felder cutterblock

[clive griffiths]

I am looking to see if anyone has come across a shelix cutterblock fitted to a felder planer, as there is one on ebay at the moment.

Clive.

 

[Doug B]

I’ve had two Hammer machines with spiral blocks I imagine they are the same blocks in the Felder machines, they really are superior to standard blade blocks well worth the extra expense.

 

[Trevanion]

I am looking to see if anyone has come across a shelix cutterblock fitted to a felder planer, as there is one on ebay at the moment.

Clive.

That AD741 that's on eBay does seem to have a Shelix head fitted rather than Felder's own "SilentPower" spiral cutter block.

To be honest, it's more common to find newer Felder gear with the spiral heads fitted secondhand than it is to find them with straight knives.

 

[custard]

I've been back to Felder a few times, seeing if they'd retrofit a spiral block to my machine. The answer has always been no, they're only available on new machines.

I've heard from a Felder engineer that there's no technical obstacle to retro itting a spiral block, so I can only conclude it's a marketing decision.

I still hope they'll change their position, but as of about eight or nine months ago it was still an emphatic "no".

 

[Ollie78]

I wonder if you could just order the silent power block as a "spare" part then fit it.

I would say the starting bid is a bit much, considering there is another ad741 on ebay for £4200 with the silent power block...

Ollie

 

[Jonathan S]

I've been back to Felder a few times, seeing if they'd retrofit a spiral block to my machine. The answer has always been no, they're only available on new machines.

I've heard from a Felder engineer that there's no technical obstacle to retro itting a spiral block, so I can only conclude it's a marketing decision.

I still hope they'll change their position, but as of about eight or nine months ago it was still an emphatic "no".

Custard, if you take a look at
[email protected] and have a dig you'll find a few that gave done the conversation successfully.

 

[Sandyn]

On a slightly related subject, there is new 'Right to Repair' legislation which is coming in the not too distant future. I haven't looked through the legislation, but it should ensure that manufacturers keep spares for a number of years (possibly 10), so equipment will have a longer life. What I am not sure is if in the legislation it will prevent manufacturers from making 'repair' decisions based on marketing. So they would be obliged to make spiral blocks available for older machines, hopefully.

 

[Doug B]

Sorry Clive when you said Shelix block I thought you were referring to Felders block, personally I’d be very wary of buying a machine that has had its block changed by anyone other than the manufacturer.

I've been back to Felder a few times, seeing if they'd retrofit a spiral block to my machine. The answer has always been no, they're only available on new machines.

Did they give you a reason Custard, I’d guess they’re not geared up to do this on site or back at the U.K. headquarters so would need to send it back to the mother land

 

[custard]

Did they give you a reason Custard, I’d guess they’re not geared up to do this on site or back at the U.K. headquarters so would need to send it back to the mother land

Talking to the Felder engineer there's no problems whipping out the old block and replacing it with the new Felder spiral block, he said he could do it there and then. The problem is that Felder have vetoed it, presumably because (so far at least) they want people to trade up to a new machine. From what I gather they'd refuse to sell me a spiral block so I couldn't arrange the upgrade myself. I'm hoping in time they'll conclude they've got all the upgrades they're going to get and so the best chance for some more revenue will be selling replacement blocks as upgrade kits.

Talking to other woodworkers in this area there's a clear divide opening up. Furniture makers are loving the spiral block, joiners are a lot less enamoured. The issue for joiners is twofold. They can't get the really deep thicknessing cuts that they want, and also because they tend to wear their knives further before replacing they say the blades on the spiral block will only give them two "turnings" rather than four. On a well worn spiral block knife if you just rotate the knife through 90 degrees you end up with one of the well worn sides at the corner, which then leaves a line on the workpiece, similar to if you chip the edge of a traditional planer knife. Instead of turning the knives earlier they're turning the spiral block knives through a full 180 degrees. hence only yielding two sharp edges per knife instead of four.

 

[Doug B]

That’s interesting @custard i understand them wanting to sell a new machine but the extra cost when specifying a spiral over a standard block when ordering a machine is fairly substantial, so you think they’d be willing to sell you one.
Also interesting on the Carbide tips, I’ve not had a problem but a mate has just turned his tips for the first time & I know his machine has had some real abuse so I’ll ask the question on the finished surface.
Cheers.

