Replies

1. 
   withthegrain | Dec 05, 2003 11:05pm | #1

   Hey Chuck,

   I loved my carbide jointer blades (solid, not tipped) until I hit a hidden nail in a really pretty piece of walnut. Totally destroyed them, no sharpening or salvage. But they worked great and kept an edge a looooong time until I tried to put an edge on that nail.

   Dennis

2. 
   rslatm | Dec 06, 2003 12:38am | #2

   Carbide may lasy longer but HSS is much sharper initially.  None of the commercial shops I've worked used carbide on planers, jointers or moulders except for the initial hogging head on a moulder and that was carbide inserts.  As the other guy said one nail and it's trashed. The only timk we had carbide blades on a jointer or planer was for woods like teak or epoxy laminated wood.
3. 
   jc21 | Dec 06, 2003 06:53pm | #3

   Fwiw, I had a carbide set of knives for my old Mak 2040 planer. Lasted longer but the quality of cut was not as good.

1. 
   clampman2 | Dec 08, 2003 12:50am | #4

   I've run carbide in my jointer for years. But I make sure I'm not jointing or flattening nails or screws.

   I have also planed thousands of feet of nail impregnated chestnut and white oak. It was impossible to get all the metal even with a metal detector. I found the only way to make any money was to buy a 4 knife head and run two carbide and two steel knives in the head at the same time. The carbide knives do not shatter that way.

   Clampman

1. 
   10fingers | Dec 08, 2003 09:28pm | #5

   Thanks to everyone for the responses.  I had put carbide tipped blades on my 3" power planer that I got on closeout.  They seemed to be good so far.   I wanted some real-world experience on jointers before I bought them.

   thanks,

   Chuck