Replies

1. 
   mapleman | Mar 30, 2008 05:56am | #1

   Carol,

   I had a dewalt 733 from about 1993 until six months ago. Not an incredible amount of power but it always left a great finish.

   It sounds like your feed rollers are glazed over with pitch/resin/ or wood dust. Or it is possible they are worn (but I used my planer quite a bit and never replaced those feed rollers).

   Here is my suggestion: Take a green Scotch-brite pad, and scrub the feed rollers WITH THE PLANER TURNED OFF! You will need to turn the planer off and on in sucession a number of times to rotate the rollers to a fresh spot to scrub. It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) remove your hand from the machine when you turn it on to advance the rollers. Also be careful that you do not slice your fingers on the blades while scrubbing. I also like to raise the head as high as possible so I can look up into the machine while I am scrubbing.

   I would also suggest polishing the infeed/outfeed tables with a paste wax ( I liked to use Slipit). This helps the wood glide through more easily.

   Good luck,

   Lee

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 30, 2008 07:05am | #3

   Lee, when I clean planer rollers, I unplug the machine.  A bit of a pain when going back to flip the switch for a half-second, but the consequences of the planer coming on when my hand is in there are toooooo dire to take a chance.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   Jimurock | Mar 30, 2008 06:11am | #2

   I don't think it's just Dewalt.  I had a similar problem with a Delta 12 1/2.  Cleaning the rollers did help -- I used a very fine sandpaper first, then washed the rollers.  However the problem did recur fairly quickly, and constant cleaning is a nuisance, so I gave up on the darn thing and bought a Steel City.

   Jim

3. 
   fussy | Mar 30, 2008 07:54am | #4

   Carol.

   Not to worry.  Your feed rollers are dirty.  Just give them a good cleaning with mineral spirits.  If really dirty, use a fine Scotch abrasive pad.  Wipe them dry,k and retun to making sawdust.

   Steve

   There are two secrets to keeping one's wife happy.

   1.  Let her think she's having her own way.

   2.  Let her have her own way. President  Lyndon Baines Johnson

4. 
   Disputantum | Mar 30, 2008 08:15am | #5

   Rick Peters recommends platen rejuvenator for cleaning the feed rollers. There're couple of brands: Blowoff and Tech Spray. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I will when I need to. Otherwise, alcohol and a green pad seemed to work well. I've used MEK before, but I feared damaging the rubber.

   ne sutor ultra crepidam:  Disputantum Semirotten Woodworking

5. 
   BruceS | Mar 30, 2008 06:09pm | #6

   What the others have said about dirty rollers and waxing the bed.  But dull knives will also contribute to the problem.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   Dick38 | Mar 30, 2008 09:53pm | #7

   What the others have said about dirty rollers and waxing the bed.  But dull knives will also contribute to the problem

   That's exactly what my problem was, adjusted the tables, changed the knifes.

   Came out great.

   Dick38

1. 
   Carol8 | Mar 31, 2008 09:00pm | #8

   Thanks all for your help. I'll try the scrubby and mineral spirits. If that doesn't remedy the situation, I'll get the knives sharpened. All this is great info – I had read a couple of comments online about loose screws/mangled gears, which was pretty scary. I can easily deal with cleaning rollers and sharpening knives!Thanks again,
   Carol

6. 
   MikeHennessy | Mar 31, 2008 09:16pm | #9

   DeWalt 733s have pretty soft bearings on the roller shafts. They get worn pretty quickly, leaving a roller that doesn't provide enough pressure to do the job. The only solution is new bearings. This should be looked at before the rollers get trashed from friction caused by rubbing the board instead of rolling on it.

   Not that tough to fix, and pretty inexpensive parts if you do it before you toast the rollers.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA