Gas engine powered planer?

[Jemclimber]

Not to hijack this, but I have a 12" belsaw too and was wondering if anyone has changed the feed wheels to metal. Mine are glazed over and it doesn't like to feed very well. I have to push/pull the boards and I have even put some polished stainless on the bed to make it slide easier with not much luck.

[Jason]

i have had a couple of lunchbox planers(delta,dewalt) that would have the same problem, I would clean the feed rollers(rubber) with mineral spirits on a rag and it would get a little better, boards were coming out real smooth but still had to give them a push or pull, I changed the blades, even though the board was planed great, didn't have to help the board go through anymore. Now when i have to start helping the planer pull the board through, i change the blades and the problem goes away.

[Al_Smith]

I've got a 12.5" Dewalt .For what it is it does okay but it just can't take much off at a time .

In my case by taking smaller cuts it pretty much stopped the slippage .Something like pine it can get a good grip  not so much on hard oak .

[Thehardway]

I have an 18" woodmaster 718 planer.  It uses a 5HP electric cutter head motor and a 1/16 HP variable speed drive motor.  The amount of gas horsepower you require will vary on a number of factors.  Engine RPM is not a big factor if you are belt driving it as you can adjust your pulley sizes to get any speed you need.  You can use a very small HP motor as long as your depth of cut and your feed rate is low, it will do fine.  (best for portability but worst for production as you may need to do multiple passes)  If you want higher feed rate and greater depth of cut, you will need more HP.  I would really recommend the ability to vary the feed rate.  This allow you to move faster with softwoods and slow it down with harder woods without bogging down the cutter head engine. Better yet would be a hydraulic motor feed drive.  If you had a 12HP gas engine, I would think it should give you enough extra power to run a hydraulic pump/ motor. 

As for slick feed rollers, best thing to do is to remove sap and wood residue with gum turpentine.  Then if they are still slick, rough them up with some coarse grit sand paper while only the feed motor is turning (this keeps them from getting a flat side).  Another good thing to do is to wax the bed with a good wax.  Unless you get some spiked metal rollers, they will not work.  the friction between the roller and the board must be greater than the board and the bed.  Rubber or urethane will give you more friction and surface area than a metal roller.  Spiked rollers are only useable if a perfect planed finish is not needed and you have soft wood.   

In my particular case, the biggest issue with planing is getting rid of the chips/shavings faster than I can make them.  They pile up really quick.  Better figure out a plan for them ahead of time.  My neighbors like my ERC shavings for their dogs to bed on. Oak, we till into the garden,  No real good use yet for the SYP shavings other than starting fires.

[Cguignard]

Sorry to reply to an old post but I have a craftsman belsaw planer that I want to power with a gas motor.  How did it turn out for you? And do you have any pictures of how you did it?

[36 coupe]

Not to hijack this, but I have a 12" belsaw too and was wondering if anyone has changed the feed wheels to metal. Mine are glazed over and it doesn't like to feed very well. I have to push/pull the boards and I have even put some polished stainless on the bed to make it slide easier with not much luck.

Put some floor wax on the planer bed and dont run dull knives.Ive been running a 12 inch Belsaw since 1980.The black rubber feed rolls will mark moulding.I use a gray rubber roll on the out feed.Woodmaster  rolls will fit the Belsaw.Steel rolls would slip big time.Dont try to take off to much on a pass.