PH360 question or any 4 head planer moulder

[Percy]

I have had a PH360 for about a year and a half. I am really getting to know the machine and a lot of its intricasies. One thing I havent got a good handle on is the infeed table alignment. The owners manual says a slight upward tilt on the end farthest from the machine helps avoid snipe. I have it set pretty much flat. The first head is the bottom one and for all intents, its a jointer...For some reason, occasionally it skips planing, or you can see saw marks in the middle of the board only. This seems to happen even if Im taking alot of meat off the bottom...Any ideas as to what I have set incorrectly?? 

[Don P]

Haven't ever been in the presence of that machine. Just a thought. How much is dangling off the end of the infeed (arching the board) when that happens?

[Southside]

On my 4000 I have the infeed elevated a fair bit. When I see those skips it has been one of two things, blades are dull and I am pushing my luck, or the DanG sawyer pushed the band too far and made wavy lumber. Either way clearly it's not my fault.  :D

[barbender]

I was wondering, similar to DonP, if on longer boards if you have the board hanging out on both the indeed and outfeed? I could see it lifting the board up in the middle.

[Southside]

All joking aside I have 14' of infeed and 14' of outfeed support, that really makes a difference.  4' is factory on each side and the 10' is a set of skate roller I set in place.  It also helps with getting boards into and off the machine in a timely manner without them falling or leaving a gap between them.    

[longtime lurker]

I like a long infeed set dead level to the bed. Formply or dressed wood top rather then rollers.... keeps it smooth if they've got a bit of bow in them.

Saw marks in the middle lengthwise can indicate bow... It's hogging off material on the bottom at the ends and on the top in the middle. More pressure on the feed and pressure rollers might help hold it down against the bed.

Saw marks in the middle widthwise indicates cup. Not much you can do there except double pass them, Or put them over the jointer, or rip them narrower.

Aside from that are you happy with it?

[Walnut Beast]

All joking aside I have 14' of infeed and 14' of outfeed support, that really makes a difference.  4' is factory on each side and the 10' is a set of skate roller I set in place.  It also helps with getting boards into and off the machine in a timely manner without them falling or leaving a gap between them.    

Can you post a picture of the skate roller setup sir 😊

[Percy]

Haven't ever been in the presence of that machine. Just a thought. How much is dangling off the end of the infeed (arching the board) when that happens?

On my 4000 I have the infeed elevated a fair bit. When I see those skips it has been one of two things, blades are dull and I am pushing my luck, or the DanG sawyer pushed the band too far and made wavy lumber. Either way clearly it's not my fault.  :D

I will fool with the infeed table angle more..I haddnt considered dull blades...

I was wondering, similar to DonP, if on longer boards if you have the board hanging out on both the indeed and outfeed? I could see it lifting the board up in the middle.

I thought about that but it still happened when I held the board till it was completly on the table..I was planing 12 footers....

All joking aside I have 14' of infeed and 14' of outfeed support, that really makes a difference.  4' is factory on each side and the 10' is a set of skate roller I set in place.  It also helps with getting boards into and off the machine in a timely manner without them falling or leaving a gap between them.    

Pics when u have time...?

I like a long infeed set dead level to the bed. Formply or dressed wood top rather then rollers.... keeps it smooth if they've got a bit of bow in them.

Saw marks in the middle lengthwise can indicate bow... It's hogging off material on the bottom at the ends and on the top in the middle. More pressure on the feed and pressure rollers might help hold it down against the bed.

Saw marks in the middle widthwise indicates cup. Not much you can do there except double pass them, Or put them over the jointer, or rip them narrower.

Aside from that are you happy with it?

Yes..I like the machine...It has alot of power and can remove a fair amount of material if you feed slow...if you do your home work presizing, you can zip along quite nicely

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

The suggestion to have the tail end of the lumber slightly higher when feeding is for a top head player.  It is reverse for a bottom head first.  This is to force the lumber against the bed plate, which in a bottom head is on the top.  This prevents snipe on the entering end of the lumber.  Likewise on the exit end. .. The outfeed needs to slightly raised if the last head is a top head and slightly lowered if the head is a bottom head.

The amount of tilt is often 1/32" per foot.  Noe that the indeed and outfeed need to be as long as the pieces of lumber.  Otherwise gravity will affect the process.

Once the lumber has gone about 6" past the head, the pressure bar is able to control the process.  If the PB is missed, then snipers worse.  If the PB is too tight, the lumber will not feed.  So, the operator opens the PB opening more than needed to get proper feed, which increases snipe if the feed tables are not tapered.