005

Custom Door Profile: Custom Cutter Versus CNC Solution

While searching for a particular profile cutterhead for his shaper, a cabinetmaker learns about a possible way to get what he needs from a CNC-equipped shop. April 29, 2013

Upcut, Downcut Or Compression Tools

Which is better? It depends on the use (and your technique). April 10, 2005

Architectural mouldings on CNC routers

A discussion of the ins and outs of producing architectural mouldings on CNC routers. June 14, 2000

A Small Power Feeder for a Router?

It can improve control and precision, especially for climb-cutting. February 25, 2005

Machinery to Replicate the Look of "Scrub Planing"

Suggestions on ways to get the scalloped-surface look of an old-style scrub plane, using power equipment. January 8, 2010

Setting Up for Finger Jointing and End Gluing

Practical advice on tooling up to make long boards out of shorter lengths using a finger-jointed glued end joint.May 15, 2012

Troubleshooting Tearout With Maple Flooring

Check sharpening, settings, feed rates, and more. April 10, 2005

Blade sharpeners for band mills

Experiences with different brands of blade sharpeners are shared. January 3, 2001

Keeping sawblades cool

What to use and how to do it safely. October 24, 2001

Cutter Profiles for Tongue-and-Groove Flooring

Tips on the fine points of profiling tongue-and-groove floorboards. September 10, 2007

Tooling for Cope-and-Stick Doors

Pros describe machinery and cutterheads for coped mortise and tenon door part machining. August 23, 2005

Understanding Carbide Planer Knives

A question about planer knives that can hold an edge with exotic hardwoods leads to a detailed explanation about quality grades in the carbide knife market. June 9, 2007

Planer is tearing-out -- on white oak, but not red

What could be the culprit when a planer is tearing out on one type of oak, but not another? June 14, 2000

Pros and Cons of Insert Tooling

Woodworker considering insert cutters for making raised-panel door parts gets advice about his options. June 30, 2007

Diamond Saw Blade

It costs more, but rarely needs sharpening. Is it worth it? April 10, 2005

Carbide Tipped Versus Solid Carbide Knives

The comparison between high-speed-steel, carbide-tipped, and solid-carbide knives depends in part on what material you're machining. August 12, 2007

Bandsaw Blades and Cut Quality

Blade characteristics go a long way toward explaining the smoothness of bandsaw cuts. December 1, 2005

Loosening Seized-Up Machinery

It ain't no use if you ain't got the juice. April 21, 2011

Keeping the Knife Collection Organized

A place for every cutter, and every cutter in its place — but how? Pros suggest ways to categorize and file cutter heads. March 3, 2006

Shaper Setups for Raised Panels

Tips on knife and fence setups for making raised panels on a shaper. April 24, 2006

Measuring Hook Angle on Moulder Heads

Here's a primer on how to measure the hook angle on a moulder head. September 28, 2006

M42 HSS Inlay Knife Steel

An explanation of what M42 steel is, and a discussion of its properties. August 30, 2007

Balancing Drill-Holes on Tooling

Cutterheads may be balanced at the factory by drilling small holes to remove weight. But that won't salvage a poor-quality cutter. September 10, 2007

Gang Ripping on a Moulder

Tips for making short work of multiple rips. February 27, 2005

Spiral planer heads

Descriptions, pros and cons of different kinds of planer heads, with an emphasis on the spiral type. June 13, 2001

Machining Jatoba

Like other tropical hardwoods, jatoba is high in silicates and wears out knives quickly. Here is some advice on tooling and other aspects of working with jatoba. November 18, 2006

Storing Moulder Knives

Shop owners trade ideas for keeping track of all those moulder knives. December 26, 2006

Producing Wide, Thick Veneer

Pros share ideas for making maple and birch veneer at 2-foot width and 1/8-inch thickness. April 14, 2005

Chip-out from a year-old moulder

The moulder had worked perfectly for a year when all of a sudden, chip-out reared its ugly face. June 14, 2000

12-Degree Versus 20-Degree Cutterheads for Poplar

A discussion of whether to use 20° or 12° cutterhead angles for machining Poplar. January 25, 2010

Rip saw and moulder methods

Using a ripsaw and moulder to machine solid wood panels. July 24, 2001

Saw Blade Rake: Negative or Positive?

