Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Jul 22, 2008 12:03am | #1

   Three things, usually in combination, will cause a board to stall when feeding a board. The three are, dull blades, dirty rollers, and friction on the base table.

   Rollers can be cleaned with a Scotchbrite type of pad used dry. If the rollers are hard to clean with a dry pad you can use a water based solvent like Simple Green spray cleaner or a petroleum based solvent like naphtha or paint thinner although there is a small risk that the petroleum solvent could damage the rubber on the roller depending on its chemistry.

   The hardest part of cleaning the rollers is that you have to "bump" the power switch to get the rollers to move so that you can clean the entire roller. You'll also be working within an inch of the cutter head so you'll have to be careful with your hands so close to the blades.

   The base table is best cleaned with a soft cloth and a solvent, you don't want to damage the chrome plating with an abrasive pad. After cleaning the table off, wax it with furniture paste wax or a stick of paraffin crayoned on and then buffed out. You can use a spray on dry lube like Topcote but don't spray the table directly the overspray will contaminate the rubber rollers and make them slip. To use a spray, spritz it onto a rag and then rub it on the table.

   Blades can sometimes be honed to extend their life but this still requires that you remove them from the cutter head. Taking care that the wood you run through the planer is clean will extend the life of the blades.

   John White