Replies

1. 
   theRev | Apr 14, 2002 06:22am | #1

   WBK,

   Same problem. I posted this problem last year here and got no replies. I could find no way to adjust the darn thing. The manual was useless. I ended up taking a piece of 3/4 melamine and shimming it up with masking tape and then securing it to the bed of the planer. Planes within my tolerances now, but like you, the future doesn't look yellow in the planer department.

   Scott

1. 
   SCFrankland | Apr 14, 2002 06:38am | #2

   Try remounting all but one of the blades by using the jig. Then mount the last blade using the jig opposite way round. Run a wide (closer to max width the better) test piece through the center of the machine and if the board comes out thicker in the middle than the two sides than the jig is no good. If this is not the case than I would say that cutter head has become out of square to the bed and needs to be realigned. How you do this is unknown to me as I have never used the machine you have.Scott C. Frankland

   Newfoundland Wood Worker

1. 
   Radish54 | Apr 14, 2002 06:13pm | #3

   I have been having a relayed problem with my JET 12" planer. Outfeed seems to want to skew off to the left with wide pieces, although it does fine with stock in the <6" range. I got mine in just before the warranty went south, and the Tool Hospital replaced the rollers, but they did nothing with the knives. I have reset them with a magnetic jig, shifted the blades slightly to overcome a nick that went through all three blades. However I still am having the problem. It causes a huge snipe at the infeed end of the board unless you are at the outfeed end to manually help pull the piece out straight, and even then it ain't pretty if your intended purpose is planning thin panels for jewelry box lids etc.

   The JET manual suggests making a jig from 2x8 stock cut to about 4 inch length with parallel length cuts. You then chamfer the top ends so that you can run the cutterheads down on the endgrain between the knives, and then underneath pulling the snap rings from the gears which engage the depth adjustment columns, then resetting the snaps to re-parallel the cutterhead to the table. WHEW!

   As I said I took it in under warranty, and have not yet attempted this fix or know if it might help you Yellow fellows, but the whole thing makes me lust after a Delta 12 1/2 variable speed and the heck with the whole bizness!

   Radish

   Edited 4/14/2002 11:15:13 AM ET by RADISH54

2. 
   djpp | Apr 16, 2002 05:57am | #4

      I dont have the dewalt or the jet but had the same problem with my delta 12''.

   After struggling to change blades once again (the older model) I set it on the self and didnt touch it for a year. Recently I needed it for a side job and took it down. Now the nuts to release the knife locking bar are so close to the ends you can't get a wrench on  to loosen them. So I took it apart .

   After it was back in one piece, I ran a couple of boards and had similar results, except  over a 6'' wide piece the difference from one edge to the other was at least 1/4''.

   While putting it back together I let the hieght adjustment screw get off. So I loosened the cutterhead/motor assembly, found a flat parrallel board' and using feeler gauges reset the carriage, cranked down the nuts and was back in business.

   I know nothing about the dewalt but I hope this gives you another possibility to check out.

                                Dave 

1. 
   WKellington | Apr 19, 2002 07:55am | #5

   Hey:  Thanks for the help and the good ideas.  I asked the question of dewalt and got no reply. 

   I found wood chips under the chrome plate on the bottom of the machine.  Look for easy answers first.  That took care of most but not all of the problem.  I reset the blades as suggested, reversing the two magnetic jigs left to right on each blade and got crowned wood.  Reset the blades using just one jig and got a decent result. 

   I appreciate the help.  Thanks again.

1. 
   LouisTorrans | Apr 21, 2002 07:29pm | #6

   Well, I  might know another source of your trouble.  I've run a DeWalt planer pretty hard for the past two or so years and I starting having the same trouble. In short, there is a chain drive system under the machine enclosed behind a screwed on panel. The drive system on mine developed some slack from use and the timing of the screws that raise and lower the head became off. My right side was moving closer to the deck than the left while running boards to thickness. In other words the left side was behind the right in height adjustment. There is an idler to take up slack and keep the chain tensioned. If this idler becomes too loose, the chain will have too much slack allowing the left side adjusting screw to be slightly out of time with the right. You might just lay the machine over, remove the cover and see how much slack has developed. It's an easy fix to loosen the idler, add a bit of tension and retighten. I tightened mine to just a fine bit of slack but not so much as to be tight.

   Good Luck!

   Louis T.

1. 
   WKellington | Apr 23, 2002 07:18am | #7

   Thanks Skip.  I had done that as well and it helped.

   WBK

1. 
   tomlowery | Apr 23, 2002 03:08pm | #8

   I don't have a fix for your planer but I have a solution to your problem....sell it to me. I'm looking for a 12" portable planer to use as a handheld planer for large timbers. I will cut the bed off and mount some handles on the motor/cutter/roller assembly. I've never tried this but I would like to play with the idea....I bet I could run down a 12 x 12 x 20 foot beam and clean it up nicely.  Please reply via e-mail if you would like to sell it.