Lux Cut iii Helical Head Install | DeWalt 734 Planer

[@ghijkmnop]

I sincerely appreciate you filming this process--it helped me greatly in getting my own installed this past weekend!

[@KeyWoodworks]

This is the exact reason why I make video! Thanks for watching man!

[@ghijkmnop]

@@KeyWoodworks Also, I'm sure you've figured out that I'm the same guy as the Shop Sounds Patreon. Keep up the great work. :)

[@xisotopex]

I dont have any kind of shop/garage so my neighbors love it when I drag this out into the yard for some projects...

[@charlesenfield2192]

Thanks for the video. I've been thinking about this upgrade for years, but I wasn't sure what was involved, so I was putting it off. Knowing it could be done in a few hours without any specialty tools gave me the confidence to take it on. That said, if you don't mind I had one tip to offer, and an additional step to suggest.
For the tip, I suggest moving the cutter head to full height and locking it there before starting. That will allow easy access to the chain guard screws on the roller mechanism side, and have the minimum amount of threaded rod to remove if you take them out the bottom. I observed that once the sprockets are removed, the bottom of the threaded rods are thin enough to chuck into a cordless drill, which will spin them out in and out in few seconds. You'll have to do about 1/2" by hand, but the drill will take care of the rest.
Also, it may be necessary to calibrate the cutter head at the end. While the four-post design is going to keep the cutter head reasonably parallel to the bed, if the threaded rods are removed with the head unlocked, it will rack slightly. (That's why I suggest locking the head in my tip above. I didn’t lock it, but in hindsight, I could have and wish I had.) After this upgrade it’s quite possible to end up with boards that are thicker on one side than the other. In my case, one edge of an 11"W board was 0.035" thinner than the opposite edge. To calibrate the planer:
1. Prepare a wide board for planing (or use plywood). The closer the board is to full width the better.
2. Make pencil marks over the entire face so you can be sure when the entire surface has been planed. Also mark one edge so you can keep track of which side of the planer it was on.
3. Plane one surface as you normally would, making sure all the pencil marks have been removed. Be sure to note which side the marked edge is on, and feed the board in the same way every pass. Lock the cutterhead between passes, and keep it locked after the final pass. You’re going to lay the machine on its side and you don’t want it to shift when you do.
4. Measure the thickness of both edges at a few points and take an average of each edge. Calculate the difference between the averages and convert the difference to 64ths (1/64=0.0156) so you can use the scale on the crank to make the adjustment. If the difference is less than 0.010", then I suggest leaving it alone. You could spend hours trying to improve on that and may never do it.
5. Set the planer on its side to access the chain mechanism on the bottom, then loosen the sprocket grub screws on the side with the height adjustment knob until it slides freely on the shaft and turning the crank won't affect the other side.
6. Release the head lock and turn crank the number of 1/64's you calculated in step 4. If the crank side was thinner, then turn the crank in the up direction, and if the crank side was thicker, turn it in the down direction. Tighten the grub screws.
7. You should be done, but I recommend another test cut just to make sure. After the first adjustment mine was about 0.008" (~1/128") different across an 11" board. I would have loved for it to be perfect, but slop in the height adjustment mechanism makes that improbable, so I didn't try to do any better.

[@billswink6711]

Nick, I bought the helical head from My Wood Cutters for my DW733. I’ve been looking for a good video to help me install it. Your video is excellent…light years better than all the others. Thanks for posting the video!

[@KeyWoodworks]

That’s awesome to hear, Bill! I appreciate it!

[@forthejetset]

Is the installation process the same for the DW733?

[@KeyWoodworks]

I’ve got no idea

[@stadenart]

I watched your video very closely and then performed the install myself. Your instructions were spot on. I succeeded first time with no issues. I don't think I could have done it without your help. Thanks!

[@KeyWoodworks]

I love hearing this! Thanks Art!

[@stadenart]

@@KeyWoodworks I've planed a lot of boards now. The planer is humming along beautifully and the planed surface of the boards is amazing. Thanks again for helping to make this possible.

