What knives are in your Grizzly 6" jointer

[Ohio Mike]

I'm replacing the knives again this evening in my Grizzly G-0452 (6 inch jointer) and it's time to confront my years-long confusion about the knife size.

The manual clearly says to use 6 x 5/8 x 1/8 so that's what I've been using for 6 years but they seem too small for the cutter head.

If I raise the jack screws to their maximum extension and insert brand new Freud C-350 knives:






There is less than a 1/16" reveal between cutterhead and knife bevel.



I don't like them that high but I do like a slight 1/32" reveal.  So my jack screws are within 1/64" of maxing out with BRAND NEW knives. 

I can't help but wonder if this jointer was designed for deeper knives.  In the photo you can see all the space under the knife.  I could fit a 7/8" knife in this cutterhead.

What do you use in your Grizzly?

[teetomterrific]

If it were me I would replace those straight knives with this: Grizzly H7653 - 6" Indexable Spiral Cutterhead


Just drop it in and go. Comes complete with new bearings and pulley pre-installed. You will never regret it. I did the same on a Grizzly 8" a few years back and the difference was astounding.

[Ohio Mike]

I've been wanting one of those for years!

This might just be the time to pull the trigger.





Mike

[JGrout]

IME you are better off with holbren knives anyway and you can go to 11/16" to seat them a bit deeper. 

My Freud knives are too soft so they do not last very long. Brian's are better steel, hold an edge better 

edit to add: you do not even need 1/32 protrusion on a straight knife I generally shoot for a few thousandths ( whatever I can see)

Joe

I won't bother with the waste of a spiral head on a jointer. you've been here long enough to know my position

[Roly]

I have a Grizzly G 0452 6" jointer with the 5/8" knives and the bevel is flush with the head. Lower the outfeed table then reset the knives. Roly

[bob-t]

Second this, I put them on 8" and they are great.  Probably had them 4 years, and only turned them cutters once.
If it were me I would replace those straight knives with this: Grizzly H7653 - 6" Indexable Spiral Cutterhead


Just drop it in and go. Comes complete with new bearings and pulley pre-installed. You will never regret it. I did the same on a Grizzly 8" a few years back and the difference was astounding.

[Tony Z]

I bought a Byrd head for a 6" Grizzly parallelogram jointer. It was not a drop in operation as I had to have bearing housings milled to fit (even though Grizzly spec'ed the Byrd unit as the correct one-must be significant variation in the Grizzly jointers).

I would stick to Grizzly head, though the Byrd was worth, after all the extra work was done.

[Ohio Mike]

I'm gonna have to think about this one before deciding 




Thanks everyone,


Mike

[Arlin Eastman]

Mike

Why not replace it with the carbide head one that Grizzly sells?  Never need to take it off and just turn the carbide to another side when it is dull or replace it after turning them 3 times.

OOps it looks like Tom beat me to it. This is what the VA bought me 8 years ago and so so glad they did to make it so easy for me to.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-X-46-J...ead/G0452Z

I am VERY sure you would like the transition to and it is much quitter also and does a better job with figured wood also.