Replies

1. 
   IanC | Dec 15, 2003 04:32am | #1

   The rollers get coated with a combination of pitch and small shavings which causes them to slip.  Unplug the machine and clean the rubber with denatured alcohol.  At least this is what I have to do to my Makita 12" occasionally.

   Ian

1. 
   forestgirl | Dec 16, 2003 07:34pm | #10

   When boards slip that badly, it is usually dirty rollers.  However, advise not to use a solvent (alcohol, mineral spirits, etc.) to clean them!  There are a couple of Delta techs at one of the other forums who have answered this question several times.  They've indicated solvents used on a regular base would not be good for the rubber in the rollers. 

   I use a warm, soapy water solution and squeeze the sponge well enough that it doesn't drip badly onto the planer bed.  Another option that I think is probably OK is using any of the "wipes" such as 409, Kirkland, or maybe the ones that are designed to be used by painters.  If they are safe for human skin, they hopefully are ok for the rollers.

   Cleaning and waxing the tables as advised will take care of the other likely factors.forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)  you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)

1. 
   IanC | Dec 16, 2003 08:37pm | #11

   Before modern day printers, solvents were used for decades on a daily basis to clean rubber rollers in printing equipment.  Soap and water won't clean ink off of rollers.  I'm not saying that soap won't get the pitch off planer rollers but an occasional cleaning with denatured alcohol has in know way affected the roller in my 8 year old Makita.  What does "would not be good for the rollers" actually mean?  What affect is it going to have and how long would it take to show up?

   Ian 

1. 
   JohnWW | Dec 16, 2003 10:30pm | #12

   Ian,

   There are a number of plastic and rubber compounds that could be used to cover feed rollers, some are highly chemical resistant but many aren't.  Like most things, the better materials cost more.  It would be a safe bet that benchtop planers aren't using the most chemical resistant compounds. 

   The exact damage would depend on the roller material and the chemical involved, but the two general possibilities are that the roller would soften and possibly become sticky or that the roller material would harden and lose its traction.

   Even without added chemicals, most rollers eventually need replacing, the most common failure is that they harden with age, but I have seen rollers on nonwoodworking machinery soften and become gummy.  The large, 15 inch or so, Makita planers have plastic rollers that are well known for cracking like ice when they get too old.

   If memory serves, there once was a service industry devoted to refurbishing the rubber rollers on printer's presses.  There are still companies that repair machine rollers, but the cost of resurfacing or replacing the rollers on a benchtop machine is likely to be a good portion of the cost of buying a new machine. 

   Given the unknowns, caution is in order when cleaning the rollers with solvents.  A scrub pad and household spray cleaner seem to work well to renew rollers and are the least likely to cause damage.

   John W.

   Edited 12/16/2003 5:16:46 PM ET by JohnW

   Edited 12/17/2003 10:17:48 AM ET by JohnW

1. 
   jackiechan | Dec 18, 2003 09:22am | #15

   John,

   Precision Roller in NH does excellent work on refurbishing roller covers.

   http://www.precisionroll.com/index.htmDan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.

2. 
   forestgirl | Dec 17, 2003 06:33am | #13

   Thanks to John for stepping up in the last post.  To provide more detail, I'll have to go over to WWA forum and do a little searching -- that's where Delta007 hangs out.  Can't do it right now -- Christmas shopping is on my evening agenda.  Will get back to you tomorrow morning!forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)  you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)

1. 
   bd | Dec 17, 2003 06:40pm | #14

   I think most of the manufacturers advertise that they are now using polyurethane rollers in their planers. That's what my 12" DeWalt & 15" Delta (outfeed) have. I had a similar feed problem with my DeWalt and contacted their service center. Was told to clean the rollers with either mineral spirits or turpentine. Probably safe with either of those on most planers. Don't think I'd use alcohol or acetone without the manufacturer's recommendation since they're certainly more aggressive.

   bd

3. 
   forestgirl | Dec 18, 2003 08:36pm | #16

   Well, I searched over at WWA but the post has fallen off due to age I guess (they don't keep stuff forever the way Knots does).  I wish the details were there, but they're not.  IMO, when there's tuff stuff on the rollers, an occasional clean up with solvents certainly wouldn't dissolve them on the spot <g> but I'd still not use solvents on a regular basis on the benchtop planers.  I try to clean mine often enough that they don't get that difficult.  As soon as the stock starts to act funny, I unplug and run my hand over the roller.  If it's not smooth, out come the wipes.forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)  you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)

2. 
   mlbfreestyle | Dec 15, 2003 05:36am | #2

   I recently had the same problem with my Delta 12.5".  I found the problem.  Saw dust had accumalated underneath the bearings for the feed rollers and were not letting the roller stroke the full distance (thus reducing pressure on the board).  I placed a piece of wood under the roller and cranked the head down until the bearing lifted off the packed-in dust.  I was then able to blow the area clear.

3. 
   JohnWW | Dec 15, 2003 05:40am | #3

   Ia addition to the above two suggestions clean and wax the table.

   John W.

1. 
   genr8r | Dec 16, 2003 03:49am | #6

   What kind of wax for the planer table?  Where do you buy it?

1. 
   JohnWW | Dec 16, 2003 06:45am | #8

   The exact type or brand of wax isn't that important, among the types that are commonly used are:

   1. Waxed paper, just crumple a piece and rub it on the table.

   2. Paraffin wax, available in blocks at food stores and hardware stores, it's sold mainly to seal the tops of jelly jars for home canning.  Scribble the corner of a block on the table, buff it out with a clean rag afterward if you want, but it isn't necessary.  The stub end of a candle also works well used the same way.

   3. Furniture wax, such as Butcher's, Johnsons, or Minwax, rub it on and buff it out.  Johnson's Wax has a good reputation for preventing rust on cast iron table surfaces.  Auto waxes aren't recommended, they have cleaners and silicones that can contaminate the wood.

   4.  High tech, state of the art, is Top Cote, made by Bostik Co.  It sprays on and dries in a few seconds leaving a slick dry film.  On machines like a thickness planer, you have to spray Top Cote on a towel and then rub the towel on the table.  If you spray it directly on the table, the overspray can get on the rollers and make them slip.  Top Cote can be found in a few different woodworking catalogs.

   None of these treatments last very long, but they can make a big difference in how easy it is to feed wood on or into a machine.  I use them whenever I'm working with large boards or when it seems to be taking excessive force to slide the stock while working with it.

   John W. 

   Edited 12/15/2003 10:56:16 PM ET by JohnW

1. 
   genr8r | Dec 16, 2003 06:28pm | #9

   Thanks!! I already have several of the types you mention.  I'll try one right away.  Merry Christmas to you and yours.

4. 
   Scooter456 | Dec 15, 2003 08:09am | #4

   My stupid Hitachi needs cleaning once a year.  Just take a green 3M scrubber and some water to the rollers.  No worries.

   Kelsey

1. 
   yotonyb | Dec 15, 2003 09:42pm | #5

   Let me wholeheartedly endorse waxing the bed of the planer.  That alone will probably clear up the problem.

   Keep it clean, keep it sharp, keep it waxed.

   tony b.

2. 
   GForcier | Dec 16, 2003 06:17am | #7

   Blow out the dusty, clean the rollers, wax the bed.

   OK folks. I'll try ALL of the above and hope for the best.

   If any or allthose suggestions work, it beats a trip to the service center, being without my planer for weeks and without some hard-earned cash to get it back.

   I'll let you all know.

   thanks

   gaf