The rake on a saw blade's teeth affects the tendency of wood to move during cutting. Rake angle should be different for blades used on different types of saws. October 1, 2010

Tooling for Double End Tenoner

Cutterheads from some other equipment can be used with a double end tenoner. December 11, 2006

Multi-Profile Knives and Heads

Shop owner gets advice on finding appropriate cutter heads for a set of nice knives (manufacturer unknown). Included are some set-up tips. July 13, 2005

Dealing with Planer Tear-Out

Craftsmen discuss tooling and operator techniques for minimizing tear-out from planing lumber. November 12, 2005

Jointing knives of a side-head planer

Choosing and using the proper stone when jointing knives used in a side-head planer. November 7, 2000

Resawing Reclaimed Heart Pine Timbers

February 27, 2005

Router Bits 101

Notes on router bit specs and characteristics. January 7, 2007

Cutter Choices

Carbide cutters, insert knives, or high speed steel? Pros weigh in on the options. August 31, 2005

Moulding maple versus oak

Why such problematic tearout on one and not the other? September 23, 2003

Tear-out on raised panel corners

Eliminating corner tear-out on raised panel cabinet doors when using CNC equipment. November 7, 2000

Router Arbor to Accept Shaper Cutters?

To solve a one-time problem, a woodworker looks for a way to mount a shaper cutter on a router. February 14, 2010

Choosing shaper tooling

Making the most of a new spindle shaper. Includes advice on grinding knives. November 7, 2000

Tooling for Laminated Flooring

Machining a clean profile on the plywood core of engineered flooring pieces is tricky. June 8, 2008

Stile and Rail Shaper Cutter Options

A discussion of the pros and cons of reversible cutters, insert cutters, and more. October 30, 2005

Raised Panel Cutter Options

Shop owners compare the advantages of insert and tipped tooling for machining raised panel doors. October 20, 2005

Planer Choice: 3 or 4 Knife Cutterheads?

According to these pros, buying the 4-knife model and running it with just 2 knives makes sense. December 15, 2005

Shaper cutters: Tantung or carbide?

Choosing between carbide tipped and tantung shaper cutters. July 3, 2001

Carbide Versus HSS Tooling

Basic info on the differences between carbide and high speed steel cutterhead knives. August 15, 2011

Planer vs. spiral insert heads -- for planers

Which provides the best finish--a planer type or a spiral insert knife head? January 16, 2001

Number of Knives and Planing Quality

More knives is not always better, and RPMs also play a role. Here are tips on obtaining good cut quality at various feed rates and RPM settings. May 28, 2006

Window Sash Shaper Cutters for Outswing Casement Windows

Outswing windows are a challenge for toolmakers and woodworkers. Here is some info. January 2, 2012

Smooth-back moulding head set-up

Ideas for setting up an older, smooth-back type moulding head. June 14, 2000

Using Router Bits with a Shaper

The proper spindles sizes are hard to find, and there's also debate about whether a shaper spins too slowly for router bits. Still, here is some practical advice. January 2, 2012

Insert Cutterheads for Finish Planing

Despite their advantages, spiral insert cutters may not be suitable for finish planing for glue-ups, according to some users. November 13, 2005

Portable Bandsaw

Pros discuss options for detail cuts on heavy timbers. May 4, 2005

Grizzly 20-inch planer

Users discuss the pros and cons of Grizzly's 20-inch planer

Breaking router bits

Why are bits breaking while cutting exterior-grade MDF? November 26, 2001

Grinding custom shaper knives

Does it make sense to grind your own shaper knives? June 6, 2001

Tooth setter

Photos and descriptions of home-built tooth setters for band blades. March 5, 2003

Grinding knives to match mouldings

Why knife templates don't match the finished product. January 24, 2001

Jointing moulder knives

How to get good results when jointing straight knives. January 31, 2001

Spiral Head Wobble

Could be an adjustment problem, or maybe the heads are just too heavy for the machine to handle. January 27, 2008

Fuzz and Tearout with Soft Maple

What's causing machining problems with soft maple? Could be the hook setting, the knife angle, or just too high a moisture content. July 13, 2005

Bit Choices for a Slot Mortiser

Woodworkers discuss mortiser tooling. May 21, 2009

Fit Problems with Re-Sharpened Cope-and-Stick Cutters

It's hard to sharpen matching cutters so that they still mill matching surfaces. Insert tooling is the answer. January 8, 2007

Bit Choice for Drilling 2-Inch Holes in White Oak

This much drilling in hard wood is a torture test for any bit. What's the best bit for the job? August 8, 2010

Preventing kickback

Diagosing the causes of recurring kickback, and finding cures. 1998.

