# DeWalt DW735 Planer - What Am I Doing Wrong?



## oldwoodsale (Apr 4, 2010)

I purchased the Dewalt DW735 Planer and it set up real quick. I have a ton to old growth oak planks that I cut down to 4/4 boards. This oak is 100+ years old from an old barn. Its clean no nails. I took five small 3" wide boards about 30" long and put them through. The surface was like glass. GREAT! The next day I stepped it up and put through a 9" oak board only 30" long. They too came out nice. I took my time and was doing very small cuts. Much less than 1/16th inch. The very next board, of the same size it hesitated for 1/10 of a second but it finished the cut. After about the 5th pass the in-feed rollers started to slip more and more and it got to the point that they would not feed at all unless I pushed the board in REAL hard and then pulled it out the out-feed side. I thought it was defective. I took it back and exchanged it. Second time, the Same problem in about the same number of boards. This can not be the blades as it gets hung on the in-feed rollers before it even gets to the rollers. I backed the cutter head off so it was not making a cut and it would still hang up. I got a piece of pine it still hangs up. I carefully examined the rollers and they look fine. I looked all over this site and other sites and no one is having this problem…so what am I doing wrong…any assistance would be appreciated.


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

When it gets colder, the rollers tend to grip less and are effected by dust and debris. Raise the machine and clean table and rollers, and then give it a try.


----------



## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

Do you have in-feed and out-feed tables? If so, are they properly adjusted?
Also wax the table.


----------



## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

It seems to me that old wood gets harder and harder making it more difficult to machine.

Assuming that your rollers are turning the only corrective action I can think of is to clean the rollers and wax the table. I think rubbing alcohol works, but check your users manual first, and be careful you don't cut yourself.

Edit: I just thought of something else I've heard of. Get a spray bottle and lightly spray the top surface of the board with water.


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

FWIW, I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the rollers on my 13in Ridgid planer and that helps a lot. Just remember to unplug the machine any time you are reaching in there. *;-)*


----------



## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

Get some SlickStrips material and coat the bed of the planer with it. That will greatly reduce the friction between the lumber and the planer bed and should help a lot. I have noticed though that the lunchbox portable planers can't effectively take a very big bite each pass.

Be Careful!

Herb


----------



## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I also have that planer…....wax the bed!


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Ditto what Jim said.


----------



## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Wax often!


----------



## lenb (Dec 17, 2011)

I also purchased that model planer and I was IMPRESSED WITH ITS PERFORMANCE
HOwever it was short lived as I also am pushing tne boards through, so I took the blades and the board to the dealer and all he could see was the edge is gone of the blades !!!dah They have only done several short boards!!! All he could suggest was a new set, I think they sell the machine with very poor quality blades and as I was leaving they tryed to sell me a higher quality blade. So I will get these sharpened but \Ithink I will have to spend another $100.00 or so on good blades !!


----------



## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Old/ reclaimed wood that is dirty will kill planer blades very quickly as the dirt is really grit just like sandpaper. I try to always wire brush and then blow clean with an air gun. A pain but it beats trashing blades. I have heard others say that the standard DeWalt planer blades were poor quality???


----------



## oldwoodsale (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for all the quick replies! I'll try the cleaning and wax as suggested. Does it seem strange to anyone that this common problem exists in the first place? I examined the rollers and they are 99% clean. Just very minor pieces of dust. I may have to reconsider this unit as I have very long pieces 13' that may dirty the rollers half way through the piece. I'll be doing more cleaning than wood working?


----------



## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

Clean the rollers…..that's all there is to it. . . . . and you'll probably have to do it again, and again…. and….

edit: one of those micro-fiber cloths work great.


----------



## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Dirty rollers doesn't sound right unless DeWalts are special. I have planed MILES of lumber with my Ridgid and never cleaned the rollers (and no problems so far).


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

The blades are reverseable, so you can flip them before buying a new set. This has only happened to me in the winter, low temp and low humidity will adversely effect the grip of the rubber. The planer should be fine.


----------



## new2wood (Aug 10, 2009)

Having long boards and a short planer bed may cause the jam. try supporting the board on the infeed past 1/2 way then switch.


