Replacement Tungsten Inserts Tungsten inserts are not all made equal.
You get what you pay for. Premium inserts last longer and are what you need if you are machining Australian hardwoods. Quality Tungsten Inserts Helical cutting heads for electric planes, jointers and thicknessers have changed the game here in Australia. The geometry of a helical cutting head has each insert overlap the next, slicing in a guillotine fashion and producing small shavings that are easily swept away by an exhaust fan. I have been a "fan" of helical cutting heads since I first used them in Canada in 2002. The traditional cutting head on a jointer, planer or thicknesser has parallel cutting knives that sweep over the stock as it is fed into the machine and will create a shaving as long as the blade itself. This is the first problem you have with traditional cutting heads. The long shavings clog the dust extraction system in no time. The next issue you have with traditional cutting heads is that they create an uneven surface that needs to be sanded after it has been “planed". The final nail in the coffin for this old technology is the noise that blades make as they strike the surface being machined. An industrial-style thicknessing machine will be powered by a 5hp 3 phase motor. These deafening machines have been an accepted part of the life of a woodworker and those who suffer next door. The wonder of a retrofitted helical cutting head in an old machine is the instant reduction of noise (up to 20 decibels). This phenomenon is one reason schools have been changing over to this new technology. The next observation is that the boards come out the other end of the machine snipe-free and planed smooth. No need for sanding! Not only has time been saved, dust is held at bay because no sanding is required. The downside of the equation is the cost of a retrofit. Once this bitter pill is swallowed the question you will ask yourself is "why did I wait so long!" Once you have retrofitted a helical cutting head (or bought a new machine with one installed) you will eventually find that some of the inserts grow dull or get chipped. This is when you rotate the inserts (ours lasted two years before the edges got dull). Eventually you will be in the market for replacement inserts. This is when it is tempting to cut corners and purchase cheaper inserts instead of those built from C2 or YG6X-grade tungsten carbide. Ask your supplier what grade of tungsten carbide is used in the insert and research what other woodworkers have experienced in regards to the inserts in question. Australia is home to the hardest timbers on the planet. What might work well with a European or North American species may well not last the distance down under. It is a competitive market out there. Robert Gregory from Woodcraft Supplies introduced helical cutting heads into the Australian market and is keen to educate woodworkers in regards to the quality of the inserts they choose when replacing dull inserts in cutting heads
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