Replies

1. 
   BrianF | Jun 04, 2003 08:29pm | #1

   Look under it. I had the same problem with my Powermatic and it turned out the the plastic gears that drive the other screw wore out and slipped causing the parallel thing and the rough operation. I replaced them and no more problems. Makes you wonder who's great idea plastic gears was.

   Brian

1. 
   Kevin | Jun 04, 2003 08:45pm | #2

   "Makes you wonder who's great idea plastic gears was."

   My guess... whomever manufactors the replacement gears that you purchased.

   Regards,

   Kevin

2. 
   billyg83440 | Jun 05, 2003 01:18am | #5

   Believe it or not, sometimes plastic gears are the best choice. I didn't believe it until I got into design, but many times nylon or other plastic gears will hold up better long term then metal gears in the some applications. Of course, what usually happens is people put them in because they're cheaper, not better, buy the cheapest ones they can get, then subject them to too high a load and create failure. This gives all plastic gears, bearings, nuts, ect. a bad name. If properly designed, they are often a good choice.

   I have a Dewalt planer, but have never tore into it to see how it actually works. No idea how their lift screws are syncronised. Sounds like something slipped or broke allowing the two drive screws to get out of alignment. Make sure your fold down tables are still flush with, not above, the bed. Then see if you can align your powerhead with the planer body.

2. 
   4DThinker | Jun 04, 2003 10:03pm | #3

   Hmmm.  If the cutter head stays in a fixed position above a flat table, then anything through the planer that actually gets cut should have it's cut side parallel to the bottom side.

   So if your boards are not coming out with parallel sides, the cutter head or table must be moving during the cut.  At my job our powermatic 15" planer notoriously slips (creeps) the table down during any challenging hardwood cut.  We quite relying on it's clamp screws, and now simply use a stick to trap the adjustment crank during each cut.  Cause if the adjustment crank doesn't move, the cut will stay parallel.

   On your planer something is slipping.  Make sure everything tightens securely before each cut. Check all adjustment cranks for play.

   Hope that helps.

   4DThinker

3. 
   JohnWW | Jun 05, 2003 01:03am | #4

   Case Hardened,

   The head of your planer is positioned by long two screws, one on either side of the head.  To keep the head level, the rotation of the screws is synchronized by a connecting cogged belt, chain, or shaft with bevel gears.  Unhooking the connecting mechanism will let you turn one screw to get the head parallel to the table.  The mechanism is either under the upper cover of the machine or under the table.  An under the table type is reached by flipping the machine up side down and possibly taking off a bottom cover.

   The rough turning may be due to the head being jammed on the screws because it is cocked, in which case the roughness will clear up when you get the head parallel to the table.  If the problem doesn't clear up then some part may be bent or broken.

   JohnW.