Planer Blades

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Planer Blades

This topic has 17 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 21 January 2021 at 22:38 by Clive B 1.

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18 January 2021 at 22:39 #520898
Clive B 1
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@cliveb1
Hi Guys

I’m after some cutter blades for an old Kity Planer Thicknesser, they are single sided 260mm x 20mm x 2.5mm.

On having a look around I’ve seen some listed as HSS and others as being T1 HSS 18%W, without getting into it too deeply, what’s the difference between these two steels and would it be worth buying one over the other?

Of course I would like some tungsten carbide ones but they are a bit pricey?

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light
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18 January 2021 at 22:39 #20113
Clive B 1
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@cliveb1
18 January 2021 at 23:15 #520904
not done it yet
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@notdoneityet
I would think times between sharpening is the difference. The obvious difference is that extra ~12% Tungsten in the T1.

TC blades are good but I would guess that chips can be expensive to clean up (apart from that initial cost!).

I found that blades could last weeks between sharpening (with a regular honing) or perhaps only days (or less!) on iroko (or particularly with teak).
19 January 2021 at 09:55 #520936
larry phelan 1
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@larryphelan1
Ever try working on hard maple ?
19 January 2021 at 10:21 #520941
Bo’sun
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@bosun58570
I'd stick with HSS rather than TC unless you are machining especially hard timbers and can be sure the timber is free of debris (nails, stones, etc) . A chipped HSS blade is much cheaper to salvage than TC.

I use HSS on my Kity 1637 to good effect, keeping two spare sets so that I can continue to work while chipped blades are reground.

My last blade purchase was from "Woodford Woodworking Machinery & Tooling" at a very reasonable price.

I haven't researched, but I suspect segmented spiral cutter blocks aren't available for old KITY machines?
19 January 2021 at 10:26 #520944
SillyOldDuffer
Moderator
@sillyoldduffer
HSS is just a generic description of a family of tool-steels. Means very little other than it's not carbon steel – usually a good thing.

T1 identifies a particular member of the High Speed Steel family, so the description is more complete, which is a plus. However, T1 is the usual general purpose HSS used for wood and metalwork for planer blades, twist drills, taps, dies, reamers, and lathe cutters etc. Not the toughest or most heat-proof HSS available for specialist work, but a decent performer. There's a good chance anything just described as 'HSS' is T1, though the metal could be less reputable.

Dave
19 January 2021 at 11:50 #520964
peak4
Participant
@peak4
I don't know if you've looked on ebay, but there's a firm in Stockport which lists at least two types at slightly different prices under different trader's names. The two types have different MPN (stock) numbers 2kitCOM & 2kitS1
Both seem to be the same company.

They also list the same size under different machine manes, so have a good browse around there.

Bill
19 January 2021 at 12:14 #520974
not done it yet
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@notdoneityet
Posted by larry phelan 1 on 19/01/2021 09:55:40:

Ever try working on hard maple ?

Timbers with a high silica content are the ones that wreak havoc with planer blades.
19 January 2021 at 22:17 #521162
Clive B 1
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@cliveb1
Thanks for the reply’s guys

It definitely won’t be tungsten blades as said they are a lot harder to rectify if they get chipped.

Bo’sun just before doing this post I did come across the woodfordtooling.com website

which states they do Kity 1637/637/636 Planer Blades 260 X 20 X 2.5mm One Pair

£10.89 in High Speed Steel.

Strange thing is they resharpen Planer Blades 260 X 20 X 2.5mm for £15.49 a pair, am I missing something here

Another site I looked on was knife-point.co.uk and prime-tooling.co.uk both priced at £16.99 and both saying T1 HSS 18%W Quality, hence my reason for coming on the forum just to check if there is likely to be any difference the two steels ie. woodfordtooling or the ones offering the T1 HSS.

Bo’sun, you are talking some serious cash for segmental spiral cutter blocks, I was looking to find out how to replace the cutter block bearings on my machine and I came across this video

**LINK**

which makes very interesting viewing for anyone who has a Kity 636.

Peak4

I tried doing a Google search using 2kitCOM & 2kitS1 and didn’t have any luck, can I ask what their website is?

Not done it yet

No, never tried machining hard maple and timbers with high silica content, you say it wreaks havoc with planers blades, I assume you have machined such a wood, so what was your solution to problem?

