# using aftermarket knife setting jigs for Delta RC-33 or Invicta/Delta 22-650



## Terrance L. Maloney (Aug 9, 2009)

I have a Invicta/Delta model 22-650.
This is a Brazilian made 13" planer made in 1987.
It looks pretty much like the Delta RC-33 13" planer.
Why I'm writing today??? I cannot find a OEM knife setting jig for my planer. I tried the mag types out there and they are either too big and won't fit into the space provided on the planer or are too small ( for a portable planer).
I am completely vexed. Delta (Dewalt) since being sold a few times no longer has any parts for my planer. They don't even have a manual.
They are completely worthless at this point and don't even have an explanation as to why they don't carry anything for these 22 yr old planers. (I have contacted their main branch.)
Can someone help me out? Anyone know what jig will work or have an old OEM type they will sell me?
I bought my great condition planer used, thinking that getting an aftermarket jig would be fine. Now I can't use it at all.
Thanks for any help in advance.
Shojimon


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## jvan56gadget (Sep 30, 2009)

*Setting knives on a delta rc-33*



Terrance L. Maloney said:


> I have a Invicta/Delta model 22-650.
> This is a Brazilian made 13" planer made in 1987.
> It looks pretty much like the Delta RC-33 13" planer.
> Why I'm writing today??? I cannot find a OEM knife setting jig for my planer. I tried the mag types out there and they are either too big and won't fit into the space provided on the planer or are too small ( for a portable planer).
> ...


 I own a Delta rc-33 planer which I bought second hand about 10 years ago also without the knife setting jig. I too bought an aftermarket magnetic jig which will not fit in the space on top of the cutter. Its a bit of a pain but the jig will fit from underneath if you raise the cutting height to the maximum. To adjust the blade, loosen it from the top- carefully rotate the blade roller while holding the blade so that it and the springs do not fall out. Place the magnetic jigs in position and tighten a couple of the bolts to lock the cutter in position. Remove the jigs and rotate the cutter back to the top and finish tightening the hardware. I used a grindwheel to narrow the end of an open end wrench to fit the bolts. This may sound like a bit of a pain, but its a lot better than having a 450lb. planer that you can't use. I should have started with this but PLEASE always unplug the planer before doing any work on it. By the way, you can find an owners manual on ebay, and mikestools.com has the belt set . The blades are available from several suppliers, and in a pinch I have also used blades from a 13" portable planer. Good luck with your planer. JV


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Will this work?*

I just ordered a set, don't have them yet so I can't give you any advice on them: http://globaltooling.bizhosting.com/planer_knife_setter.html 
:blink: bill


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## mickit (Oct 5, 2009)

*Manual*

I've got a pdf of the manual, you can download from dewaltservicenet dot com, or I can email to you.
Mickey


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## Terrance L. Maloney (Aug 9, 2009)

*Thanks to all who have tried to help[*

Good morning.
Mickit ask if the mag jigs he bought will work. Those are the same ones I bought.
I haven't tried them on the bottom side of the planer head for a couple reasons...
I sold them to a guy on Craigs list when they wouldn't fit in the slot given for access to the head.
And, now the planer is in the shop here in Portland being set up by Barbo Machinery.
Since the knifes are new and I bought a Byrd/Shelix 15" Powermatic planer from Barbo last week. I think I will be set for a while between the 2 planers.
Barbo is looking into finding a set of jigs that will fit the old Delta--on the top side that is!
BTW- I bought a 15" spiral head planer from Grizzly about 6 weeks ago. It cost around $1500 and the salesman said it came ready to plane.
I bought it as a result of the fine things that were said about it here and on other woodworking forums. I bought the copy of the Powermatic 15 spiral head. Looks almost like it. The spiral head has the 4 sided cutterheads much like the Byrd/Helix. 
The first planer came after almost 2 weeks, lost by UPS and damaged by UPS. Had a bit of a time getting them to remove it. It weighs 700lbs or so.
2nd one arrived fairly quickly after I pleaded with Grizzly to send me a replacement. I was desperate and needed it badly for my woodworking business. I build Japanese Shoji screens.
I spent about 16 or 18 hrs putting it together and cleaning all the grease off it. What a huge mess! AND, It wouldn't plane right.
I adjusted what I could and called the techs at Grizzly. I was unconvinced they knew any more than what the manual said...
By the 4th call I was getting pretty frustrated. 
Here is the deal...if the machine comes to you not set up properly, like mine...you are responsible to set all the correct heights of the cutterhead, in and outfeed rollers, chip breakers and the lower rollers.
I tried over and over again using a dial indicator setup that I had bought from grizzly previously. They suggest you buy a special one from them for $100!
I got a different reading each time I tried.
When I checked my settings with a piece of Ash run through, it would leave big marks on the wood, either from the in or outfeed. I would back off the spring tension to the max and it would still leave big marks. Or it caught on the chip-breaker because it was set too low. Or the chips were pressed into the wood etc etc.
Nothing to be done short of driving the planer to Bellingham Washington and demand they set it up.
Instead, I ask they take it back and I bought the Powermatic for $2500.
Now I am building a big crate to ship it back today.
I think a buyer needs to get a written thing from Grizzly saying; it will be right when you get it or they will make it right. 
They should also disclose how much work it is to clean, assemble and adjust.
Otherwise it just isn't worth the hassle. I think the machine would be great if adjusted properly before they ship it.
I apologize for any typos.


