Corrrugated Head Instructions

Tips for using our Corrugated Cutterheads

Our  corrugated cutterheads are manufactured to standards that will meet or exceed operating specifications.

As with any cutterhead, we recommend that care be taken to maintain the heads so that they are kept in good operating condition. 

This would include the following:

1. Make sure knives are balanced properly. It is recommended that knives be balanced to within .1 gram or better. All knives sold by Oella Saw and Tool meet this standard.

 2. Keep head free of accumulated pitch and resins.  This includes gibs which tend to get gunked up over time.  This gunk adds weight.  Under the laws of physics, this weight is amplified to incredible forces when head is operating under normal operating speeds.  These forces will cause vibtation and strain on machine.  In addition, a poor finish may result.   Use a cutterhead cleaner.  We sell it by the 16oz. size to gallon conatiners.  If you are in a pinch, some customers use oven cleaner.  Keep in mind, oven cleaner will react to aluminum.  It can erode the surface. We advise careful handling when cleaning aluminum heads.

4. Inspect heads for any damage or defects that may have occurred while handling or during the grinding process or from general wear and tear. If any defects are discovered on the head body it is recommended that it be evaluated, and possibly reconditioned and balanced.  

5. Use the correct gibs. Some of the heads we sell include gibs having an additional number to designate which knife slot it should be used in. Dual hook heads will be marked accordingly.  The gib of a 12 degree pocket must not be mixed with a 20 degree pocket.  They are machined with different geometries.  It is recommended that the same gibs stay with the head and be used in the same knife slots they were originally balanced and supplied with. If the knives are properly balanced this will produce an assembly with the most precise balance.

6. Corrugation Inspection on each end of the head should be carried out periodically.  Improper loading of the knives may damage  the corrugations on the head, remember, HSS steel is harder then  the steel used in the head. If you clamp down on a knife that is not mated properly, dmamage will occur. 

 7. Tighten the gib screws properly. Each wing should be tightened incrementally from an initial snug up to a final torque of 25 ft-lbs. By alternating the gib screw tightening process the stress build-up in the head body is held to a minimum and more evenly distributed preventing any head distortion. :

8. Maximum Knife Projection should be followed. In addition there should be at least as much knife engaged inside the head as there is extended out from the head body.

9. Do Not Exceed Recommended RPM .