----------



## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

I have planed hundreds if not thousands board feet with my Dewalt 735 and am still on the second side of the original set of blades, and I have never had to clean the rollers. I do wax the bed once in awhile. Wood planed includes walnut, cherry, cedar, and some poplar.


----------



## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

It may also be important to know what kind of oak you are running, though it's unlikely that you have it, live oak can petrify a few months after it is cut down. The real reason ship builders started appearing in the states is that the English were using live oak for their ships. When they shipped the wood back, it would petrify on the trip, making it nearly impossible to work. SO they sent over ship builders to rough out the parts before shipping back to England.

But anyways, the real problem is more likely the blades. Oak is a tough material, and especially older oak, will wear the knives down faster, being that they aren't made from the same carbide as industrial planer knives they will wear faster.

invest in a small diamond sharpening stone from one of the box stores, you know the kind that look like butterfly knives? Use these to hone the blades while in the machine, you may get a little more life out of those blades.

If this doesn't solve the problem, we can look at your infeed/outfeed bars assuming that model has them, and see if they are set correctly.


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

1+ for waxing bed with a paste wax.
Clean feed rollers with mineral spirits.
My 735 has hung up on poorly cut material once in a while. If the difference in thickness is greater than 1/8" from one end to the other, this can be a problem. I just start from the thin end, and set it for a very light cut.
That said, the single most common reason for feed problems is dull blades. I have inspected blades that looked clean and free of nicks. Nevertheless, when I changed them the machine worked well again. Dull blades don't look much different than sharp ones. If all else fails, flip the reversible blades.


----------



## oldwoodsale (Apr 4, 2010)

Hi Guys…Fantastic replies…really appreciate it! In looking at all the replies it seems some have this problem and some rarely have it. I particularly note a few have had this problem in the winter when it is cold. *I took the planer from my warm basement to the 37degree garage*. The wood was also cold. It took about 15min for the problem to start which may have been enough time to cool the rubber rollers and reduce their gripping ability.I turned on the heat in the garage last night to warm everything up. Will let you know if this improves the operation. Thanks again. Keith


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I originally built this planer table for a large/long project. I was actually able to plane the 3in X 12in X 90in White Ash laminated tops of my project with this planer, HOWEVER:

++ I did have to help with the feeding.

++ I had long infeed/outfeed ramps (and waxed them along with the planer bed/ramps)

++ The planer rollers were NOT strong enough to overcome the resistance/friction from those long feed ramps. Having long "adjustable" roller ramps MIGHT (no guarantees here) make it a hands free feed, but I just don't know. BTW, what I was feeding weighed in the neighborhood of 100lb. apiece.

++ I got by by assisting/pushing and then pulling these big boards through this tiny planer.

Bottom line: I think we need to accurately adjust our thinking as to what these planers can and cannot do, or buy a larger, more capable, more expensive planer. I still love mine, but I do respect its limits. 
Just my 2-cents…


----------



## Cato (May 1, 2009)

You did not mention whether you are jointing your boards before running through the planer. I always joint one side flat, then run through the planer to flatten the other one.

I've had my 735 for over a year and no feeding problems at all. I do wax the bed and run mostly hardwood through it, long and short pieces. Never had to clean the rollers and it is finally time to flip the blades.

I also brush every board with a wire brush prior to planing.

My garage is heated and cooled and that may make a big difference.


----------



## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I have had the exact same problem when planing some old oak. The solution was, as many others have suggested, to wax the bed. It seems odd because it will still feel so smooth to the touch, but a fresh coat of wax will have those boards feeding properly again.


----------



## SteveKorz (Mar 25, 2008)

I agree with gfadvm… Old barn lumber is really dirty, and if you don't wire brush it and blow it off with compressed air, you will kill those planer blades in one or two boards.


----------



## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Just planing down some maple and the second pass she just wouldn't go.shut it down and grabbed my Bostic Top Coat and she is good to go.


----------



## Howie (May 25, 2010)

Pull the top off your planner and make sure it isn't filling with sawdust. If the lumber is the least bit damp it will tend to build up even with a good d/c. Clean the rollers and wax the bottoms. I've been using my 735 for 5 years and that's all I ever have to do to it.


