Replies

1. 
   lwj2 | Sep 27, 2004 01:09am | #1

   Your rollers may be glazed. If you can take it apart and go over them with something like a scotchbrite pad it may help.

   Not knowing what the composition of the rollers is, I'm hesitant to suggest using a solvent.

   Mild soap and water may work.

   Good luck.

   Leon Jester

   Roanoke VA

2. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Sep 27, 2004 01:22am | #2

   I find there's two causes for my planer stalling like that:

   1) The platen needs waxing.

   or

   2) The knives are dull.   This means that they are pushing back harder on the workpiece, and resisting the shove of the feed rollers.

3. 
   RickL | Sep 27, 2004 01:22am | #3

   Besides cleaning the rollers do you wax the beds on a regular basis. When I was on the road servicing machines half the feed problems on planers were cured with waxing the bed! You should have seen the looks on their faces.

4. 
   301 | Sep 27, 2004 07:01am | #4

   I have the 733 and if I do not wax the platten the same symptoms will crop up.  It may not sound like much but it makes a huge, huge difference.  Works wonders on the jointer, router table and table saw as well.  And contrary to a lot of worry warts...it will not leave wax on the wood. 

1. 
   flonji | Sep 27, 2004 01:06pm | #5

   Thanks el papa, and others. I do have 2 sets of knives and change at regular intervals and as this problem has been consistant for some time do not believe that bluntness is the main cause.  Yes I do wax the platens, often enough ? I'm not sure. 

   This point has caused me to question - if the wood does pick up a minute amount of wax, not enough to effect finishing procedures,and then the wood is reversed and fed through again, could it not deposit a smell of wax into the infeed roller, which over the years could result in that roller becoming glazed ?.  This now leads onto another point. The majority of the timber that I put through my thicknesser does have levels of resin above what would be considered a median point - for all timbers - and if this deposits into the rollers  they  again could become glazed. Maybe not much, but once they started spinning the generated heat would quickly send the problem curve skyrocketing. It's a thought.

   Another one, this a real theory. If the knives are being set too far out from the knive block so that they cut at a lower point than designed for would the outfeed roller have the same bite ?.I do not know enough of the mechanics of the machine to figure that one.

   It looks as though I'm going to have to turn it over and take the rollers out for a close inspection even though I would prefer to be a woodworker rather than a mechanic, but as the mechanics have pronounced the rollers as ok I may have no choice.

   Any advice on these points?.

1. 
   JohnWW | Sep 27, 2004 10:48pm | #6

   There's no need to take the rollers out to clean them up.  Crank the head assembly up as though you were thicknessing a 6 or 8 inch thick board and then flip the machine upside down.  You should now have a good clear view of the rollers although the infeed and outfeed tables will be in the way, but they are usually easily removed.  

   To rotate the rollers, so you can see and clean their full circumference, you can spin the cutter head assembly by hand but the several hundred to one gear ratio makes this a slow process especially if the knives are in place and you have to be careful of the sharp edges.  If you take off the side cover you can disconnect the drive chain and then the rollers will spin freely. 

   Scrubbing the rollers with an abrasive pad and some type of water based cleaner should get them clean.  If all else fails, use some paint thinner or naphtha, which rarely harm plastics or synthetic rubber if used sparingly.

   I'd be skeptical of the repair shop's opinion about the condition of the rollers.  I'd suggest going to someplace with a planer or two on display and taking a moment to press a fingernail into the cover of a new roller to get a sense of how soft the material is when new.  Then go back and see if your rollers are as resilient. 

   If, for some reason, you were setting the knives with more than the designed for exposure, this would lead to slipping problems.  If you are using the factory supplied gauge to set the knives this shouldn't be a problem. 

   Another possibility is that the drive roller bearings are worn out. Worn bearings would change the roller height in relationship to the cutter head and cause the rollers to bear down with less pressure which would lead to slipping.

   Another possibility, is the outfeed table sitting a little bit high causing the stock to catch or drag on the table edge facing the machine? 

   Check the alignment of both tables while you are at it, the inside edge of the outfeed table should be no higher than the platen of the machine, the infeed table should be exactly flush with the platen.  The outer ends of the tables can be a little higher to compensate for the leverage of overhanging stock but the rise shouldn't be much. 

   When you track down the cause of the problem I'd appreciate knowing what you found.

   John W. 

   Edited 9/27/2004 3:52 pm ET by JohnW

   Edited 9/27/2004 7:19 pm ET by JohnW

1. 
   flonji | Oct 02, 2004 11:06pm | #9

   Flipped the machine over and turned the rollers by hand - leather glove - took less than two minutes to do the full 360 degree,  quicker than any dis and re assembly. Cleaned the rollers with white spirit (naptha ?) . One roller first and the difference between that and the uncleaned one was like chalk and cheese when running my fingers over them. Smooth and slippery on the uncleaned, gripping on the cleaned.

   The roller bearings were ok and feed tables no problem.

   While in the groove took out the knives, rehoned and replaced. However checking with digital venniers found that the factory supplied gauge was not that accurate so finished up by using the venniers only. Put the 4 ends to within .05 mm spacing with very little trouble.

   The end result is that timber is going through the machine with no holdups and should it be needed again in the future will only be a job of a few minutes.

   Many thanks JohnW for your help and to all others for your suggestions.

2. 
   forestgirl | Sep 27, 2004 10:48pm | #7

   [JohnW and I were writing at the same time]

   I don't know how the DeWalt planer is configured, but I can clean my Delta planer rollers without turning it upside down, let alone removing the rollers.  A gentle cleaning pad well wrung with some soapy water.

   The biggest inconvenience is that you need to jog the rollers around to get the whole surface.  This means plugging the machine back in (because of course you have unplugged it to clean), quickly flipping the switch, unplugging and cleaning, until you get the entire circumference cleaned.

   Wipe with a dry cloth, then run a couple of scrap boards through.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

   Edited 9/27/2004 3:50 pm ET by forestgirl

1. 
   flonji | Oct 02, 2004 11:13pm | #10

   Hey did not ignore your idea, but tried the other way first and finished with a good result. Also many many thanks for your recommendation on another message re the Flying Dutchman scroll saw blades. My order will shortly be on it's way.

3. 
   301 | Sep 27, 2004 11:16pm | #8

   This point has caused me to question - if the wood does pick up a minute amount of wax, not enough to effect finishing procedures,and then the wood is reversed and fed through again, could it not deposit a smell of wax into the infeed roller, which over the years could result in that roller becoming glazed ?. 

   (Not an issue.  If you polish the wax off after it dries then there is barely enough left there to be of any consequence.  Most of the residual wax is in the scratches or microscopic low-points on the platen. )

   The majority of the timber that I put through my thicknesser does have levels of resin above what would be considered a median point - for all timbers - and if this deposits into the rollers  they  again could become glazed. Maybe not much, but once they started spinning the generated heat would quickly send the problem curve skyrocketing.

   (Now this may well be an issue.  I seldom use resinous woods (like pine) unless I have to.  It seems to gum up everything.  It doesn't take heat to make a mess either, just cover an area with that sticky resin and then coat it with several fines layers of dust and you have an instant sticky mess.  You might try something else to clean the rollers...I am afraid to suggest something.  My first thought is WD-40 but then I think "no, not a good idea".  Any other readers have a good suggestion?  New rollers maybe?)