Dewalt Planer, DW735 problems

David, Clean the rollers with De-natured alcohol, wax the floor of the planer and put in new blades or reverse the old ones. This is what I do to my 735 when this starts to happen. Also it helps to plane with the grain. I plane both sides of a board and turn it over every time. I never take off more than 1/2 turn on the handle(1/32). I hardly ever get more than about 150 BF before the blades need to be turned. I’ve began to buy my lumber S2SSE at 13/16 then take it down to 3/4 with two passes through the 735. I think I actually make money this way. The 735 is a great planer but it won’t hog massive amounts of wood at a time. It does leave the best surface that can be had. By the way, the black marks sand right out.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Yeah, what Thos. said. Even if the rollers look pretty clean, they can get fine dust pressed into the rubber and then they don’t grab as well. The bed needs to be waxed periodically, and dull knives create a lot more resistance.

Buying stock closer to your final thickness does reduce shop time and tool wear, however I’ve found that the mill doesn’t care whether it’s flat, and at 13/16, you don’t have much material left to get it flat. I have to laugh at material that is “surfaced and straight-lined” ... someone has quite an imagination calling that a striaght line!

-- Coffee is best with a fine layer of sawdust on top. -- http://www.north40custom.com

When my 735 get to the point where I need to put a foot against the bench and pull the board through like I’m delivering a baby, it’s time to clean the rollers and flip the blades. It’s right around the 150BF mark when this happens.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I have a similar issue with my DW735. I will have to try your suggestions. Thanks

-- Festool4

Thank you folks for your help. I will do what you suggested this weekend (if my wife doesn’t have a baby first, any day now!)

-- David, Lakeland, FL - GO BOLTS!!!

Oh so you are about to find out about Mot’s suggestion. Pulling a baby out.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

haha, I think I may leave that to the doctor, but if she finds she needs help, I’ll be able to show her my resume. “Excuse me doc, but I do have a dirty planer with dull blades. I think that qualifies me to assist you if the need arises. It’s basically the same thing, minus the blood and screaming!”

-- David, Lakeland, FL - GO BOLTS!!!

If you don’t turn the planer off before you clean and wax it you’ll get the blood and screaming. ;)

I had this problem as well. I kept thinking the rollers had broke. It finally dawned on me that the bed was probably gummed up with pitch just like other tools get. Cleaned it off and waxed it and it was just like a brand new planer. So, what everyone else is recommending should fix your issue as well.

-- Owen Johnson - aka IowaWoodcrafter

Hey, Peter,
Up at Lumber Products they let me pick through whole units to get the ones I want. pretty flat and pretty straight. If not it must be my fault, huh?

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

I’m glad I found this thread. I just had the same problem with my Dewalt last night. I’ll have to get everything cleaned up really well and may have to get me some new blades.

-- Kevin, Wichita, Kansas