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planer problems

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4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  emart 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
when I was planing the material for my toys I noticed the boards have large black rubber marks on them and the boards are not feeding properly. Does anybody know how to resolve this? I have only had this planer for about a year and already the knives are needing to be rotated most likely because the wood i used has a lot of knots and sap in it. the planer is a dewalt 734. personally i dont care that much about the marks they can be sanded out but i want to know why this is happening so i can keep my planer in decent shape. the marks a heavy black rubber skidmarks and they run the entire width of the board and often happen when the board gets stuck in the planer
 
#2 ·
The marks are most likely due to the rollers rubbing on the board and not feeding it properly. Check the rollers for wear, maybe they are just worn down too much and can't grip the stock. Otherwise it may be the wood. The sap might be sticking to the bed and not letting it go through smoothly. Try waxing the beds and scraping off any sap you can before planing.
 
#3 ·
i'm guessing the sap is on the table
and is keeping the boards from sliding through
and the rubber rollers are spining on the boards
and leaving their mark

raise the cutter head
and wipe the table with a solvent
(maybe mineral spirits or lacquer thinner
if not plastic close there)

then wax good

this should help

watch the blades as you clean under them
 
#4 ·
I find Dry Lube (there are different brands) works well on planer and jointer beds. Don't get it on your feed rolls. If pitch or sap in the wood is gunking up the table, you might need to clean it off pretty often. By the way, if you get pitch on your hands, vegetable oil from the kitchen is a great way to get it off. Don't think cholesterol is absorbed by the skin.
 
#5 ·
I've noticed that when my planer did that, the rubber on the rolls was twisted and torn into two halves at the ends. No amount of (probably needed) cleaning will make that go away, only new rollers.
DanK
 
#6 ·
Replace the blades. When the blades are dull, it takes more force from the rollers to push the workpiece past the blades. As it gets worse, the rollers will slip and leave black marks on the board.
In addition to replacing the blades, wax the table. It will prolong the life of the rollers.
 
#8 ·
I agree with blade replacement (sharpening), clean rubber rollers or replace if needed, clean and wax the bed.
Then spend some time adjusting the machine! I find spending toime cleaning and adjusting the machine is fun and affords me the time to really get to know the equipment inside and out (so to speak!).
burlman
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
burlman , you are correct about the machine adjustments. I just went through my DW733 and I was finally able to get the head adjusted so it cuts evenly across the entire width of the machine…..I had been "living" with it for about 10 years the way it was . LOL
My fear was that I would / could make it worse instead of better.
I had put the blame on myself for not being able to set the knives evenly , when in reality , it was the head that was slightly uneven.
 
#10 ·
well since i have a new commission in the works i took the time to open my planer and do some work. i was amazed at how easy this was considering how some brands are a royal pain to get at the blades. just one access panel had to be removed to get at the blades(which were chipped and gummed up.) so one hour a lot of cleaning and some nicks on my hands to show for it my planer is running like new again. I rotated the knives, cleaned the cutting head, and wiped everything down with mineral oil to try and get as much pitch off the machine as possible
 
#11 ·
Sounds like you have made some progress. Dont forget to wax the bed like many have said. I wax mine fairly often. It helps the wood slide through much easier and its easier to clean the bed if you need to. This is a good trick even on your table saw and jointer. You will find the wood moves much easier when the tables are waxed.
 
#12 ·
That brings up one advantage of a heavy duty machine: the segmente/serrated drive roller(s). You can still run into problems with work not feeding, and will need to clean and lubricate the bed, but at least your rollers don't self-destruct.
 
#14 ·
I haven't tried this, but it might be worth looking into: in the old days (Remember typewriters? Remember typewriter platens? Ever notice how the platen resembles the drive roller in a benchtop planer?), office supply shops had a product you could spray or wipe on the platen to freshen up the surface. I wonder if that stuff is still around?
 
#16 ·
yeah im sure this weather isnt helping. My shop has no heat so anything plastic will turn into stone. as an example in this 30 degree weather my extension cords are stiff as a board
 
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