Need help selecting cutter for T&G decking

[brent stanley]

I'd love to see how it turns out! Depending on the species it can be lively stuff, and some mill better than others but usually pretty good.

[Joe Calhoon]

Poplar should be fine for 2” T&G decking provided the material is dry and carefully S4S before milling.
Just be sure you don’t get the joint too tight.
We were in a race with weather when building my son’s Yurt and bought pine decking from the lumber yard. Totally junk and fought it all the way!

[brent stanley]

[QUOTE=Joe Calhoon;3167711]I usually run large quantities of T&G on the moulder and small quantities on the shaper. A lot of ways to achieve this on the shaper with prices for tooling ranging from low to high. A corrugated head with custom knives would be the least expensive. Myself I don’t like to run counter profile- profiles with corrugated. It’s a fussy setup with corrugated. You could get both cuts on the same head as Warren shows above. I think a corrugated head with limiters would be extra painful to set up.[QUOTE]

Hi Joe, not sure how other manufacturers do it, but Whitehill grinds knives and limiters bottom referenced so if you slide them down to rest on the reference screw, the knives and limiters are all set perfectly with each other. Actually faster and a bit easier than pin retained knives. Of course that doesn't work if the knives isn't placed on the bottom, though other tricks can be used.

[Warren Lake]

you ask them to reference the ends when you get them ground. Then just do a scrape test, if they are not referenced then just do a scrap test on some cutting area in the knife.

[Bob Falk]

Not sure if they carry as large a cutter as you need, but I have had good luck with Infinity Tools T&G cutters. I have been milling a large amount of VG doug fir into wall paneling and using a climb cut (with feeder) I get a beautiful finish without splintering (which fir tends to do).

[Joe Calhoon]

Hi Joe, not sure how other manufacturers do it, but Whitehill grinds knives and limiters bottom referenced so if you slide them down to rest on the reference screw, the knives and limiters are all set perfectly with each other. Actually faster and a bit easier than pin retained knives. Of course that doesn't work if the knives isn't placed on the bottom, though other tricks can be used.

Brent, that’s a nice feature on the Whitehill block. What I do is get my corrugated knives ground axial constant then just set the cutter on a steel plate and drop the knives in. Sometimes have to fiddle a bit to get the same depth on the corrugated ridges. If I think I might use the knife again I just make a mark where it seats then I can write down the shaper fence setting to make it quicker next time. For me I only use corrugated for one time custom cuts on the shaper or W&H, need the knives quickly in one or two days and would never considered ordering from overseas on this type work.

[brent stanley]

Hi Joe, not sure how other manufacturers do it, but Whitehill grinds knives and limiters bottom referenced so if you slide them down to rest on the reference screw, the knives and limiters are all set perfectly with each other. Actually faster and a bit easier than pin retained knives. Of course that doesn't work if the knives isn't placed on the bottom, though other tricks can be used.

Brent, that’s a nice feature on the Whitehill block. What I do is get my corrugated knives ground axial constant then just set the cutter on a steel plate and drop the knives in. Sometimes have to fiddle a bit to get the same depth on the corrugated ridges. If I think I might use the knife again I just make a mark where it seats then I can write down the shaper fence setting to make it quicker next time. For me I only use corrugated for one time custom cuts on the shaper or W&H, need the knives quickly in one or two days and would never considered ordering from overseas on this type work.

The table rings on my machines still dial in really well so I used to set the block on the machine and use the table to set knives, if bottom referenced. Now I have a flat plate for the job and is a little easier to do outside of the machine.

Serrated is way more common on this side of the pond so I have people buy these blocks for that reason. Easy to get a local shop to grind, and then use Whitehill when they want limiters too. That said I have a number of folks who are booking so far out now with the amount of work they have, they don't care about waiting 2 to 3 more days for knives from overseas.....they still arrive before they can even think about using them! I have a customer sitting on $2500 in Whitehill serrated knives for is moulder, waiting for another supplier to provide upgraded hydolock heads for his machine. Lots of people working at capacity.