My Delta 12 1/2 benchtop planner rollers are beginning to slip and I have to sometimes pull on the piece to get it through. The owners manual tell one how to lubricate but beyond that, there is no information about cleaning or replacing the rollers.
Before I do anything, I would appreciate anyone who has had this problem letting me know how they resolved it.
Cool
Replies
You're on the right track to ask about cleaning. 99% of the time, when reports of lazy rollers come up, a thorough cleaning solves the problem.
Once you get it clean, you can do this more easily by doing it more often and (if you're lazy like me) use a cleaning cloth like those that come in tubs for us housewives.
Before I start a job, I always unplug the machine and feel the rollers to see if their clean before I start. Saves alot of grief down the road.
Waxing the table helps too, but mostly it's cleaning off the rollers. Some people use mineral spirits and the like. I'm leary of doing that with these rubber rollers.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/13/2007 2:16 am by forestgirl
FG, Thanks for the helpful reply.
You have mention the "green" before in another thread. I think I wrote it down as GREEN STUFF, OR SIMPLE GREEN STUFF. I have looked for it at Wal-Mart and did not find it. Do you have a suggestion as to where I should look. I had planned to use it for cleaining TS blades.
Cool
If you want to clean table saws, put them in the laundry tub and spray them with oven cleaner. Be careful about the fumes and get good ventilation. Leave for a few hours and scrub off the pitch. You may have to make two applications before they are completely clean. As for the planer, I dismantled mine,removed the rollers and cleaned them with methyl hydrate, cleaned the gear mechanism and re-assembled. Works A o.k.
Thanks Willy, I may have to disassemble the planner to get them really clean. I will remember the methyl hydrate.
There is absolutely no need to disassemble a planer to just clean up the rollers. Just rotate them a few times by bumping the power switch,unplugging each time before you do the cleaning, and you'll have them cleaned in 5 minutes.
Usually roller slipping is a combination of dirty rollers, a dirty table surface, rough or gummy wood trying to slide on the table, and dull knives. Guessing that the problem is caused by dirty rollers without at least checking the other possibilities means you could be wasting your time, though it never hurts to clean the rollers.
Methyl hydrate is Canadianspeak for common methyl alcohol. You are better off cleaning up the rollers with a water based product like Simple Green, Formula 409, or any similar cleanser. Without knowing what the rollers are covered with, there is always a possibility that a strong solvent will damage the rubber compound.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
John, I planed some Honduran pine which is heavy is sap and the rollers have not been cleaned since I bought the planer.I would be embarassed to admit how long that has been. Also, the blades are due to be rotated to the unused side which will be much sharper.
I have been looking for Simple green since Forestgirl recommended it for cleaning CS blades. I have seen 409 around and will look for it in the cabinet(s).
Thanks for your reply.
Edited 5/14/2007 1:46 pm ET by coolbreeze
Methyl hydrate, methyl alcohol, methanol and probably other terms are universal for the same product. It is also water based, soluble in all proportions with water. Someone also might like to know that by Geneva nomenclature, that water also goes by the terms - dihydrogen oxide, hydrogen hydroxide and probably others. Getting towards sixty years since I took chemistry so they might have changed some of those things - including my brain cells by now.
Although I studiously avoid WalMart, except for oil changes (I figure they probably lose money on them), I'd think they'd carry Simple Green. It will be in the household cleaner section, where they have Formula 409, Mr. Clean, PineSol, Ajax, that kind of stuff. It's not magic, so 409 or PineSol would work too, but Simple Green works the best in my experience.
If, for some bizarre reason, WalMart doesn't have it, you can get it at Safeway and just about any other grocery store. A bottle will last you a lifetime if you just use it for saw blades and router bits. If you use it in the house, it can, and probably should be diluted. Have fun!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forestgirl,
Environmentally friendly and no obnoxious fumes either! Actually smells nice. I've also used it to clean brake dust off chrome wheels, works better than the auto stuff specifically formulated for this application!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 5/14/2007 8:44 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
My Home Depot carries Simply Green.