Thin Kerf Carbide Blade for Resawing

What's the lower limit to available resaw blade thickness? January 2, 2012

Insert Tooling and Cutterhead Balancing

Ways to balance your cutterhead when you don't need all four knives. September 17, 2008

HSS vs. carbide jointer knives

Pros and cons of both types of blades. October 24, 2001

Tooling for Radiused Corners on S4S Lumber

The right cutterheads can make producing eased-edge, surfaced-four-sides lumber a one-pass operation. June 9, 2007

Straight Knives Versus Spiral Knives in a Planer

Pros and cons of helical and straight planer knives, and some tips on quality control. February 27, 2007

Machining a Chamfer in Aluminum Plate

Carbide bits designed for wood will work acceptably well in soft non-ferrous metals. August 15, 2011

Getting clean cuts on dimensioned parts

Tips to reduce chips and tear-out when shaping dimensioned parts. June 14, 2000

Why Planer and Jointer Knives can Lose Their Straightness

Repeated sharpenings can create stress-relief curves in cutter knives. February 19, 2006

Single-Blade Moulder

Advice on running a moulder with just one knife, for the sake of economy on short custom runs. February 12, 2009

Elliptical Jig Q&A

Before buying, a shop owner gets info on how the device actually works. July 14, 2005

Black streaks in birch

Searching for clues to the cause of black streaks, showing up in birch dowels during manufacturing. 1998.

Corrugated Knife Stock for Shapers and Moulders

Corrugated steel knives can be swapped between a moulder and a shaper. October 2, 2007

Upgrading from a 3/4" to a 1-1/4" Shaper Spindle

A shop owner is considering whether he can put a larger spindle on his 3-HP shaper and run larger cutters. But in the opinion of colleagues, he needs a heavier-duty machine. December 15, 2005

A rubberwood primer

Rubberwood's machinability and comparability to teak. January 31, 2001

Choosing Dado and Groover Blades

The voice of experience on different cutter brands. June 18, 2005

Are Cryogenic Tool Treatments for Real?

Ultra-cold treatments make claims for improving tool hardness and increasing life, but this thread provides no testimonials. December 1, 2005

Diamond Versus Carbide Bit Life

More opinions on how long a cutter bit should last. July 4, 2005

Blade hammering

What is the purpose of hammering a blade for a circular mill? June 5, 2001

Planer Chipping, Flaking, Tearout

Possible causes - and solutions - for a poor surfacing result with ash. February 27, 2005

Running a Moulder with One Sharp Knife and a Balancer

One knife on a moulder head can do all the cutting, but it's a tricky arrangement to set up right. November 12, 2008

Holding Down The Spoilboard With Nylon Screws

Drill and countersink the screw holes. April 10, 2005

Full-bodied router bits

Advantanges and disadvantages of the full-body design. February 12, 2001

What Is Chip Load?

Average chip thickness vs. knife progression. December 26, 2004

Milling Moulding from Exotic Hardwoods

Carbide tooling helps when tackling these very hard wood species. May 13, 2005

Cutters for Machining Cellular PVC

Plastic trim material mills well with ordinary tooling. May 5, 2007

Can I Run Corrugated Knives in a Flat-Knife Moulder Head?

Don't run moulders using knives that aren't designed for that moulder. It's unsafe. February 27, 2007

Tooling tips for African wawa

More important than knife angles to obtaining a smooth machined finish is feed speed. 1998.

Spiral Versus Helical Jointer Heads

What's the difference, and why does it matter? Pros explain. February 14, 2006

Delta 12.5-inch planer

Participants discuss the performance of the DeWalt 12.5-inch planer. April 9, 2000

Need advice on shaper head purchase

A comparison of different types of shaper heads. June 14, 2000

Shaping teak

The proper tooling, spindle rpm and feed rates for shaping teak. February 12, 2001

Making Square and Octagonal Handrail Caps

Is a CNC router or an old-school rotary lathe the best way to machine a profiled square cap for a newel post? February 27, 2015

Edge Sanding Curved Parts

Craftsmen discuss off-the-shelf and shop-invented solutions for smoothly sanding unique curved wood items. May 16, 2014

Are Small Moulders Practical for Small Runs?

Here's an extensive and informative run on the hows and whys of buying and using a small moulder to make short runs of custom profiles. October 19, 2013

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