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planer problems

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  • 03-09-2005 11:00pm
    #1
    limerick_woody
    Registered Users Posts: 190 ✭✭


    Hi Guys,
    Stumbles across this site, whilst on my way to one of the uk woodforums, nice to see an irish one - hope it takes off. Lots of irish people posting on the uk sites of course but it would be nice to ask some local questions. As a brief description of my experience - i am pretty new to woodwork (couple of years) i am an engineer in my real-life and have always enjoyed wood, ever since i worked in a furnature making factory in the uk, a long time ago. I have been steadily building up my tool collection and have completed a few projects out of laminated pine sheets, or MDF. I have used lots of dado joints, mortice and tenon and such but never anything to creative. They have turned out ok, but i can't help thinking that i am missing something - maybe the feel of 'real' wood. With that in mind i have bought a record pt260 planer/thicknesser with the grand plan of building projects out of solid wood. And on to my problem...

    No matter how long i spend adjusting the height of the blades, the relative parallel heights of the infeed/outfeed tables and such i cannot get truly parallel boards once planed. That is, i want to edge joint some 6 inch, wide boards to make a table top - but i can't get the edges to join across the entire length, there is always some gap, usually at one end. Any advise would be welcome!

    Thanks for reading

    Sean :confused:


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    #2
    kadman
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,057 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Hi Limerick Woody,

    Welcome.
    Your problem is either, back table setting, cutter projection height, or the two tables not being level in the same plane.

    Standard setting procedures would be .
    UNPLUG THE PLANER knives at the correct position within the cutter block.
    2. Rotate the block to get one of the cutters pointed upwards at its highest point. Lower the infeed table to the lowest point
    3.. Get a small piece of straight scrap material, and place it on the out feed table.
    4 Now rotate the cutters until it pulls the scrap towards you about 2-4 mm.
    5 You could mark the scrap at the point where the cutter meets the scrap at the start of the revolution. Watch the carry foreward, and mark the scrap at the point where the cutter leaves the contact with the scrap. This distance would be about 2-4 mm.
    6 After the out feed table is set, do not adjust it further.
    7 Now rotate the cutter below the table level. Raise up the infeed table and check its straightness with the outfeed table, by laying a straight edge along the length of the 2 tables.
    8. Any difference in the straightness of the 2 tables will be self evident.
    The 2 tables need to be straight to joint 2 pieces of timber.

    Try this and get back to us to see how you get on

    kadman :)


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    #3
    limerick_woody
    Registered Users Posts: 190 ✭✭limerick_woody


    Thanks for the reply Kadman, but if only it was that simple. My normal procedure is very similar to what you wrote: Here it is

    1:Unplug machine
    2:Remove both sets of knives and clean them, also clean the area where the knives are secured.
    3:Adjust height of infeed table to it's maximum point (indicated on the table) - there is no way to make any adjustements to the infeed table.
    4:check the parallelism of the infeed and outfeed table with a straight edge (i have one that is more or less the same lenght of the infeed + outfeed table) is this long enough?
    5:Adjust the height of the knives so that they move a block of wood by 2mm

    I have done this time after time after time afte.....

    I'm not sure if you have the pt260, but if you do i would be interested to see how easily you set it up. I have lost all confidence in it's ability to do anything except take up space in my small garage. Here is how i see the problems. There is no adjustement possible with the infeed table, just a really course adjustement to the cutting depth. The adjustements to the outfeed table are not enought to line it up with the infeed table. There are two grub screws, but if (as is often the case), the outfeed table dips into the cutter a little, these don't help enough.
    I find the adjustement of the cutters to be very sensitive and even the tiniest adjustement can throw things off - i am staggered by how sensitive the entire setup is. How do i know the problem is the table or myself? Just how accurate do the cutters have to be set?

    Again thanks for reading.

    S


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