GREG
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Thanks Cincinnati, I will look for it.
Since I did not have it, I went ahead and cleaned both my WWII and my planner rollers with 409 cleaner. I let the saw blade soak long enough, it cleaned with simple strokes with a toothbrush.
Shopnotes, did an article a few issues back on maintenance of bench top planers, in the January issue. They used 12-inch Delta as the example. Pretty extensive treatment. Showed how to clean and adjust everything on it.
I am not sure if they sell back issues or not, but it might be worth the money to have around.
Thanks, Jigs. If I can find a copy, I will surly latch onto it. It would be really helpful to have one to compensate for the lack of information in the OM.
Coolbreeze,
I have the same planner and find that I need to keep the outfeed tables and especially the bed of the planer waxed. I don't find that the rollers really get "dirty". Maybe a quick wipe to clear any sawdust.
Apply paste wax liberally to planer bed and tables, let it set for a minute, and buff it off to a shine. Now resume planing with no resistance. The whole procedure takes less than five minutes (including the time to crank up the planer head to give enough clearance for your hand).
Repeat this as soon as stock begins stopping and needing to be finished. I do the same wax application on all my machines, particularily on the jointer bed and fence. If this is the first time you won't believe the difference it'll make.
Nathan
Edited 5/15/2007 10:52 am ET by Nathan Barnard
"I don't find that the rollers really get "dirty". " They can and will -- depends on what kind of wood you're working with, as alluded to somewhere above. I can plane a ton of poplar or oak with no problems, but other more resinous woods will leave deposits.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forestgirl,
Good point, as I have only planed maple, and a bit of ash. I do find waxing a bit of a pain, but can't justify a 15" planer with bottom roller guides.
Nathan, I appreciate your reply. My mother always said "it's good if you like it". There is no doubt that doing what you said will help. I am wondering, however, why the planner worked for 6-7 years and just now slipping. I am sure your suggestion will help. I suspect that if the rollers are cleaned and the table waxed, the planer will work even better.
Given the age of your planer, it is possible that the rubber in the rollers has hardened. Try pressing your thumbnail into the rubber, it should press in under just moderate pressure and the rubber should bounce right back, if it doesn't, then the rubber has hardened and will slip on the wood.
You can check on the price, but I suspect that it isn't economically practical to replace the rollers, especially since the motors and gear boxes on these machines aren't especially robust either.
John W.
"...especially since the motors and gear boxes on these machines aren't especially robust either." Yeah! All of us 12.5" Delta owners should wish for the rollers to wear out before the motor!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
OK, John, You have my checkbook. What are you going to buy for me? I do not need more than a benchtop 12 1/2 or 13. I want the most bang for my buck.
My machine has developed a "bad" sound, expecially winding down when I turn off the motor. Perhaps it is time I replaced it.
The "bad" sound is typical of small high speed bearings getting worn out. I've heard it in several well used planers.
Company policy discourages me from recommending a specific brand for a replacement machine, somebody always gets mad no matter what I say. You can look at our reviews for some information on the models we liked the last time we tested planers.
John W.
John,
After I posted, I realized you probably couldn't recommend a product. I will check my FWW for the reviews.
Today I cleaned my rollers and prepared to replace my blades. After I took the first blade out, I found that that "extra" set of blades on the wall was a old set of used blades I kept for emergency. With the rollers fussing about pulling the stock through, the blades needing replcement, and the small bearing beginning to make "that" sound, I had better get serious about considering an upgrade.
Thanks for your contribution.
Cool-b, can I have your checkbook? Oooo, fun. Sitting down to order the DeWalt 13", 2-speed, 3-knife cutterhead. It has its drawbacks -- support tables are extra, knives were (but don't know if are) a problem, but there are aftermarket knives available. A tank. Fan-forced chip ejection. Brings up another "problem" -- don't put it toooooo close to your DC (short run of pipe). One user reported the inside of his canister-filter looking like a porcupine when he had it hooked up with something like 4' of hose. Funny.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forestgirl,
The DW-735 I presume.
