Helical Head for Jet JJP 12

[HowardH]

Sometime ago, I got this J/P and listened to someone who convinced me to get the the unit with the straight blades.  It was a mistake.  I should have sucked it up and paid the extra for the HH.  This things tears out big chunks out of maple and purple heart  so I want to replace the head with a HH.  Where's the best place to get one and are they hard to replace yourself?

 

[Dick Mahany]

If you do get a replacement HH, check out the parts differences between the non-HH and HH models if you own a Jet.  I had a JJP-12 straight cutter version and was going to swap heads.  There are several parts differences between the two models that change the feed rate to slow the HH version down.  I believe some folks have opted not to change the gearing, but I have read of others who have run into overheating problems with the HH on stock gearing.

I believe several folks have documented the swap and a search over on Sawmill Creek might turn up some helpful info.

 

[Cheese]

Ya go for it...you won’t be disappointed.  [smile]

My Dewalt planer with straight blades rips the eyes out of birds-eye maple. So I swapped the old blades for a Byrd Shelix planer head and the issue went away. You’ll also notice a huge reduction in the noise level and the frequency of the noise. That high-pitched/shrill whine will be gone. The SPLn of the planer was reduced by 10db.

 

[HowardH]

This was interesting... It was actually cheaper to buy the head directly from Jet ($1028) verses a Byrd aftermarket ($1160)  I also found a local Jet tech who was willing to come to the shop to install it for $200.  Well worth it since there aren't any printed instructions on how to do it.  I'd probably try and have a few nuts and bolts left over.    [embarassed] [crying]

 

[Dick Mahany]

This was interesting... It was actually cheaper to buy the head directly from Jet ($1028) verses a Byrd aftermarket ($1160)  I also found a local Jet tech who was willing to come to the shop to install it for $200.  Well worth it since there aren't any printed instructions on how to do it.  I'd probably try and have a few nuts and bolts left over.    [embarassed] [crying]

Pretty good deal.  The JJP-12 has had some knocks from some reviews that I read, mainly about the difficulty maintaining alignment of the infeed and outfeed tables when going from planing to jointing, but I never experienced that.  The JJP-12 is a solid and capable tool that served me well for years and I'd still have it if I had the room in my new shop.

The only difficulty I ever had was when thickness planing a moderately wedged rough board.  It got about halfway through the rollers and then suddenly jammed and stopped due to the wedge being more than it could feed.  There is a fabric belt that drives the gear train from the motor and it melted instantly when that happened.  It is safety feature and a Jet exclusive belt to the best of my knowledge. Once I got a spare, I never had to use it.  Go figure.

Good luck with the conversion it will be worth every penny.

 

[mwolczko]

[member=396]HowardH[/member]: I have been considering the same upgrade, so would be grateful if you posted a summary after having it done.
Thanks,
Mario

 

[HowardH]

will do!  [big grin]

 

[HowardH]

****UPDATE**** . So the tech came out today and installed the new head.  About the install.  Unless you are very confident in your mechanical abilities, it is not a hobbyist project.  You need 4 hands, 3 legs and a tail to accomplish this. The physical part wasn't difficult.  It was the 40 years of experience of knowing how certain things come apart and more importantly, how they go back together.  There were aspects where there was no way I would have known what to look for.  Maybe for a dedicated jointer or a planer it would be easier.  Not for a J/P.  About the results.  Holy cow.  The noise level was down at least 20 db. The finish is glass smooth and no tear out.  Since this was a direct swap out, no adjustments were needed.  This was money very well spent. 

 

[mattdh]

did you replace the feed rate gears also?

 

[mwolczko]

****UPDATE**** . ... This was money very well spent.

Sounds great!  Thanks for the summary!

 

[HowardH]

did you replace the feed rate gears also?

No need. The machine is only 3 months old.