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Like many have said, wax the table…this will take care of your problem. The resin from the wood builds up on the table and causes the wood to drag. You often can feel the sticky resin if you turn off the power, raise the cutters, and run your fingers over the bed…it will seem dry and sticky. I use a good automotive paste wax.


----------



## MoshupTrail (Aug 11, 2011)

Old oak gets VERY hard. Have you tried a different species of wood in between the oak planks - as a way to test sharpness of the blades. I find oak dulls the blades in my Ridgid pretty quickly, and a knot can take a chunk out of the blade leaving a little line in subsequent boards. I've had my Ridgid bog down like that when I was taking too much from a wide board. For 12" wide boards I only take 1/64th at a pass!


----------



## ScotttheSurveyor (Dec 18, 2011)

I'm new here and am going to get a 735 for Christmas(I hope)
What wax to use? Thanks for all the posts and help


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I use Meguiars past wax on my truck and boat so thats what I use on the table. I am sure other auto waxs will work too. Just be sure to completely buff it off so it doesnt get into the wood, otherwise you could have finish problems.


----------



## oldwoodsale (Apr 4, 2010)

Here is the progress: Heated the garage to 70+Degrees and let the planer warm up. Put in a piece of oak with the blades backed off so there was no cut going on and the piece hung up. So a cold garage is not the total problem. Shut it down and cleaned the rollers with windex. Could not see a lot come off on the paper towel but there was a small amount of dirt. After that I planed at least 7 more boards. One was 8" wide and it had no problem doing multiple passes. Once the oak is planed it is so smooth, I raised the cutter head and just pushed the board across the table and there is a surprising amount of resistance. The wax will be the next step. Should have my Christmas project done in time! Making a bread box, will post some photos when done. Thanks for the help!


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Mine has done this before. Spring for the infeed/outfeed and keep everything well waxed. They've come down a lot in price and I think they've <$100 for the pair on Amazon. Horizontal's got it on the head, at least for my machine. You've got to get that resinous crap off you're wheels every so once in a while to make them "sticky". I missed the part about whether they'd been over the jointer yet. I've had a slightly twisted board jam up in my 735. Good luck.


----------



## Jeff28078 (Aug 27, 2009)

Many automotive waxes contain silicone which, if transferred to the wood, will cause you problems later on in finishing. I use plain old Johnson's paste wax. It's cheap and does the job.


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I have heard that about silica too, although for all the years I have used a planer, I have always used automotive wax since it really cuts the resin and I dont have to wax as often. I also use it on my table saw, jointer, and bandsaw table too. I have never had a problem with it and finishing. I know its hard to tell on the wax can if it has silica since they dont often say, but many probably do to remove the grime from the car finish…like a rubbing compound. I often wondered if just something like spray on Pledge for dusting would work. I often use that on the impellers of my snow thrower since it works well to keep the ice and snow from sticking to the impeller.


----------



## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

Excuse me, while I put on my teaching hat.

Silica and silicon are not the same as silicone.

Silicon is a chemical element and is commonly used in semiconductors. It does not exist alone in nature.

Silica is silicon dioxide and is commonly found in sand, hence it's use in abrasive such as sand paper, rubbing compound, etc.

Silicone is a synthetic polymer and is commonly used in plastics and lubricants. The same properties that makes Silicone a good lubricant, furniture polish, etc. is why it is not compatible with wood finishes. Nothing will stick to it.

This link explains it well: http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~meg3c/ethics/cases/dcc/dccpart2.html


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

You don't want to breath silica. You'll get pulmonary fibrosis. If you're one of the rare few that are going to add finish straight off the planer, then any waxy/oily transfer will give you finish irregularities. I wax my beds with clear shoe polish. It's probably terrible to transfer to my wood, lol; however, I know I'll handplane it off the planer, so I don't worry too much about it.