No problem, just point it towards a window (Open of course) that faces your garden. It'll blow the chips all over the place and mulch the garden at the same time! No need for a DC! My next door neighbor across the street asked me to point it towards his house the next time I use it! He's mulch deprived for some reason. Except when you're planing Walnut of course, there may be others.
I love mine! No Dead Zone either that I have found. Don't even bother with the tables, make your own. See FWW 82.
Sorry for the brevity but my crappy USA Datanet keeps disconnecting due to inactivity timeout which they refuse to admit. Can't wait for the Broadband which is coming soon!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 5/15/2007 8:45 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 5/15/2007 8:54 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Forestgirl, I take it that you like your DW 13". I like the looks of it. I thought about buying it when it first came out but got spooked with its early problems. I have read a lot in recent months from people who like it. I assume, DW corrected the original flaws. I am going to seriously look at it again.
Thanks for your input.
Cool
"I take it that you like your DW 13". " Ooops, nope, but I was enjoying writing a check from your book for one, LOL. I have the same planer you have, a Delta 12.5" a few years old.
With any kind of luck, my next planer will be a floor model, but if I can't swing it, the DeWalt is at the top of my list. They did fix the early sproket problem (see this post). That was the biggie. I don't know if they've reformulated the knives or not, but other companies are producing knives for the 735, so at least there's a quality alternative.
Seems like DeWalt's gone through this "early release glitch" things more than once. Probably pays to wait a year before buying into a new product from their line?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Would you please return my checkbook? I'm beginning to get concerned:.)
I read the thread you attached. Thanks for providing it. I have liked my Delta and would consider it in the 13, but the "dead zone" problem concerns me a little. The swithc problem gets my attention because I have had switch problems with my Delta drill press. At this point, I prpbably would go with the DW.
"Would you please return my checkbook?" Oh, darn!
I'm thinking the DeWalt is a much better machine. Sure would like to test the theory someday, LOL. Enjoy whtever you buy!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I have had the Delta 13-inch for three or four years now. Can't remember for sure, but it was about a week before I saw the first mention of the Dewalt.
I'm on the fourth set of blades. I haven't had any problems with changing the speed, or the dead zone. I'm still happy I bought it when I did.
That said, if I were buying today, I would give the Dewalt a serious look. But, basically it would come down to which one I could get the better price on.
Cool,
I read your message and all of the responses. I had problems with my Delta and cleaning and waxing didn't solve the problem. Sometimes, the motor would be going, but wood would not go through. Someone on Knots also brought this up. Here is the problem that I and others have experienced. It is a two speed system, and there is a switch to go between the two speeds. You are not supposed to move the switch when the machine is turned off.
If you move the switch, you may move it into a "dead zone", in which the motor is running, but the rollers are not turning, if you move the switch in the other direction, you may luck out and end up with the switch out of the dead zone. Once I realized this dead zone existed, I was able to deal with it quickly and easily. Prior to that, I had a few frustrating calls back to Delta service, where they told me to clean the rollers and wax the bed. That is a good thing to do often, but it doesn't solve the dead zone problem.
I notice that the dead zone is not in the same place each time, but that doesn't matter. I just move the switch to the other direction and the problem goes away.
I hope you don't have that problem. But if you do, you now know the answer.
Have fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
9619 -- I think he has a different planer. Isn't the 2-speed planer a 13" planer?? Cool's is a 12.5", probably about the same vintage as mine from the way he talks about it. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,
I have the 13". It is dual speed. I didn't if the 12.5" is single or dual. Cool responded and says that his is single speed. So I gave him some info that he didn't need. All is well. I wish mine were a single speed. The second speed adds no real advantage, and it comes with the "dead zone" problem. Oh well.
Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I've heard about that switch problem -- "dead zone" is a great moniker for it. Amazine what the tool companies will overlook, eh? If you want to trade your 3-speed for my 2-speed, just let me know! ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
96,
Mine is a single speed.
Cool
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