[@randallcrisp3266]

I listen to the podcast and never realised that you have a proper UA-cam channel.
This is so great! This video answers the questions I had about the helihead

[@KeyWoodworks]

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for watching AND listening!

[@dottyjyoung]

Hahahahahahha! I just had a massive kickback accident w/this planer (Im fine, i wasnt standing behind it) and the locking mechanism & springs were the only part broken. I cant find any replacement parts for them, & my friends are saying, "Get a helical head! Its the perfect time to upgrade!" 😂😂😂 So, thanks for giving them some ammunition, bc now I actually might HAVE to, or buy a new planer.

[@jayfmiller]

Thanks for the well done vid. I have the same model and vintage of your 734 planer and this vid will save me a ton of time. As a long time hobby woodworker, I was fortunate to obtain 500 BF of American Walnut from a neighbor's huge tree that has been drying now under cover for 3-years cut in 10" widths in 6/4+ thickness from both sides of the pith and is at 9% MC. I also have a ton of quartersawn white oak that needs machining. At the current cost of good walnut and quartersawn white oak delivered to western states, it is obvious that installing the spiral cutter heads on both my planer and jointer is a prudent decision. Here is a hint for the snap rings, put a small Neodymium magnet on the ring pliers so when the ring is removed it sticks to the tool rather than flying into a hidden spot in the shop. LOL B-T-W: I ended up ordering the LUX heads because the SHELIX seems to be out of stock and BYRD says possibly 16 weeks + lead as of April 2021.

[@PLaTerra]

Thanks for the vid. Extremely helpful with my install. The Shelix head is well worth the investment, glad it bought it and glad I found your vid!

[@joelhalvorson5431]

Good video. Only thing that I’d mention worth correcting is that a 7db drop is not 2 times quieter… it’s significantly quieter as each decibel a sound goes up, it doubles from the last decibel… it’s exponentially quieter.
“ On the decibel scale, the quietest audible sound (perceived near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful than near total silence is 30 dB”

[@_mylastname]

This is awesome. It's really too bad the new head cost more than my machine...I just picked up this model, it's being delivered in a few days . Can't wait to use it . Thanks for this video, I was wondering about these heads

[@KeyWoodworks]

Sometimes upgrades are worth it, sometimes not. It’s up to you to make that decision.

[@BruceAUlrich]

Great comparison!

[@KeyWoodworks]

Thanks for watching, Bruce!

[@stevearrant2263]

Thanks for the great step by step video, now I wish I could afford the $500 to by the head.

[@melissagraham6180]

I would definitely make the upgrade, but was also surprised by the cost!

[@karlstanton2525]

You convinced me to make the jump. Great video!

[@KeyWoodworks]

Thanks! You won’t regret it!

[@karlstanton2525]

@@KeyWoodworks Finally got the new head, just followed this and no problems what-so-ever... though it would have been nice to know the tools I needed up front (I didn't have snap ring pliers), but really good video! Can't wait to get it going.

[@phosphodiesterase]

I listen to you on the Shop Sounds podcast , currently on episode 17. I am an avid fan of woodworking and novice hobbyist woodworker. I saw your earlier videos and the lighting is so much better now, as if I see a poorly lit video I just don’t continue watching. Shaky camera also is a no no. One suggestion to improve on is the titles of your videos. They need to be more general but with some specificity too. Whatever picture that shows up when one searches for videos is also key. Don’t let it be a picture of you just standing there. If you’re talking about marking knives for example, have a whole bunch on a table and have that be the screen shot one finds when doing a search. I may not be your average woodworker in some aspects but I’m curious and I think everyone is always looking to get better or learn new things. To me it’s just a hobby but one that I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on. I am fortunate and blessed by God to be able to do so. Please don’t give up. I have subscribed and really enjoy you guys on Shop sounds.

[@KeyWoodworks]

thanks for listening and watching!

[@shamilton5000]

Very well presented. Thanks for sharing.