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## mickit (Oct 5, 2009)

Sorry Terrance, I never used the jigs myself, though I have worked on a couple of the old Invicta/Rockwell/Deltas.As I said in prior post, I have old service manuals, and some wiring diagrams for stuff going back into the sixties, and would be happy to share.
Mickey


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## Terrance L. Maloney (Aug 9, 2009)

*Excellent solution*

Oops, sorry Micky. Got you mixed up with Bill. Thanks for the offer of the manual. I downloaded it. Thanks all for trying to help.
JV- I'll try the upside down version of attaching the magnetic jigs when my knifes are dull. Great idea. Excellent thinking outside of the box!

Happy woodworking!


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## kmcjones (Oct 13, 2009)

to shojiman, am in same boat with 22-650 need manual to adjust feed rollers, wondering if you had any luck locating said manual ? If so ,would appreciate reply with procurement info. [email protected]


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## mickit (Oct 5, 2009)

kmcjones said:


> to shojiman, am in same boat with 22-650 need manual to adjust feed rollers, wondering if you had any luck locating said manual ? If so ,would appreciate reply with procurement info. [email protected]


Manual is available at dewaltservicenet.com
search 22-650
download PDF
mickit


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## David Peebles (Feb 17, 2012)

*Using magnetic knife setting jig on Delta 22-650*

I realize I'm almost 3 years late coming to this discussion, but I just ran across it while surfing for info on my very old (Dec 1981) Rockwell/Invicta planer, which, by the way, is the best planer I have ever owned. In answer to the query about using a magnetic knife setting jig, yes it is possible. First remove the chip deflector (masonite plate just downstream from the cutterhead). This gains you only about 1/4 inch, but helps. Then, Loosen the set screw that holds the chipbreaker adjusting rod. Back it out quite a ways, as it goes into a dimple in the rod. Loosen the rod (may need pliers), until you can slide it out on the right side of the planer. Then loosen and remove the hex screws that hold down the chip breaker springs. Now you can prop up the chip breaker high enough that the magnets on the knife setting jig can slide under it. It's not that hard to do, and only takes a few minutes. When you put back the adjusting rod, be sure the dimple lines up so the set screw can hold it in securely. BTW, I am currently trying to line up a Byrd Shellix cutterhead for the planer. Byrd has them for at least some of these planers, but I'm not sure yet about one that is over 30 years old.


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## jcmmgm (Jan 13, 2013)

*Changing knives on Delta 22-650*

Hello. I just signed up for this forum as it seems like the ideal place to get the knowledgable folks who can tell me how to do this. I bought the planer new sometime in the 80's and have never changed the knives. I have ordered a new set and should have them any day. I do have the owners manual and the jig that came with the planer. What I don't have is the slightest idea or the confidence to get started. Does anyone know where I can find step by step instructions on doing this without messing up my my new knives or my planer. There was a company here in San Antonio that was going to do it for me, but I waited too long and now they are out of business. I am fairly mechanically inclined, but I don't know about this project. Any help y'all can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. John.


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## jcmmgm (Jan 13, 2013)

Does anyone know where to get step by step instructions on how to replace the blades on this planer. I cannot find anything like that on the internet. Thank you.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

You don't say which planer you have. That way someone might have the same one and could help you out. Good luck with it.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Changing knives on Delta 22-650*



rayking49 said:


> You don't say which planer you have. That way someone might have the same one and could help you out. Good luck with it.


See post 11 Ray.... *Changing knives on Delta 22-650*


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

*Here is a PDF manual *for the 22-650. Changing knives starts on page 14.









 







.


