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Thread: Jointer knife choices

  1. #1

    Jointer knife choices

    Good morning everyone! It's been a while since I have been in the creek - I thought I'd get some opinions here. I need to get new knives for my new-to-me 12" jointer. It's a Chung Kung machine, works great! I ee that Byrd actually makes a head for it, cost is just shy of 1200. Grizzly has the old style posi-set dispoz-a-blade (esta) system on clearance for $90 or I can just get some knives for 50-60. Thoughts? I don't forsee getting a bigger jointer so I'll probably have this one to the end of my days (I'm 35 so hopefully a long time!).
    I do use reclaimed heart pine a good bit, and even checking with a metal detector I have and still might find a nail the hard way. I suppose in that event with the byrd I'll just have to locate and rotate a few cutters, with the esta just flip or replace a knife. Knives for the esta setup look to be about $50 for hss and $90 for kobalt give or take.

    Thanks guys!

  2. #2
    I've hit a nail last week with on my jointer with Byrd head. Much different than with knives. I think I'm concerned about shrapnel and I think its more likely to catch with a deep cut. Regardless, hitting a nail with them is different than a knife.

    Don't know what to tell you I think I would probably go with knives.

  3. #3
    Thanks Robert that's one thing I was afraid of since the Byrd gives you all carbide. On the dispoz-a-blade setup I can have hss and kobalt (I thought it was cobalt but they spell it with a k on the official website?) to change between

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,739
    I never seen a Chung King Jointer. But have noticed Chang Iron makes a heavy looking jointer there was one posted on Craigslist in my area. It didn’t last long.
    Whats a Chung king jointer look like
    Aj

  5. #5
    It's one of the many Taiwanese jointers, probably from the same plant as one of the big names.


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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Western PA
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    1,242
    That looks really similar to one of the Bridgewood models ive seen in the past. I hope you got that thing for a song, looks like its been treated like a rented mule its entire life. As an aside, wtf happens that infeed lips get chewed up like that? That has to make an alarming sound when the cutterhead contacts the jointer beds.

    If you run the risk of hitting metal more than the average joe, i probably wouldnt go with an insert head. By the time you realized you have hit a nail, you will have lost a few dozen inserts, i imagine. Not only that, you run the risk of them taking our their neighboring cutters, and next thing you know, you are replacing $70 worth of inserts vs $15 to sharpen the HSS knives. Dont get me wrong, i think insert heads are very economical over the course of 5-10 years, but not if you are hitting metal once a month.

  7. #7
    Haha Patrick that infeed is the reason I only paid $400 for it. Everything else is great, could use a good cleaning and some fresh paint though. I have the materials to machine a new aluminum infeed throat plate too I just haven't gotten to it yet. I think I'll just grab the dispoz-a-blade setup and have $500 total invested :-) thanks yall!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Alberta
    Posts
    2,162
    The beds on that machine look pretty good,the rest is just cosmetic. I have seen infeed lips bent like that on a jointer my friend had in his shop. One of his employees was wearing gloves and got the finger of a glove caught, lucky he did not lose a good portion of his hand,it did bend the infeed fingers. Mike.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Western PA
    Posts
    1,242
    $400 is pretty close to a song. Im still curious how the cutterhead ever contacts the infeed table. Did a knife come loose? It just looks like some horrific accident occurred each time i see an infeed table like that.

  10. #10
    No clue Patrick, it was in a commercial cabinet shop, I'd guess it was something more like Mike detailed - a glove, knot, who knows what got pulled in. They are replaceable plates on either side, fortunately.

  11. #11
    Update - I ordered the dispoz-a-blade setups from grizzly, fingers crossed they work in my cutterheads then I'll just order some spare knives from dispoz-a-blade. I'll update once I get them installed. I can't wait to try the planer with both heads running :-)

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