Shelix helical cutter installation on a DeWalt 735 planer

[19 Stars]

Did a search and nobody's mentioned this upgrade in almost eight years. I'm surprised. It's quite an expensive upgrade, but the result is fantastic.

Took me about an hour and a half, between sips of coffee with Bailey's in it, and listening to some old Paul Rodgers in the band Free, to get it completely installed.

I use the planer, and also a drum sander on occasion, to finish plane bookmatched wood for guitar tops and backs.

All I can say is why doesn't DeWalt offer something like this as an OEM option?

[leehljp]

Over the years, I have read numerous articles and individuals commenting on this upgrade and none with negative comments.
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I have not read the details of the upgrade, nor had I thought about it the much, but seeing yours, it seems obvious that it means swapping the "drum/blade holder" out for a new one to hold the inserts. IF you do this, then do the inserts come pre-installed?

[Carlos]

I put one in my jointer long ago, and would never consider going back. Just an amazing result and surface every time. I haven't done the planer, and probably won't. I find that it does alright, and I have a 5HP Woodmaster drum sander to refine the finish.

[19 Stars]

Two versions avail: OEM where you have to take all the cutters off to slide the shaft through the bearing seat, and then put them back on.

2nd version is the one I got, about a 16th of an inch skinnier and doesn't call for the cutters to be taken off to install.

[twistsol]

I'd love to do that, but haven't found one available for the DW733. Haven't looked in a few years but think about it every time I use the planer.

[capncarl]

I’m wondering, my 735 is a snipe machine for short boards, due, in my mind, by the difference in elevation of the cutter shaft and the 2 tension rollers. Would the snipe machine get worse if you installed a cutter shaft with a smaller diameter?

[Carlos]

How short?

The only tool left from my very early woodworking days is the Rigid 13" planer, and it almost never snipes. But "short" to me is maybe 10" at the least. I occasionally lust for another planer then remember this thing still does a great job. And then the drum sander tops it off.

[capncarl]

I plane quite a few 16” - 20” long x 10” wide table tops on the 735, it never provides a snipe free cut for me. I’ve adjusted the indeed/outfeed table heights every way possible to reduce snipe with no significant luck. Now the I/0 tables are coplanar, I set them with 2 long steel straight edges. Waxing the tables seems to help the most. A longer board has no snipe. I suppose I caused this grief on myself by cutting all of my table tops to length when I brought them in the shop. Don’t think for a minute the drum sander is immune from snipe! My Jet 10-20 snipes short boards as well.

[Carlos]

My jet drum sander would do it on occasion. The Woodmaster absolutely does not, ever. The Rigid planer very rarely does it, once I got it all adjusted and well waxed. Actually I don't use literal wax, but the Bostik Tool Kote stuff.