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## jcmmgm (Jan 13, 2013)

Thanks to all you folks for your kind replies. I have a Delta Invicta 22-650 planer which I bought new sometime back in th 1980's. I assume the RC-33 is the same planer. Is that correct? After reading the instructions in the RC-33 manual, my biggest concern is loosing one or more of the springs. Is that a legitimate concern? Never having done this before and knowing the lack of ability in getting replacement parts, to be honest, I'm kind of paranoid. Can anyone tell me that this is no problem and an easy fix. Thank you guys so much, and I look forward to being a part of your forum.


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## jcmmgm (Jan 13, 2013)

*Another question regarding Delta Invicta 22-650*

Hello again. Thank you guys for all your help with changing my knives. Years back, I bought an attachment made by Delta for the 22-650 planer to hook it up to a dust collection system. Should I remove the Masonite chip deflector just outboard of the cutterhead to achieve better clearing of the shavings? It's not something that ever occured to me until I got into this knife changing project. Once again, many thanks for all your help out there. John.


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## Jimbo Cochran (Dec 13, 2018)

*Knife height above cutter head.*

Realize almost 6 year old thread. Regarding the Delta RC-33 22-650, can anyone tell me the height of the knives from the cutter head? Can not find this information anywhere, certainly not in the instruction manual.


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

Jimbo Cochran said:


> Realize almost 6 year old thread. Regarding the Delta RC-33 22-650, can anyone tell me the height of the knives from the cutter head? Can not find this information anywhere, certainly not in the instruction manual.




Parallel to the outfeed table. Many YouTube videos on how to do it. 

The inexpensive way to do it is to lay a straight edge on the outfeed table and align blades to it. You need to check and recheck every time you tighten a gib because the blade will want to move.

Hi tech way is an expensive straight edge, dial gauges and feeler gauges to not only adjust blades, but to make sure in-feed and out-feed tables are exactly aligned.


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

*PDF file*



mickit said:


> I've got a pdf of the manual, you can download from dewaltservicenet dot com, or I can email to you.
> Mickey


You can upload your pdf file to this post, and he or anyone can download it.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Jimbo Cochran said:


> Realize almost 6 year old thread. Regarding the Delta RC-33 22-650, can anyone tell me the height of the knives from the cutter head? Can not find this information anywhere, certainly not in the instruction manual.


in Cabinetmans pdf pg 14, shows how to make a gauge to set the knives...I would assume it takes 2, and possibly magnets could be added?


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## Jimbo Cochran (Dec 13, 2018)

Sorry, maybe my question was confusing. Was asking the height the knives should protrude above the cutterhead. Not too much, not too little, but just right said Goldie Locks. Have since found another site where poster said 0.05" above cutterhead. I have the instruction manual, easy to find online, but it does not tell how high to set the knives above cutter head. I have set knives in planers for 20+ years, not a difficult job. Have a lunch box Dewalt and a old massive Delta/Rockwell. This planer is medium size, will make my primary planer. Recently obtained this tool from a high school shop surplus. Original knife setting jig not with it. Will try setting at 0.05" and reference infeed and outfeed from that.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Jimbo, From the looks of the gauge on pg 14... It looks like the gauge rests on each side of the cutter drum over the cutter, then you extend the cutter knife upward into the pocket of the gauge where it has the 1/4" cut out. You would need two gauges placed on each end of the drum. You might consider imbedding rare earth magnets into the gauges to help hold the cutting knife against the gauge while you tighten/adjust the knife.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Sounds about right .....*

This thread says .035" above:
https://sawmillcreek.org/archive/index.php/t-100346.html

How the jigs work;
https://www.ptreeusa.com/PDF/planer_knife_setting_jig_instructions.pdf

Height from this thread:
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/87482
Quote;
"If you re looking for an actual dimension, I would say the less the better. You don t want it out too far as the knives would be placed under excessive stress. With no other indicators available, I usually put the back edge of the bevel right at the edge of the drum.
The thread over at owwm mentioned that the distance was stated by a Delta service tech.. and according to him, knife height should be *between .0045-.0060” *, he said they recommend .050” and that’s where they set the machines they repair.

Also, it is most common, when not knowing, to have the bevel edge (heel) set between 1/32” and 1/16”, and that is what is recommended by Powermatic, Delta, etc… in a lot of the manuals for older machines. YMMV."

Cheers,
Brad


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## StevenWoodward (Aug 14, 2020)

*RC-33: Position of knives relative to cutter head*



Jimbo Cochran said:


> Realize almost 6 year old thread. Regarding the Delta RC-33 22-650, can anyone tell me the height of the knives from the cutter head? Can not find this information anywhere, certainly not in the instruction manual.


This photo of RC-33 cutter head, was taken with the knives set using the jig that came with the machine. The trailing edge of the bevel is about even with the cutter head. The blades are ground to 40 degrees.


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## StevenWoodward (Aug 14, 2020)

*RC-33 Risk of loosing springs under knives*



jcmmgm said:


> Thanks to all you folks for your kind replies. I have a Delta Invicta 22-650 planer which I bought new sometime back in th 1980's. I assume the RC-33 is the same planer. Is that correct? After reading the instructions in the RC-33 manual, my biggest concern is loosing one or more of the springs. Is that a legitimate concern? Never having done this before and knowing the lack of ability in getting replacement parts, to be honest, I'm kind of paranoid. Can anyone tell me that this is no problem and an easy fix. Thank you guys so much, and I look forward to being a part of your forum.


If blades are removed from the top of machine (as recommended in instruction manual) the springs should not fall out. After removing a blade, I remove the springs with needle nose pliers and place them in a magnetic tray. Have never lost a spring using this method. It is a good idea to clean the floor around the machine before starting work, so that if something does fall out, you can find it - perhaps using a magnet. 

Springs that are lost, broken, or missing, can be replaced with any similar size spring. Exact match is not important because the springs only purpose is to push the blade against the blade setting jig until the bolts are tightened. The springs play no role in actual operation of machine.


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## StevenWoodward (Aug 14, 2020)

*RC-33 Chip Deflector*



jcmmgm said:


> Hello again. Thank you guys for all your help with changing my knives. Years back, I bought an attachment made by Delta for the 22-650 planer to hook it up to a dust collection system. Should I remove the Masonite chip deflector just outboard of the cutterhead to achieve better clearing of the shavings? It's not something that ever occured to me until I got into this knife changing project. Once again, many thanks for all your help out there. John.


Keep the masonite chip deflector in place, even when using the dust collection. The chip deflector deflects the shavings up into the dust collection. I made a new chip deflector for my RC-33 because the old one was "chipped" from many years of use and so did not run close to the cutter head.


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## StevenWoodward (Aug 14, 2020)

*RC-33 with Byrd Shelix helical segmented cutter head*

I purchased my RC-33 (22-650) in 1984 and have had no trouble with it. Sharpening the 13 inch blades has been the biggest challenge. I used to get them done by a good sharpening shop, and they came back not only sharp but straight. Straight is important because you want all three blades to be cutting into the wood evenly. That sharpening shop went out of business in the 2009 recession and I could not find another local shop that would sharpen the blades straight. Straight means no light when sharp edge of blade is held against a steel ruler. I tried to sharpen blades myself with a Makita 9820-2 surface grinder. I could get them sharp but could not get the edge dead straight. 

Finally decided to replace the cutter head with a Byrd Shelix helical segmented head. Glad I did: no more sharpening; no more knife setting; and much less tear-out when planing difficult wood. When the carbide cutters get dull, just rotate them 90 degrees to expose a new sharp edge. When all 4 edges have been used, then replace that cutter. Only the cutters which are chipped or dull need to be rotated, so no waste. It is a great system and cheaper than paying to have straight blades sharpened. 

As there were no upgrade instructions available for the RC-33, I created a YouTube video which also shows lubrication and adjustments of the RC-33. 




After watching the video, you may find it easier to work from written upgrade instructions, which are available in the following folder, along with other documents for the RC-33. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_Qm84_ZeMmsxgP-hHsI-Ppf39kiUOEU3


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## StevenWoodward (Aug 14, 2020)

*RC-33 Tear down and restoration blog by Ed Hollingsworth*

http://bullfire.net/Planer/Planer.html


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## mleflynn (Jun 7, 2021)

StevenWoodward said:


> *RC-33 Tear down and restoration blog by Ed Hollingsworth*
> 
> Delta RC33 Planer


I am very late to this discussion but am having similar issues as are being discussed above. I have a 22-650 from 1983 that I inherited - it has been sitting unused for the last 20-25 years. It needs a lot of care. The knife aligning tool did not come with the planer and the set screws holding the knives in place are set very solidly. What size wrench is needed to remove them as I do not want to round off the heads? I presume it is metric. Are they loosened in the same direction as most screws or are they threaded opposite for some reason. Any and all guidance is appreciated. Thanks,

Mleflynn


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## StevenWoodward (Aug 14, 2020)

mleflynn said:


> I am very late to this discussion but am having similar issues as are being discussed above. I have a 22-650 from 1983 that I inherited - it has been sitting unused for the last 20-25 years. It needs a lot of care. The knife aligning tool did not come with the planer and the set screws holding the knives in place are set very solidly. What size wrench is needed to remove them as I do not want to round off the heads? I presume it is metric. Are they loosened in the same direction as most screws or are they threaded opposite for some reason. Any and all guidance is appreciated. Thanks,
> 
> Mleflynn


This answer is by recollection as I no longer own the original cutter head, having converted to Byrd Shelix helical cutter head a year ago.