[@KeyWoodworks]

Thanks for watching!

[@JeffFontecchio]

Thanks for the video, you made it look easy.

[@KeyWoodworks]

It’s a pretty simple swap once you know how the planer is put together. Thanks for watching!

[@Scritley]

Sadly, most of us don’t have woodworking channels and therefore won’t receive the replacement head for free. Spending $550 on a replacement part for a planer that costs $400 doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I’d rather spend $1000 on a wider or higher quality unit to be honest. A grizzly with helical head is $700.

[@KeyWoodworks]

Everyone has options.

[@arthurdeleniq]

wow a whole 3 decibels lower !

[@jimdevenney6202]

Great instructions! Only now if you can show me how to put it back together

[@KeyWoodworks]

Just watch it in reverse! 🤣

[@kn4cc755]

It would have been good to measure the current draw with each cutter. I'd expect a much less load on the motor with the helical.

[@tntcox100]

Great work on the video Nick, I’ve been trying to convince myself to do the same upgrade but those helical cutter heads are so dang expensive in Australia. 🤣

[@KeyWoodworks]

I’d imagine having to figure out to make a helical head spin upside down is pretty hard! Thanks for watching!

[@tntcox100]

@@KeyWoodworks never a struggle when your used to doing it 🤣🤣

[@adrianburghelea9353]

Hi !
If for you who leave in Australia is expensive, for me is so, so, so expensiv because I leave in...Romania.
In this moment only my wife have a job for almost 400 $ USD....
Gos bless You to see how much He blessed your life !

[@williampatton2262]

Awesome vid!

[@KeyWoodworks]

Thanks for watching!

[@StArFuRyZz]

I did not know there's a bottom screw on the dust collector...I got mine used. Now I have to find a screw to put in there.

[@steviebye1]

How did you get yours to cut evenly across the board. I am struggling to get mine to cut exactly parallel across the board after fitting the new head. Great video though. helped me tremendously.

[@ferdbirdut]

I just ordered mine. Ty for the video. One question. What about the rollers? Did you look at them?

[@JustAnotherDayToday]

What a pain in the butt to replace the cutter head.

[@1joshua]

noticed that you had the head lock lever depressed as you were adjusting the depth. the manual says to lift it to the unlocked position, adjust the depth, then depress the head lock lever back down to lock it in damn i sound like a nerd right now huh @key woodworks it’s probably not that serious

[@glenschmeisser6633]

the t-tool is useless on mine. it cannot loosen those blade screws, they are way to tight.

[@ShaunGuthrie-CaskWoodworking]

That's a huge improvement! Curious if they have a helical head for the Makita lunch box planer. That would be a sweet upgrade.

[@KeyWoodworks]

I bet they have a shelix for it!

[@LavinWoodworks]

I just did this upgrade. After install now I can’t for the life of me get a flat board out of it. I’ve tried adjusting the height and used an indicator. I get it from side to side .001 from the table to the blades but when it comes out it’s not flat. And now I get huge amount of snipe on one end. Did you have any issues like this?

[@davesatosky5840]

so I understood that you remove the head off the top of the 4 post and then remove the cutter head, you instead removed the up/down threaded shaft and swapped heads while the motor was still on the 4 post.. is their and advantage or disadvantage to each way? im about to do this upgrade

[@minthangkhongsai4897]

can i upgrade dewalt 733 is it same sizes dewalt 733 an 734 i m from india this product is not available in market so m got na buy in online but i have no idia pliz i need ur help

[@colemahaney4208]

took out a Helical cutter in my 734 and did not like it ,so i took it out and sold it

[@benhatcher2603]

What did you not like about it?

[@colemahaney4208]

@@benhatcher2603 the regular knives are less troublesome to me

[@LavinWoodworks]

Did you have issues with the board being flat after the upgrade? I just did it and I’m having a hell of a time getting a flat board out

[@gregsnow5303]

@Key Woodworks Biggest complaint I read about the helical head upgrade is that the planer doesn't have as much power. I assume this means that the depth of cut must be less. How deep a cut can you make on a full width board after the upgrade?

