Replies

1. 
   BG | Feb 07, 2003 10:57pm | #1

   DJBPS,

   Call them on the phone, they are usually quite helpful and know they are talking to people who like to fix their own things.  You can get the service centers off the web sight.  I eventually had to bring mine in...but that was a safety issue..and the price was satisfactory ($70)....

2. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 08, 2003 06:59am | #2

   DJBPS

       Ditto BG. If you have trouble making contact or can't get a satisfactory answer, repeat post mid next week. I live about 13 miles from the DW fix-it center here in Atlanta. I know a couple of techs and have to go down that way mid-week for some material I need current project.

       I will drop in if necessary and see if I can get a read on if this is a problem they encounter and what is the solution. No gaurantees but will be happy to explore if necessary.

       Could there be a small chip or sliver lodged up inside the column where the carriage slides?

   Good luck and post if problem not eliminated by then...

   sarge..jt

     

1. 
   DJBPS | Feb 10, 2003 07:05pm | #8

   Well, I decided I would try and fix it again over the past weekend and was ... successful.

   I seems like the problem is that there is some slippage when cranking the unit up or down. By applying upward pressure with my other hand when cranking it up, it worked fine. The opposite was true when cranking it down.

   Obviously, the slippage problem is still there and I think I'll take everyone's advice and have a pro look at it (before I wreck it permanently). But at least I was able to finish what I needed to do.

   Thanks for the advice everybody.

   Dan

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 11, 2003 05:26am | #9

   Dan

      Probaly best at this point cause the hand feed method should be used in a combat zone only under extreme circumstances. ha..ha.. May have lost a tooth on a gear and could be lodged, etc. I am not familar with the internal on the DW.

   Good luck with this and let us know what happened. I'm sure that would be helpful to some DW planer user in the future.

   sarge..jt

1. 
   jgaiennie | Feb 12, 2003 03:24am | #11

   Either a broken tooth, or a slipping set screw on a gear or on the crank.  Could it be as simple as the set screw on the hand crank slipping?

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 12, 2003 03:43am | #12

   jdg

      Yes... I wish I could see a schematic of the blueprints. Any and many little simple things like that could be the culprit. I had a TS fence that almost wouldn't slide on the rail. You could look and physically see nothing is wrong mechanically. This thing literally wouldn't slide. What element would be left for the cause when nothing was wrong mechanically.

      Yep, that cleaning an a coat of wax made it slicker than a babies butt and if you breath on it with the lock handle up, you have to set a land-speed record to keep it from sliding all the way down the rail. ha..ha..

      Sometimes life is simple and we make it complicated cause we are expecting the very worse.

   Have a great evening...

   sarge..jt

2. 
   jgaiennie | Feb 14, 2003 12:57pm | #13

   Sarge,

   I guess as woodworkers we encounter the same problems and solutions.  I just did a wax job on my table saw fence as well.  MAN!  I shoulda done that several months ago.  What an improvment!

   jdg

3. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 14, 2003 09:16pm | #14

   jdg

      I must be old and stupid. I've known what wax can do for years and failed to do it. That's why those NASCAR boys wax those cars. Not to make them shine, but actually add to aero-dynamics. Makes a difference in the big picture when all else is supposely equal. 

      Have to run as I got an emergency call for 4 new shiny engine stands for our new Classic Car showroom for display. Round counter on hold for a day or so as these are needed by Monday. I think I'm getting used to deadlines. ha..ha..

   sarge..jt

2. 
   billyg83440 | Feb 11, 2003 11:31pm | #10

   Never had this problem with my Dewalt planer.

   But, recall there is a pretty good exploded diagram in the owners manual. You may be able to get a birds eye view form this on how the entire mechanism works.

   A guess, perhaps your cutter head lock hasn't realeased all the way. You said you can move it if you apply pressure, so something is causing resistance/friction somewhere. The trick is finding what is binding it. I'd guess the lock, but it could be in the columns or drive screw/s.

3. 
   jgaiennie | Feb 08, 2003 01:28pm | #3

   I have the same planer.  I've taken mine down a few times.  Had to replace the bearings once.  I don't think too much of this planer as it's not really seen that much use and already needed this work. 

   I'm not looking at the planner now, but this is how I remember what I did.

   Lubricate the 4 (is it 4?) shafts that the power / cutter unit rides on with some light weight machine oil.  Also, under the unit there's a cover plate concealing a drive chain attaching the threaded rods that turn to raise and lower the cutter head.  That's all a pretty loose fit, and shouldn't need much lube, but I'd certainly look under there for a problem chip or something, clean it up and lube it.  Oil sparingly, remembering that sawdust will stick to excess oil.  Also lube all bearing points on the rods.

   Good luck,

   jdg

   
   

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   Edited 2/8/2003 5:51:46 AM ET by jdg

4. 
   Splintie | Feb 09, 2003 05:12am | #4

   Ha! I just came up for coffee after fixing this problem on my Makita 2030.

   All i needed to do was blow out the gears and the threaded rod that elevates the table, sprayed WD-40 on anything that should have moved (can one have too much of a good thing??), then cranked the table all the way down and all the way back up. It works...and i just luuuvv the smell of WD-40!

1. 
   SgianDubh | Feb 09, 2003 05:14am | #5

   Friggin' pervert. Coconut, hmmmm. Slainte.Website                                          The poster formerly known as Sgian Dubh

1. 
   Splintie | Feb 09, 2003 06:53am | #6

   Coconut oil is used for an entirely different type and pitch of screw, Richard. I have books that set this out in detail.

5. 
   Marcello | Feb 10, 2003 08:36am | #7

   Dan, I had the very exact problem about two months ago.   Took the planner apart and for the life of me could not figure out what was making it stick.  I finally took it down to the repair center - $35.  The tech's first words when I whent to pick it up where: "How in the hell did you get this thing to move at all?".  Well, I couldn't move it.  Anyways he said that I had taken it really low, (took it to about a 1/8" height) and chips were caught in the shafts.  He took it apart, cleaned it, and looks and works like new.  Since then, I have added the dust control which takes most of the chips out, vacuum the insides after each use, and use a sled for those very thin pieces I need.  It has worked pretty well after that.  For me it was worth the $$ to have some one else mess with it, someone who knew what to do.  I now know what not to do.

   Marcello

   Edit:  BTW, I have a 12 1/2" DW also.

   
   

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   Edited 2/10/2003 12:37:45 AM ET by TMARCELLO

6. 
   RickLoDico | Feb 16, 2003 05:54pm | #15

   I had the same planer and the same problem. Couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get the thing apart and brought it to the fix-it guy. 30.00 later it was better than new.