----------



## lenb (Dec 17, 2011)

i am the fellow that complained about the poor quality Dewald blades, how ever I took the advice to wax my base and I touched up the blades and ran some cherry through and I am totaly amzed at the difference, I am over whelmed. 
Thank you so much Lumber jocks. I will keep my wax close by, the base was sticky.
Len


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^Also LenB, there are vastly better blades available for the 735. I've been really happy with jointer blades from Global Tooling. I have no reason to think the planer blades wouldn't be equally as good. As an idea of pricing, the three-knife set for my PM jointer cost me less than $15, lol Good luck!


----------



## ScotttheSurveyor (Dec 18, 2011)

BIG box under the tree today. keep your fingers crossed for me.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

There's a product called Waxilit made by Metabo (Elektra Beckum) which is sold as an anti seize planer paste. A tin the size of a shoe polish can has lasted me 5 years.
Just curious, are those reversible knives HSS or TC, If they are HSS they are only suitable for softwoods. (Allegedly).


----------



## Dovetail_Tendonitise (Jan 1, 2012)

I have the same problem here and in a heated building and all boards were clean Air Dryed Red Oak ; pre-jointed, i still have to push and pull the boads through it, and rerun the final pass twice to remove the skip marks !!! ahww!! but they were 10 inches wide and only remove 1/64 for the final passes.. I also have the 733 that never required any maintenance and is a single speed, 2 blade system… I will try the sprits water bottle to help the grip from the too smooth finish. That may be its own enemy is that is is too slick of a finish to grip and its a great finish too, except for the skipping marks : )
Ps, my shop is humidity controled at 45% RH and the other obsevation is the bigger machines use a serrated feed roller, not rubbber.
I hope it improves and i will reply back on it. Thanks to all for the tips here.


----------



## Dovetail_Tendonitise (Jan 1, 2012)

*Bostic Top Coat or a teflon ptfe or Carnuba funituer wax only!!! never Silicone; that component will track every where in your shop and on your projects too, not to mention trace amounts on the feed rollers and cause even more slipping.
Joe has it 100% on the silcone vs slica and silicon*


----------



## oldwoodsale (Apr 4, 2010)

Hey guys, thanks again for all the info. My project using the planer is done. It is a triple Bread, Onion, Potato bin. The oak is 120 years old from an old whiskey ageing house. The copper behind the handles is from Stoney's brewery in Smithton, PA. My Aunt worked there till they closed. She got a small wedge of copper from the kettle as a memento. It seemed like a good use for it. I hand hammered it to give it some texture. The copper inset of the barn is sheet copper, I sand blasted it and then brushed it to give it texture. The bin went over very well for Christmas. At the end of this project I have come to the conclusion that the DW735 is just too small for a large oak board. By large I mean +6in and that is pushing it. I will be on the hunt for a used old cast unit with a helical cutter with carbide inserts. If anyone has suggestions on old units that can handle 12" 120 yr old oak please let me know. I can also handle 3ph units around 5hp max. I will probably wind up selling the Dewalt. I will chalk it up to a learning experience.


----------



## DannyB (Jan 12, 2009)

I've planed 12/4 10" wide non-120 year old oak on the dw735 with no issue, so it's really not "too small" in general. You can even get a carbide insert helical head for the DW735 (which is what I have in mine).

Have you tried other lumber yet? Someone asked above, but i didn't see any reply where you answered


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I agree with DannyB. I still have the regular OEM knives in mine and I have planed countless oak boards over 6 inches in width with my 735. I have planed a lot of glued up oak boards the same width as the planer with no problems. If you keep the table waxed and dont cut too much off with each pass, they should slide right through.

Hey Danny, where did you get the helical head?


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

wax the bed, clean the rollers.

also when it gets cold the rubber on the rollers start to harden up making them slip and not grab the boards well. waxing the bed helps with this as the rollers need to work less hard, but may still not be enough - you may need to heat the area depending on temperatures in shop.


----------



## DannyB (Jan 12, 2009)

Hey Wayne, 
Byrd tool (who also makes the helical heads for powermatics) make one for the DW735.
The best place I found to get it is holbren.com (see http://www.holbren.com/dewalt/).
They are expensive compared to the price of the machine, but not compared to the price of other 13" helical cutterheads.