Just keep sharpening the blades
19 January 2021 at 22:19 #521163
Clive B 1
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@cliveb1
https://www.facebook.com/mariushornberger.yt/videos/shelix-cutterhead-upgrade-for-my-kity-636-jointer-planer/2567529800241823/
20 January 2021 at 07:30 #521194
not done it yet
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@notdoneityet
Not done it yet

No, never tried machining hard maple and timbers with high silica content, you say it wreaks havoc with planers blades, I assume you have machined such a wood, so what was your solution to problem?

Get them resharpened is always the answer, if honing is insufficient to return a good cutting edge. When I used a planer regularly, the local sharpening service called in weekly or about every couple of weeks, if phoned, as I recall. That was about 30 years ago… I expect things have changed in the interim.
20 January 2021 at 07:42 #521196
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I've not found hard maple to blunt the blades, main problem is the wide chips that come off that want to block the extraction. As NDY say it's the silica in some of the hardwoods that blunts the blades you can often see the fine white lines in the grain of teak.

My Kity uses double sides 1.5mm thick blades in a carrier that work out quite economic and I usually just replace ones dull or maybe hone once before fitting new.
20 January 2021 at 08:54 #521206
Speedy Builder5
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@speedybuilder5
Grand Designs the other night (Dave ??) guy building house in the UK Japanese style, wanted to use Japanese Spruce. Apparently that blunted saw and planer blades 3x as fast as Scandanavian spruce but its strength was more than double that of Sc Spruce.
20 January 2021 at 10:04 #521224
Bo’sun
Participant
@bosun58570
Posted by Clive B 1 on 19/01/2021 22:17:09:

Thanks for the reply’s guys

Bo’sun, you are talking some serious cash for segmental spiral cutter blocks, I was looking to find out how to replace the cutter block bearings on my machine and I came across this video

**LINK**

which makes very interesting viewing for anyone who has a Kity 636.

Yes Clive, they are a considerable investment, but if you do enough work with them, they may well pay their way. At least if you hit something hard, you don't wreck each blade, and only have to index the inserts and you're back in business.

They are also said to produce a better finish. I guess the spiral design eliminates the corrugated finish from poorly adjusted blades.
20 January 2021 at 14:08 #521292
peak4
Participant
@peak4
Posted by Clive B 1 on 19/01/2021 22:17:09:

Thanks for the reply’s guys

Peak4

I tried doing a Google search using 2kitCOM & 2kitS1 and didn’t have any luck, can I ask what their website is?

Seems to be the same Woodford outfit in Stockport
Link 1 2602025-2KITCOM

Link 2 2602025-2KITS1

Bill
20 January 2021 at 14:17 #521294
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I get mu thin ones from them and they seem to last longer than the original Kity items did
20 January 2021 at 14:54 #521305
Bo’sun
Participant
@bosun58570
Good afternoon,

Sorry to sidetrack a little, but as there seems to be some KITY owners here, any idea if spares are still available? I seem to recall hearing that Sheppach may be involved. Not that I need anything (yet), but it seemed a good idea to ask.
21 January 2021 at 22:38 #521624
Clive B 1
Participant
@cliveb1
Spares, the only items I’ve purchased are planer blades, mine being the single sided ones.

I’ve just bought some Fag bearings for it from bearing-king.co.uk.

I also needed some very small springs, they are the ones which live under the planer blades which keep the blade pushed up when setting up ie. they stop them from dropping down into the bottom of the slot in the cutter block which helps during setup, I bought them from a place called flexosprings.com although they do have a minimum order charge of £9.

I did buy some off ebay previously but they were too strong so no use.

If its metal shafts and the like I usually come on this forum knowing someone will own a metal turning lathe which I don’t possess and sort something out pricewise and ask them to do the turning work for me.

I can’t remember who I last bought drive belts from but I do remember the guy made them up for me.

Mine are all flat ones and my Kity has the motor in the middle of the table with the machines bolted on around it, so if the belts were slightly too long I can just slide whichever machine away from the motor to give it the correct amount tension.

I’ve changed how the switch use to live on top of the motor as I decided it was time, I stopped leaning over whirling machines in order to switch it off.

Also because of limited space where the machine is, I fitted four braked castors to the table because it was getting a bit of a maul for me to hump the machine about because the rear wheels did not swivel, they only use to roll backwards or follows ie. no swivel.

As far as any other parts, someone did suggest nmatools.co.uk but to be honest I’ve never tried them.
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