TUTORIALS, TRAININGS AND FAQ'S

When you have finally realized that your straight knife in your planer and jointer just aren’t cutting it, you’ll then have to pick from a spiral cutter or a helical cutter. This is a major decision, considering the price, but go to any woodworking forum and you’ll soon realize making the switch is worth the money.

So the big question is:  What is the difference between the spiral and helical cutter?

Spiral cutters have several small, carbide cutters. These are easy to replace and have the advantage of turning once chipped or dulled. Most spiral cutter heads claim to actually be a spiral and a helical cutter.  When looking closer at these spiral cutter heads, you’ll notice that though the knives spiral around the head they are still positioned straight, performing a cut like a standard straight knife.  A straight knife still offers a good cut, but these are much more likely to create tear out on certain types of wood. 

When looking for a helical cutter, most people are referring to the Byrd Tool Shelix cutter head. These are once again replaceable carbide cutters. Once nicked or dulled they can easily be turned or replaced.

The difference with a Byrd Shelix cutter is the knives aren’t just on a helical pattern around the head, but positioned at an angle.  The knives work in pairs, with one row of knives sitting between the previous row of knives. This makes for constant cutting with the knives scooping at the wood instead of scraping as the other spiral and straight head knives cut.

This is where the two heads differ considerably, especially when working with figured wood. Since the Byrd Shelix cuts at an angle there is little to no tear out on your wood. If purchasing other spiral cutter heads you are essentially still purchasing a straight knife, the only benefit being an easier replacement for a nicked knife.

Why spend so much money on a specialized cutter head insert if it’s essentially the same as the one you are replacing? Go with the Byrd Shelix to get your money’s worth.