 

[clive griffiths]

Thank you all for your advice, I certainly picked up some tips.

I have had an ad 731 since 2003 new and have thought about changing to a shellix block but have shelved that idea (and the one on ebay) I nearly purchased a new felder 300mm planer early this year but found out that it was the only planer thicknesser that is not fitted with any springs to assist with lifting the tables.

My last thought is to e mail Felder direct and explain this to them and try to get a new spiral block, I dont think this will get me anywhere but will give it a shot.

 

[clive griffiths]

I wonder if you could just order the silent power block as a "spare" part then fit it.

I would say the starting bid is a bit much, considering there is another ad741 on ebay for £4200 with the silent power block...

Ollie

Hi ollie, forgot to say this one is probably a scam.

 

[Trevanion]

I have had an ad 731 since 2003 new and have thought about changing to a shellix block but have shelved that idea (and the one on ebay) I nearly purchased a new felder 300mm planer early this year but found out that it was the only planer thicknesser that is not fitted with any springs to assist with lifting the tables.

Are you absolutely sure about that? I'm fairly certain all Felder planers have a gas-strut lifting system and lifting the tables is near-effortless.

 

[clive griffiths]

I think all the felders even the format is spring assisted ,but not the 531 model, I went to have a look at one

 

[Doug B]

Are you absolutely sure about that? I'm fairly certain all Felder planers have a gas-strut lifting system and lifting the tables is near-effortless.

Certainly all the older Felders I’ve worked on have been spring assist, some have double springs. Once this covid is over a mate wants a hand putting springs on the tables of his Felder combination machine, it doesn’t have them & it makes lifting them a bit of work.

 

[Trevanion]

Certainly all the older Felders I’ve worked on have been spring assist, some have double springs. Once this covid is over a mate wants a hand putting springs on the tables of his Felder combination machine, it doesn’t have them & it makes lifting them a bit of work.

That’s crazy! They decide to join both tables together to make them twice as heavy and do away with the gas-struts? What the hell were they thinking?

 

[clive griffiths]

Certainly all the older Felders I’ve worked on have been spring assist, some have double springs. Once this covid is over a mate wants a hand putting springs on the tables of his Felder combination machine, it doesn’t have them & it makes lifting them a bit of work.

I would be interested to know what model your mate has , i went to see a 531 combination and realised how much lighter in build the planer was to the 731 i guess you have got to go up to the 741 to get the spring assisted.

 

[Doug B]

I would be interested to know what model your mate has , i went to see a 531 combination and realised how much lighter in build the planer was to the 731 i guess you have got to go up to the 741 to get the spring assisted.

Yep it’s the 731 here it is in thicknesser mode showing no spring assist, fortunately the tables aren’t that big

It’s a fairly old machine & I don’t know if it’s because my Hammer has much bigger tables or because it is a newer machine but it’s double sprung.

 

[Doug B]

Talking to other woodworkers in this area there's a clear divide opening up. Furniture makers are loving the spiral block, joiners are a lot less enamoured. The issue for joiners is twofold. They can't get the really deep thicknessing cuts that they want, and also because they tend to wear their knives further before replacing they say the blades on the spiral block will only give them two "turnings" rather than four. On a well worn spiral block knife if you just rotate the knife through 90 degrees you end up with one of the well worn sides at the corner, which then leaves a line on the workpiece, similar to if you chip the edge of a traditional planer knife. Instead of turning the knives earlier they're turning the spiral block knives through a full 180 degrees. hence only yielding two sharp edges per knife instead of four.

Lying in bed thinking about this in the wee hours as you do & I can only comment on the Hammer spiral blocks but I can’t see this being an issue re turning the tips, for one the leading corner of one tip covers the the corner of the next tip so if you rotate them in the same direction there shouldn’t be an issue with a dull corner.

& secondly the two rows of tips aren’t in line as these two photos of the end of the block show.

So I really can’t see the problem you relate to happening, that said I have no experience of any other brand of carbide tipped block which if the tips do run in line with other tips I could quite see it leaving a ridge.

 

[Doug B]

That’s crazy! They decide to join both tables together to make them twice as heavy and do away with the gas-struts? What the hell were they thinking?

Are you sure you’re not confusing this with the gas strut on the power feed on Felder combination? Whilst I’m certainly no expert on Felder machines I’m wondering where you could place a strut under the table that wouldn’t foul thicknessing