[@SheartakTools]

Often the usual depth of most cuts after a helical head is installed is 1/8".

[@charlesenfield2192]

Depth of cut will depend on the width of the board. I just installed the Luxcut II head on my DW733. (I believe the mechanicals are identical to the DW734, except mine has a 2-knife cutterhead instead of a 3). To calibrate the cutter head height, I used an 11"W yellow pine stair tread. I tripped the built-in 15A circuit breaker with a 1/32" DoC. I've been using this planer for 15 years, that only happened to me once before, while doing a 12"W hardwood, end-grain cutting board. Tough, wide cuts will need to be very shallow after the upgrade. On the other hand, I also tried a 6"W piece of hard maple, and 1/32" was no problem. That's the kind of work I do most often, so I'm still glad I did the upgrade.

[@milkod2001]

My dewalt 733 was around 1000 euros. The helicat head is around 600 euros. Way too expensive. I would pay 200euros max but not 60% of another brand new planner.That.s a bad joke price for helicat head. 600 euros could give me 10x brand new blades for next 10 years to come not to mention I can always sharpen existing ones. If upgrading I would rather have spent 2000e for professional planer and thicknesser and have real day and night difference machine.

[@furthernorthfab]

This thing is cutting-edge…

[@KeyWoodworks]

Ha! I see what you did there.

[@adrianburghelea9353]

Hi !
Great work !
Thanks for video !
Please tell me what diferent is betwen shelix from Byrdtools and from Lux Cut ?
Greatings from Romania !

[@KeyWoodworks]

I don’t know that there really IS a difference since they are both helical.

[@benhatcher2603]

Lux Cut has a slightly different geometry, is supposed to be less prone to rust due to coating and alloy, and the indexing of the cutters is less prone to incorrect alignment.

[@benhatcher2603]

Thanks for making this video. Well made. I'm debating between getting this head for my 734 and replacing the 734 with a 735 and a helical head. The problem I have with my 734 is that it stalls out and trips the internal breaker if I take any more than a hair off at a time in a hard wood. Have you had problems with yours stalling before and if so does it stall less with the new head?

[@_mylastname]

It's good practice to do only half a turn per run..1/8 puts allot of resistance on the motor

[@ikhal3d]

When the hellical head is about 80% of the planer/thicknesser itself lol...

[@KeyWoodworks]

There really isn’t much to it 🤣

[@dirtybaywoodshop-joeporter5650]

Awesome video, Nick! Thanks for posting. I have the same planer and have been considering the upgrade, but I just don't know if it's worth it. After using it, do you think it would be worth the cost, or do you think it would be better to hold out and get a larger planer with a stock helical head? I do plan to upgrade in the future once I have 220 in my shop, I just don't know when that will be. Thanks, Nick!
P.S., love the Shop Sounds podcast! - Joe

[@KeyWoodworks]

Thanks for watching AND listening! I’d say if you know for sure you’re going to upgrade to 220 soon I’d wait and go with a larger planer, but if you don’t know when that would be, the helical head is a killer upgrade.

[@paulsimons769]

Just 800 dollars

[@omarflores323]

Great video. Too bad the cutter head costs more than the planer itself. No thank you.

[@tommy400ex]

No way at what it cost...... I would put 200 with it and get a new planner that comes with one

[@JkCanvas]

Do you have an affiliate link?

[@KeyWoodworks]

I do not.

[@JkCanvas]

hopefully you kept count on the number of turns for the left gear. if not your planer won't be level.

[@KeyWoodworks]

The head was locked so it never moved and the left and right gears work in tandem

[@billywigs]

I did one of these exact heads in my 734 . Love the quality of cut . My planer is off level just a hair and I probably did this exact thing

[@JkCanvas]

@@billywigs you can flip your piece between passes to level it out.

[@puddytat62]

Unfortunately this is $550

[@KeyWoodworks]

Correct.

[@mrmonkeey1]

500 dollar cutter lmao