Replies

1. 
   cadiddlehopper | Nov 22, 2006 05:53am | #1

   There was a recent discussion of this same subject on the forum. You might do a search of past discussions. To summarize, suggestions were made to lift the board firmly but gently as it exits the planer. It was generally agreed that the newer planers with head locks were a definite improvement over those which lack them. Tilting the infeed & outfeed supports upward & feeding boards end-to-end or parallel toeach other was also suggested. I can vouch that the first two suggestions help. I haven't tried the third one. The fourth one is frequently impossible for me to do. For what it is worth. LOL!!

   Cadiddlehopper

1. 
   Daninvan | Nov 22, 2006 09:23am | #2

   C,Thanks for the response. I have seen a lot of the discussion on the board about reducing snipe, but have not been able to track down anything specifically about whether incorrigible snipe is a sign that a planer is expiring. The bearing noise is worrisome, but I am not sure that bad bearings = snipe.I have tried the tilting the board trick, it did not work but did pinch my fingers nicely. My planer has a locking cutterhead, and feeding the boards in series will still give snipe on the first board. About the only thing that has worked, aside from scraping the snipe out afterwards, is gluing some scraps of wood on the ends so they take the snipe. I am prepared to do this for special woods, but there is no way I want to do it for every piece I run thru.I may wind up having to use this as an excuse to upgrade to a bigger and newer planer!Dan

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Nov 22, 2006 02:54pm | #3

   You may want to open the case up and take a look at the bearings. On my DeWalt, the bearings were total toast after about 1 1/2 years of use. They are pretty cheap cast bearings -- very soft. Mine had worn so much that the drive belt started jumping teeth. It may be that the feed roller is no longer holding the stock down tightly against the table due to a worn bearing. A bit of a PIA to tear the things out, but not too expensive to replace them. Might be worth a look.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

1. 
   cadiddlehopper | Nov 23, 2006 12:58am | #5

   Mike & ALL:Cast bearings? What sort are they: sleeve, ball, roller? I used an older Delta for a long time with no problem except snipe. Considering the loads imposed on these bearings, I would expect some sort of heavy duty rolling element bearing, not something cast. Maybe I should check mine.Cadiddlehopper

1. 
   jquinn | Nov 24, 2006 03:57am | #7

   probably a bronze bushing, and not a roller or ball bearing as someone earlier described.

    

   Dewalt uses some cheapo powder metallurgy parts on its tools, for example the drive sprockets on the 735 planer.  I had to replace those after about 1 year or less. nothing wrong with PM parts, if the manufacture process and steps are all sound.

    

2. 
   nikkiwood | Nov 22, 2006 10:56pm | #4

   I was just about to suggest having a look at the bearings too, but I see someone else got there first. I don't know anything about the Dewalt planers, but the bearings were shot after a couple of years on the first Delta I bought. The service people told me it would be expensive to have them replaced, and I would be better off buying a new planer. That would probably not be the case if you have the equipment and moxie to replace the bearings yourself. In any event, before you toss it, I would call Dewalt's national service center and talk to one of the tech reps. Normally, such people are pretty helpful, and the info you get might help guide your decision on what to do. This link will get you started:http://www.dewalt.com/us/service/********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

2. 
   JMartinsky | Nov 24, 2006 03:13am | #6

   Dear Dan,
   Did you check the outfeed table to see if it is bent?

   John

1. 
   Daninvan | Nov 24, 2006 08:28am | #8

   Hi John,I didn't think I needed to check the outfeed extension, as the snipe is occuring on the infeed, before the board even touches the outfeed extension. I did disassemble the unit, which was actually very simple and poked around at the rollers and gears, I cleaned it all up and lub'ed it, there were no obvious loose/broken/wonky parts, and all the bearings were tight,no play at all. I did observe that the infeed roller is sprung while the outfeed roller is fixed, which is what I expected. It takes a fair amount of force to compress the infeed roller's springs. I thought I might shim the infeed roller, but I am really just grasping at straws right now.Dan

1. 
   JMartinsky | Nov 24, 2006 04:54pm | #10

   Dear Dan,
   Oops! I guess that I misunderstood the problem. I thought it was on the out feed side.
   I was never one to worry about a little snipe, but if it is "new" then it would indicate that something has changed. Someone suggested that dull blades may be the culprit, although I'm sure how. It is an easy check, however, but it sounds as though you've been thorough in your approach, so I don't think that I can offer much more other than suggesting that you run it until it melts.Best,John

3. 
   bladeburner | Nov 24, 2006 04:20pm | #9

   Infeed snipe is the first sympton of dull blades on my 735.

4. 
   jackplane | Nov 24, 2006 05:51pm | #11

    I've never seen this problem.

   The bearings, while bad, are a separate issue. Perhaps a lighter cut on each pass will lessen the snipe. In general, on portable planers, it helps toss aside the infeed/outfeed tables and make your own longer one piece table to improve performance.