changing planer cutter head

[mike johnston]

I need to change blades on my 15 inch powermatic, so have decided to go the shelix route. I'm sure someone here has done this, any tips would be welcome.

Thanks Mike

[Bernie Kopfer]

Google it on U Tube. I found one for changing out my 635 and after viewing it the job was easy.

[Alan Heffernan]

I recently upgraded my PM 8" jointer to a Byrd Shelix. Check out Oella Saw and Tool for prices and tips for your upgrade. They had what I needed in stock, shipped it quick, and it was packaged extremely well.

I did a quick seach for youtubes on retrofits for the 15" PM and found one for a Jet but none for 15" PM. Call Oella Saw and inquire. They may have some insights for you.

I have a PM 20" with the Byrd and it is fantastic. Good luck with your upgrade!

[Patrick Irish]

Gonna need some dial indicators on shop made blocks probably. I bought those silly magnetic one for a 16" old powermatic for change blades. Worthless. A dial indicator worked the best.

[Alan Heffernan]

Prtrick is correct. You will need some measuring equipment.

For example, this Oneway gauge is worth every nickel. I bought it to install the Byrd in the PM jointer and tune the jointer up. It has now been used on my planer and tablesaw.

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[Matt Day]

google is a lot faster than we are at replying. Tons of info out there, you just have to look.

[Alan Heffernan]

google is a lot faster than we are at replying. Tons of info out there, you just have to look.
Okay Matt, help us out. My search skills must be limited. Give us a youtube link for specifically upgrading a Powermatic 15" planer with Byrd Shelix since that is what the OP asked for.

[David Kumm]

Lamb Tool Works also makes a very nice dial base similar to Oneway but longer. Worth a look. Dave

[Alan Heffernan]

Lamb Tool Works also makes a very nice dial base similar to Oneway but longer. Worth a look. Dave

Thanks David for the tip on Lamb Tool. I took a look and thought I would post a photo of it here. This is a snippet off their website (http://www.lambtoolworks.com/home.html) including the price.

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It is a very nice looking holder. Notice it is sans indicator. So that is an additional cost. However, an indicator for this service need not be too expensive. It can be a 0.001" indicator but the travel needs to decent range. I would suggest 1".

I have also attached a photo from Lamb's website showing it being used with 123 Blocks to check spacing from table to a planer's cutter blade. This is an excellent image demonstraing an important step in aligning a new cutter head to the table. Either the Lamb Tool holder or the Oneway would be a big help on the alignment to table. Of course you would also need some 123 blocks (https://www.amazon.com/BL-123-Precision-Steel-1-2-3-Blocks/dp/B00092CJC6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526960644&sr=8-3&keywords=123+blocks).

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I think I prefer the cast iron Oneway. The Lamb Tool is anodized aluminum and therefore lighter plus much more prone to dings. Of course there is also a bit of a cost premium for the Lamb Tool but that isn't the showstopper from my viewpoint. It is the weight and durability.

One last point about the indicator itself. If you were to go with the Lamb Tool, make sure to get an indicator with a disc type tip on it like the one that comes with the Oneway. A ball tip is to worthless for setting knives and checking elevations of inserts. You need the broader contact surface as shown in this photo. Lamb's photos on their website could cause a big mistep on this point.

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[David Kumm]

I find that both types have their pros and cons. I like the Lamb for my large diameter cutters due to the length but would also prefer it to be heavier. I watch for a point set on ebay ( the type with many choices on a wheel ). When I set my 16" jointer, I use two. I like them for setting the sliding table height along with a Starrett Master machinist level to check that the fixed table is flat. Dave

[mike johnston]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and direction. Had searched youtube, and found nothing specific to a powermatic. I'm a farmer, surely with some baling wire and a pair of pliers I can make it work.

[John Lanciani]

Don't worry about what color it is in the video. JET, Powermatic (import, not old iron), Grizzly, ShopFox, etc. are all the same inside.

[Alan Heffernan]

Okay, here's the video on the Griz (https://youtu.be/vBwmzacZFSs). Taking John's statement that the Griz and PM are the same, then this should help.