Planer not rolling wood through
user780791_
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I have an old 22-540 Delta 12″ planer that has suddenly stopped feeding the wood through. I lubricated all the parts according to the owner’s manual recommendations, and examined the brushes. Still no go. The wood has to be pushed through and the cut is not acceptable. The knives appear just as they were after a recent blade change.
I realize that this is not the latest and greatest machine, but if it can be repaired at reasonable cost, I see no reason to replace it. (To refine the surface cut in day to day use, I just run the wood over my helical head jointer after planing, one pass.)
Has anyone had this problem ? Any recommendations ?
Replies
Check your rollers and clean them of any sawdust that's stuck to them. Wax the bed. Get the knives sharpened. If that doesn't do it I'd take it to a repair shop.
I don't know about the Delta, but my Dewalt has a belt that turns the feed rollers. I had to put in a new belt when it broke after about 10 years.
I have the same problem on my dewalt 13" planer. I have found that when I have to push the boards through, the cutting blades are VERY dull. change the cutting blades and the wood feeds through like they should!
Check the basics first, noting that this may expose you to risk of injury so at your own risk...
Are the feed-rollers turning when no wood is going through?
yes - move on.
no - Remove the casing of the machine and see if the roller drive is working. This is usually a chain - has it come off? If not, is it slipping? Will the rollers turn if the drive chain is removed? (no - change the bearings)
Do the rollers continue to turn when the wood jams?
no - move on
Yes - your rollers may be dirty or perished. The rollers need to be somewhat soft to grip the wood. clean with mild detergent. DONT USE OIL in case your rollers are natural rubber based (unlikely). It is unlikely, but the rollers might be turning inside the outer covering - check they are firmly fixed on. Hard, cracked, perished rollers will not grip effectively and need to be replaced. A gentle seeing-to with 60 grit may buy time and increase grip slightly. This is definitely a last resort.
Are your blades sharp?
No - sharp fixes everything. Dull blades dramatically increase resistance.
Yes - See above, but if you are sure, move on.
Finally, clean and polish the table. Rubing well with 00 grade steel wool and some paste wax then buffing will help a lot. Oftentimes this is the only intervention that is needed.
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