Dewalt Thicknesser

[VW mick]

Hi guys

I have ordered a dewalt 733 thicknesser this week

Any advice on extraction I have a ct33 and a midi not sure if either are suitable have looked into it a bit

I don't really have room for a big stand alone extractor is this going to be a problem ?
Also any pics of a mobile cart type thing with extension tables would be appreciated
(Another workshop project
.I seem to spend more time making things to make things)

Thanks in advance Mick

 

[Corwin]

First, you'll want a Dust Hood for your machine. And then the fittings and piping to connect to whatever DC setup you decide to use.

As to that DC setup, neither of your extractors are really capable keeping up with your new planer. They just don't move enough air. And their bags are far too small for the volume of chips that your thicknesser will produce. Yet, you can create a system that can 'get you by' using one or both of you current extractors along with some type of separator. But, then, that would likely take up a similar amount of space in your shop as that of a 'full size' DC system.

I suggest that you look again at the possibility of getting a full-sized DC in your space. I think that even one of those wall hung units will do a better job than using your current extractor(s).

Just my  [2cents]

 

[Alan m]

I have that planer. I don't use it much in the shop . I have a full planer thicknesser  for that. I mostly use it on site
the ct22 fill up too quickly to use that . so I use n old separator. its a pain but worth it
if your in a shop I think you really need a high volume low pressure dc .
its amazing the amount of shavings it generates

 

[ear3]

I worked with a 16 gallon shop vac for a number of years with my Dewalt planer, and was able to make it work.  But it was definitely a pain, and multiple times over a single planing session I would have to pause what I was doing, grab my CT26, and suck out the dust from the bag in the Shop Vac (I could have also just thrown on a new bag, but that would mean I would be spending at least $15 in bags every time I wanted to plane).

This summer I picked up a used Grizzly wall mount dust collector for $50 at a tool sale.  Because the air flowed at a lower pressure than with the Shop Vac (though higher volume), the unit actually clogged up more easily with the long planer shavings, even before the bag was full.  So I ended up adding a Super Dust Deputy to it, and that fixed the problem.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/other-tools-accessories/dust-collection-setup-questions/
http://festoolownersgroup.com/other...llection-setup-questions/msg514575/#msg514575

The wall mount -- modified with the SDD -- has turned out to be an excellent solution for me, because like you, I don't have a lot of spare real estate left in my shop.  It nestles in basically right under the ladder to the garage loft, next to my systainer cabinet.

 

[Bob D.]

The DW735 has three knives and two speeds and also has it's own built-in
chip ejector fan so you can get away without anything external to the planer
except for the bag to collect the chips in. I don't know if the DW734 has this
feature.

I've had my DW735 for over 10 years and use it with my shop dust collection
system but I think the chip ejector fan in the tool helps greatly with pushing
the chips to the dust collector which is30+ feet away as the pipe runs. I never
get any build up of chips on the table or spilling out on to the floor.

I like having the two speeds and the lower profile of the machine compared to
the DW734.

The DW735 has repeatedly been rated one of the better lunchbox planers in
review after review. I don't know what the difference in price is today but I
looked at both DeWalt models back when I bought mine as well as a couple
others and chose the DW735. Only thing I would change (and plan to) is to
install a Shelix cutter head and ditch the straight blades.

Actually I think the current model is the DW734 which has a three knife head
but is the same basic design as the DW733.
http://www.dewalt.com/en-us/products/power-tools/routers-planers-and-joiners/planers-and-joiners

I wonder if the 735 cutter head and the 733 head are interchangeable? That
would give 733 owners a way to increase the number of cuts per inch by 50%
(same RPM but one more blade).

 

[fignewton]

I also have the DeWalt 735 and use it with a Rigid shop vac and inline Oneida Dust Deputy.  As long as you empty the DD periodically as it starts to get full, no chips/dust get to the filter in the vac. This is a good setup. 
I'm also using the carbide blades from Infinity which stay sharp much longer. 

 

[ear3]

I worked with the 734 for years, then over the summer converted to the 735, and have been very happy I did.  The chip ejection feature is indeed impressive.  One time I  forgot to turn on the grizzly DC, and the planer still managed to shoot all the chips through the 25 ft. flexible hose into the SDD without clogging!

I don't think the heads are interchangeable b/w the 733 and the 735, since the 733 only has a 12" capacity, whereas the 735 is 13".  There is now a Shelix head for the 733 however:https://shelixheads.com/SHELIX_for_dewalt_12_inch_Planer_(DW-733)

Installing a Shelix will help with the occasional clogging you might experience due to the lack of a strong ejector fan on the 733 (I used to get clogging from time to time when I was just working with a shop vac on my 734).  The series of individual cutters on the Shelix produces tiny chips as compared to the long braided strands you get from the single knives of the stock cutterhead. 