The bolts holding the knives in place require a 13mm open end wrench. The wrench needs to be thin to fit in the tight space of the cutter head. The wrench originally supplied by Delta was ground thinner. The bolts are standard right hand thread. To loosen the knives, screw the bolts into the bar that pushes against the knife.


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## mleflynn (Jun 7, 2021)

StevenWoodward said:


> This answer is by recollection as I no longer own the original cutter head, having converted to Byrd Shelix helical cutter head a year ago.
> 
> The bolts holding the knives in place require a 13mm open end wrench. The wrench needs to be thin to fit in the tight space of the cutter head. The wrench originally supplied by Delta was ground thinner. The bolts are standard right hand thread. To loosen the knives, screw the bolts into the bar that pushes against the knife.


Thank you for the details.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Terrance L. Maloney said:


> I have a Invicta/Delta model 22-650.
> This is a Brazilian made 13" planer made in 1987.
> It looks pretty much like the Delta RC-33 13" planer.
> Why I'm writing today??? I cannot find a OEM knife setting jig for my planer. I tried the mag types out there and they are either too big and won't fit into the space provided on the planer or are too small ( for a portable planer).
> ...


I got away from jigs years ago. I will share what I do, you can take it if you wish. I first sand a small part of the cast frame right and left of the cutter head flat. I use a dial indicator on a magnetic base. Before removing the blades get an idea of where you want to be. I null the dial indicator to zero on the drum, then take the reading at the very edge of the blade. I believe mine is something like 12/1000 over the drum, though not sure as I am not in my shop. I wrote the number right on the side of my planer. Once you have that number, replace your blade and make sure your are at your desired number taking measurements from both sides of the cutterhead. It goes much quicker than it sounds and ever knife is set within 1-2/1000. Has worked flawlessly for me, might be worth giving it a try.


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## mleflynn (Jun 7, 2021)

B Coll said:


> I got away from jigs years ago. I will share what I do, you can take it if you wish. I first sand a small part of the cast frame right and left of the cutter head flat. I use a dial indicator on a magnetic base. Before removing the blades get an idea of where you want to be. I null the dial indicator to zero on the drum, then take the reading at the very edge of the blade. I believe mine is something like 12/1000 over the drum, though not sure as I am not in my shop. I wrote the number right on the side of my planer. Once you have that number, replace your blade and make sure your are at your desired number taking measurements from both sides of the cutterhead. It goes much quicker than it sounds and ever knife is set within 1-2/1000. Has worked flawlessly for me, might be worth giving it a try.


Many thanks - it sounds pretty simple. I will gladly take all the tips I can get. Does anyone know the quantity of oil needed to refill the reservoir? Or the exact type of oil? The manual indicates "extreme pressure gear oil" but does not specify a weight. Another reference I have seen refers to 120 wt oil. Any guidance or experience?


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## mleflynn (Jun 7, 2021)

Also, for anyone out there - I have no detailed knowledge about this machine (or any others, for that matter) so I am asking what I know to be very basic questions as I do not want to mess it up, somehow. Is there a special chain lubricant needed? What is recommended?


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## mleflynn (Jun 7, 2021)

StevenWoodward said:


> This answer is by recollection as I no longer own the original cutter head, having converted to Byrd Shelix helical cutter head a year ago.
> 
> The bolts holding the knives in place require a 13mm open end wrench. The wrench needs to be thin to fit in the tight space of the cutter head. The wrench originally supplied by Delta was ground thinner. The bolts are standard right hand thread. To loosen the knives, screw the bolts into the bar that pushes against the knife.


Steven:
As I slowly go about refurbishing this machine - do you have any recommendations for what to use to clean out the oil reservoir or what oil to use in refilling it? Please advise. Thanks,

Mike


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## J_L (Apr 22, 2014)

Here's a short video about mounting straight knives back into a cutterhead using a dial indicator


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