That is, it would cost you at least as much to outfit *any* 13 inch planer with a shelix head.
There are also 10% discount codes for holbren for members of various woodworking forums.

The main difference between this and normal insert cutterheads is that these inserts are shapes and set in a way to cut at a shear. I don't even pay attention to grain direction anymore when planing, it just doesn't matter. It's fairly amazing.

The one downside is that while the surface is glassy smooth, they leave very light scallops (about 0.001 inch deep) because it's not possible to cut perfectly flat with a radiused cutter  
I always sand after planing, so for me it doesn't matter because they disappear almost instantly at p180 grit or below.

Anyway, it was a worthwhile upgrade for me, given the cost of knives vs how quickly i was going through them + the time it saved me.

Installation requires a more work than a regular planer, but nothing hard. I'm not a "take apart machines" kind of guy and it still only took me an hour.

There are 2 other companies i know of that make insert heads for the DW735, but only byrd uses carbide inserts, AFAIK.


----------



## stevenmadden (Dec 10, 2009)

*DillingerWhiskey*: I have not read every post, but it seems to me that you are not following the simplest (and most often cited) advice. *Wax the planer bed*, problem will be solved. I have this planer and it works great. I only wax every once in a while, no other maintenance required.

I sure hate to see you go through all the trouble of selling this unit and trying to find a better one, especially since this model is the best in it's class.

Good luck, and congratulations on the beautiful project.

Steven


----------



## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Thanks Danny, I appreicate the info. I will certainly look into it.


----------



## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Just agreeing with what a lot of people have already said … every time mine starts slipping, I clean the feed rollers and wax the bed.


----------



## DannyB (Jan 12, 2009)

By the way, one thing i haven't seen suggested is that the maximum thickness of board is more than you think.

That is, maybe you are setting it for a thickness based on the front of the board, and the middle of the board is 1/8" or 1/4" thicker than that.
You said this is rough cut stuff you cut down, so this is entirely possible.

That would definitely jam the rollers.

Did you actually measure the thickness at the front vs the part it seems to be jamming on?


----------



## bhog (Jan 13, 2011)

Ive planed old barn oak with mine.Hand cut,square hole,posts/beams and planks.Stuff over 120 yrs old.If you cant join it first, slick it down with a handplane (get it close) and if its tapered(probably) run the thickest end through first.Or handplane the otherside if its a pretty severe taper.
Ive had stuff jamb up mid way through before and its usually from a varied thickness.Or twist etc.


----------



## oldwoodsale (Apr 4, 2010)

*Hi Wayne and Danny*, The shelix head looks like a good possibility for the planer. I know carbide is light years better than the HSS blades. The carbide inserts you mention…AFAIK are they "only" sold by the mfg of the cutting head? I looked for them on line and could not locate them. I have to decide which way to go, -new machine- or -make this one work-. One of the reasons I got it was, it was popular and there were many aftermarket parts available, such as this cutter head. It may work out. I did everything mentioned by the posters here at LumberJocks…wax bed, clean rollers, clean the wood, level the wood first & VERY small cuts. The feed issue was fixed with the cleaning and wax, BUT one side of the blades last for only 40bf of this oak and they are done! This is just hard stuff and it needs an aggressive solution.


----------



## DannyB (Jan 12, 2009)

Grizzly sells byrd inserts as well:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Shelix-Indexable-Carbide-Inserts-15-x-15-x-2-5mm-10-Pk-/H7354
I know there are a bunch of other places, but they all have roughly the same price/etc


----------



## Dovetail_Tendonitise (Jan 1, 2012)

after using this furniture wax for the past 2 years, i still have the same blades in the Dewalt 735 and all sticking problems are gone. I am just aware of the first sign of slipping , i stop and get the wax on the bed and all feed issues after that are gone. Thanks to all that posted here.


----------



## Timberwolf323 (Feb 3, 2016)

> FWIW, I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the rollers on my 13in Ridgid planer and that helps a lot. Just remember to unplug the machine any time you are reaching in there. *;-)*
> 
> - HorizontalMike


Denatured alcohol is more efficient at cleaning these rollers.


----------