The Shelix is expensive -- more than what you paid for the planer in fact -- but it turned my 735 into a completely different machine.  The planer is an incredibly loud tool, and that noise only gets worse as the knives dull -- and they can dull quite rapidly depending upon the material you're working with.  I found I could still get a lot of mileage out of my dull knives on the 734, but I had to add an extra step of sanding down all the plane tracks.  The Shelix brings down the noise level to that of your other power tools.  And the finish they give to the wood is superb, requiring at most a finish sand after assembly of whatever you happen to be building.  And if you ever get a nick in one of the knives, you can just replace that individual cutter, as opposed to having to install an entirely new blade.  The cutters also last a lot longer, and can be rotated 3 more times, prolonging their lifespan by orders of magnitude over the standard cutterhead.

An intermediate solution that was mentioned above would be to swap out the stock knives for carbide ones. 

The DW735 has three knives and two speeds and also has it's own built-in
chip ejector fan so you can get away without anything external to the planer
except for the bag to collect the chips in. I don't know if the DW734 has this
feature.

I've had my DW735 for over 10 years and use it with my shop dust collection
system but I think the chip ejector fan in the tool helps greatly with pushing
the chips to the dust collector which is30+ feet away as the pipe runs. I never
get any build up of chips on the table or spilling out on to the floor.

I like having the two speeds and the lower profile of the machine compared to
the DW734.

The DW735 has repeatedly been rated one of the better lunchbox planers in
review after review. I don't know what the difference in price is today but I
looked at both DeWalt models back when I bought mine as well as a couple
others and chose the DW735. Only thing I would change (and plan to) is to
install a Shelix cutter head and ditch the straight blades.

Actually I think the current model is the DW734 which has a three knife head
but is the same basic design as the DW733.
http://www.dewalt.com/en-us/products/power-tools/routers-planers-and-joiners/planers-and-joiners

I wonder if the 735 cutter head and the 733 head are interchangeable? That
would give 733 owners a way to increase the number of cuts per inch by 50%
(same RPM but one more blade).

 

[Cheese]

I owned a 733 for a number of years. It worked well for the $$ I spent.

Observations:
The knives dull easily, even believe it or not, when using it on cedar.  [sad]  I'd definitely swap out the original knives for some aftermarket carbide knives. Converting to a Shelix head would be even better, and lessen the chance of clogging the vac, however the cost of the cutter head only ($405) is more than the cost of the entire planer.

The 733 has no internal exhaust fan like the 735 so it does have a tendency to clog up when using a small shop vac.

It would fill my Fein vac up within 20-30 minutes of use. This got very expensive at $7 per bag. [crying]

Don't forget to activate the manual carriage lock after each thickness adjustment.

The 733 is a lot more portable than the 735 as it weighs 15-20# less.

FWIW...I just noticed that Holbren is now selling the Byrd Shelix for only $375 including shipping.
https://www.holbren.com/Byrd_Tool_B...MIlZ6H-oXN1gIVh4p-Ch2zJA8fEAAYASAAEgJdFPD_BwE

 

[ear3]

FWIW...I just noticed that Holbren is now selling the Byrd Shelix for only $375 including shipping.
https://www.holbren.com/Byrd_Tool_B...MIlZ6H-oXN1gIVh4p-Ch2zJA8fEAAYASAAEgJdFPD_BwE

Not bad.  I paid 398 plus tax (free shipping) for mine.

 

[Bob D.]

Thanks for the heads up Cheese. I ordered the Shelix for my DW735 should see it in a few days. Might be a while before I get to install as I am busy at work for the next month or so and also I wouldn't want to make a change such as this in a tooling setup in the middle of a project.

 

[Cheese]

Thanks for the heads up Cheese. I ordered the Shelix for my DW735 should see it in a few days. Might be a while before I get to install as I am busy at work for the next month or so and also I wouldn't want to make a change such as this in a tooling setup in the middle of a project.

I ordered mine from Holbren and it should hit my front door today.  [cool]

 

[lwoirhaye]

I had a 733 for about a decade.  It was a good planer.  I broke a sintered drive gear once.  It was not a difficult thing to replace and the part wasn't expensive but it did take some time.  Perhaps the sintered gear is an engineered weakness in the drive system.  It just broke in half.

As has been noted above, you'll need to buy the dust chute.  It works well.  I used a shop vac with it sometimes but it would fill up quickly so I switched to using one of those cyclone-separator trash can lids.  That worked very well and I still used the shop  vac to provide the suction.  The arrangement was a bit cumbersome but it was quick to set up and take apart for storage.

If you don't mind using a broom the chips can be let to spray out.  The wood will get a little dented by chips sticking to the feed rollers, especially with softer woods.  It's nothing that can't be hand planed and sanded out though.

 

[ear3]

[member=60461]Bob D.[/member] I found this video to be pretty helpful for doing the install.  He's one of the few to get the odd metric sizing on the shaft nut correct:
=148s

Thanks for the heads up Cheese. I ordered the Shelix for my DW735 should see it in a few days. Might be a while before I get to install as I am busy at work for the next month or so and also I wouldn't want to make a change such as this in a tooling setup in the middle of a project.

 

[Bob D.]

Thanks for that video, I'll have a look at the series.
I was just thinking today that there must be a couple
videos on YT about installing the Shelix. Mine showed
up today to my surprise, I wasn't expecting it until Monday.

Watching the video I wonder if using a piece of wood wedged
between the cutter and the machine might work for holding
the cutter while tightening the shaft nut instead of relying on
the socket inserted into one screw.