14" Planer upgrade pt1 w/pics

[Leon]

Very nice David, good job.

[David F. Eisan]

Hello everyone,

I have had this sitting around work for a month or so,

for me to find a chance to bring my planer in from home and install this new Byrd Shelix cutterhead. This is the first one Byrd has made for a General 130, so I hope this goes well.

I finally brought my planer in this week,

step, drain oil,

remove dust hood.

I next removed the pulley from the cutterhead and was about to remove the three screws that hold bearing cap to the side of the planer when I noticed this,

The head was larger than my black robbie screwdriver. This is a tool store, I have to have one around somewhere... After 15 minutes of looking I gave up and decided to make one. I don't know what it was that I started with, but we have a bin of them at work, so 5 minutes later on a bench grinder I made a robbie bit that would take out the screw,

I was able to take the screws out that hold the bearing cap in place.

took the gear housing apart so I could take the nut off the end of the shaft that holds a small worm gear in place. I used a tiny puller to get it off,

the bearing cap screws out and the nut and gear off the other end I was now able to slide the head out of the machine. There was some liberal BFH usage against a block of wood against the end of the shaft to get it started.

pressed new bearings onto the shaft with a 20 ton hydraulic floor press and installed the head the same way it came out.

Then came the problem that held me up for 45 minutes. I could not get the woodruff key out of the old head. Most people are familiar with a key and keyway on the end of a shaft for a pulley. A small piece of square bar stock engages in a keyway (groove) in both the pulley and the shaft to stop it from free spinning. I usually tap a woodruff key (small semi circle piece of metal) with small hammer to remove it. I hit this key so hard I was worried I was peening it, it would not budge. I ground a cold chisel to a sharp point and drove it into the end of the key and ended up prying it out. I had to file down all the marks I had made in the key and tried to fit it into the new head. Nope wouldn't fit. I spent 10 minutes looking around the shop trying to find another one. I found two, one was too thin and the other was the same size and would not fit either. I spent quite a while filing the key until it finally fit into the shaft,

the key in place, I could the worm gear back in and reinstall the big bolt that holds everything in,

new gasket and reassemble gear box.

Time for an oil change,

oil fill and sight plugs back in, reinstall dust hood and button everything up.

Time to fire it up,

a look at the curly maple board,

one bit of tear out. Nice upgrade.

I ran out of time today to do the final modification, that will have to wait until Monday.

Thanks for looking,

David.

Every Neighbourhood has one, in Mine I'm Him.

[arw01]

Great write up!

How is the noise compared to the old head?

[Joe Gorman]

Not one bit of tear out. Nice upgrade.

Very Nice, but what's the final modification/ It's Monday here:-) Joe

[charlie b]

So what was the elapsed time to change out the cutter head and be up and running? Any alignment problems?

These new cutter heads seem like the answer to a prayer when it comes to planing highly figured wood. The sample board you show was a great test - high figure AND knots - both "challenging" for conventional straight knife knives.

Thanks for the How To and congrats on the Neener.

charlie b

[David F. Eisan]

Thanks Leon.

[David F. Eisan]

It is much quieter. I wish I owned a DB meter so I could have posted numbers.

Thanks,

David.

[David F. Eisan]

Wixey digital height gague. It is done, but I have not taken pics yet...

Thanks,

David.

[David F. Eisan]

No problems other than those mentioned. It just took a couple of hours, but working at a tool store, I had everything around me I could possibly need.

I cannot wait to take it home (raining for the last few days) and try it on some of the squirly ash I have.

Thanks,

David.