SCMI s520 manual/Tersa blades?

[Kevin Jenness]

I used to operate a Tersa jointer with M42 steel. My observation was that the HSS straight knives from Wisconsin Knife Works (not sure of the exact alloy) in our other jointer were more wear resistant than the Tersa. The steel Tersa knives gave a wonderful finish when new and definitely were a cost advantage over straight knives due to less labor and no disincentive to stop work to change out the knives. I could never convince management to spring for carbide but I believe they would be a better value once you get over crying at the initial cost. Larry's and Joe's experience is telling.

[Joe Calhoon]

Kevin, I think the M42 is ok for clear softwoods but most custom shops run a wide variety of hardwoods and softwoods. Myself a lot of knotty white oak and sometimes recycled oak from old barn timbers. That’s what got me started on the carbide and coated knives. Early on with Tersa we ran a lot of alder that is abrasive planed. That stuff wipes out the M42 quickly.

[Mark Hennebury]

Best finish that I ever got was from a brazed carbide tipped router bit. Made by Kanefusa, micro-grain carbide and a true mirror finish, just blew me away! that was decades ago. The only problem was I couldn't find anyone to sharpen it. carbide can be supersharp.

[Warren Lake]

BC saw in Toronto told me about Kanafusa stuff they sold a few times, they loved it. Andrew here past had a number of their blades and said best he had used. bought a lot of CRO-285 bits n the past from onsrud. They didnt make them and have to wonder if Kanafusa maybe made them for them under their name. Very sharp solid spiral bits.

[Larry Edgerton]

BC saw in Toronto told me about Kanafusa stuff they sold a few times, they loved it. Andrew here past had a number of their blades and said best he had used. bought a lot of CRO-285 bits n the past from onsrud. They didnt make them and have to wonder if Kanafusa maybe made them for them under their name. Very sharp solid spiral bits.

When Onsrud was dumping all their stock a few years ago I bought a ton of it. Still have a few blades and spiral bits left. A lot of it said it was made by Leitz. Nice stuff.

[David Zaret]

i run tersas on my SCM planer, and martin jointer. HSS on the jointer, and carbide on the planer. in my view, nothing cuts better than fresh, sharp HSS tersa knives, but they dull rather quickly. the carbides aren't as sharp, but as was stated, still provide a good cut quality, and go forever. they are sharpened by Kyocera USA, which happens to be down the street from me here in SE MI.

[Warren Lake]

I dont think anything is sharper than honed high speed steel. Its dangerous almost to set up honed knives.

I think the Onsrud guy I spoke to said they dont make the bits and they could not make them as sharp themselves. I have tons of them here, they can be sharpened but likely never as they arrived. David are they sharpening those insert knives for the tersa the high speed steel and the carbide or? just one sharpening?

[David Zaret]

I dont think anything is sharper than honed high speed steel. Its dangerous almost to set up honed knives.

I think the Onsrud guy I spoke to said they dont make the bits and they could not make them as sharp themselves. I have tons of them here, they can be sharpened but likely never as they arrived. David are they sharpening those insert knives for the tersa the high speed steel and the carbide or? just one sharpening?

i've sharpened my carbide tersas three times. probably unnecessarily. they are "dull" now and cutting great.

[Warren Lake]

thanks David, do you mean you sent them in to be sharpened three times that per edge? or do you hone them yourself.

[David Zaret]

thanks David, do you mean you sent them in to be sharpened three times that per edge? or do you hone them yourself.

i "send them in" which in my case means driving them to kyocera, walking in the front door, and shaking the hand of the guy who does the sharpening.

[Larry Edgerton]

i "send them in" which in my case means driving them to kyocera, walking in the front door, and shaking the hand of the guy who does the sharpening.

I have 14 520's that need sharpening. I wanted to wait until I had a few so they could all be ground the same, then I only have to adjust my readout once. Last I looked it was about $30 a knife, sound about right?

[Warren Lake]

I sometimes think of when I started they used grind the knives hollow ground. At some point it became flat grind and all just about seemed to change at the same time. I liked hollow grind better as I hone knives. I still do but difference is a secondary bevel with the flat grind. i see the value in the carbide even if not needed so far, liken it to the hand power planer first makita I got was high speed steel and changed it out the insert. A bit of a different tool and for rougher work when ive used it more construction stuff than cabinet.

[David Zaret]

I have 14 520's that need sharpening. I wanted to wait until I had a few so they could all be ground the same, then I only have to adjust my readout once. Last I looked it was about $30 a knife, sound about right?

it's been a while, but they were pretty expensive to sharpen. i have 610mm knives, and four of them were well over $100, if i'm not mistaken.