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Need Help with Planer/Molder

Started by paul91344, January 11, 2005, 04:26:38 PM

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paul91344

Hopefully some of you can give me some advice.  I inherited a 15' Craftsman Planer/Molder.  I don't know what I am doing wrong, but boards won't feed.  According to the Operator's Manual, the Rollercase Assembly has rollers, but I don't see any rollers, only a set of teeth on the feed side and a brush on the discharge side.  I know that my uncle used the planer regularly, but I never watched him closely.  

If anybody can give me any hints, I would greatly appreciate any help.

Paul

Faron

Paul, In what condition is the planer bed? A little rust on the bed will keep a planer from feeding.  Buff it to a shine with sandpaper or hardware cloth.  After it is good and clean, apply a coat of paste furniture wax and let that dry.  Apply more wax as needed.  That is just sorta general info, as I haven't used a Craftsman, but the principal should be the same.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

OneWithWood

Paul,
Welcome to the forum!  I do not have any experience with your particular planer so I cannot give you any solid advice but I definately wanted to welcome you aboard.
I am sure some of our members will be able to help you out.
Make yourself at home here and stay awhile.  Fill out your bio and plant a tree on the map.  I think you are our first member from Nevada. 8)
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

chet

Paul,
Do you have the model number of this machine?
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

Furby

Kind had the same problem with a small (12 1/2") table top Craftsman planer.
Did some Red Oak with it last spring without any trouble. Tried to do a piece of cypress with it this past fall, and it wouldn't feed.
I don't think anyone used it in between, but I still don't know why it don't feed. :-/

Ianab

Furby
My little DeWalt planer is fussy about feeding cypress too. And guess what 90% of my timber stash is?  ::)
I have to keep the bottom plate and feed in / out tables real clean and polished for it to feed reliably. But I can feed hard as rock Eucalyptus thu it no worries  ???

Like Faron says.. the bed has to be super clean and slippery. Some wood just seems to be more attracted to the bed than the rollers?

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

pappy

Paul,
And anybody else who has feed problems with their planer :P maybe this will help. It's worked very well for me.    

scroll to  >>>>>Reply #21 on

https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=sawmill;action=display;num=1079782283;start=20


pappy
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

paul91344

Thanks for the info thus far...The model number is 351.217450.  The tray is rust free, but I will try lubricant on the tray.  I'll let you know the results.

Paul

D._Frederick

Paul,

If I remember correctly, the Craftman planer uses rubber feed rolls to feed the lumber. There are two of them located by the cutter head, they must also be clean. Check them for condition, when they get old, they crack.  I don't know if your planer has a chip breaker, if it does, it is located just in front of the cutter head. If it is too low, it will stop boards from feeding.

See if you can get operation instructions from Sears and align this planer and see what happens.

edsaws

Go to http://www3.sears.com/ type in you model no. and check out the diagram. It looks like your suppose to have 2 rollers to feed the stock through from wwhat I'm seein in their diagram.

Paschale

Hey Termite,

That link was great!  I bookmarked that one for when I need to tweak my planer/molder.  It's amazing the info's that's buried here in the forum--thanks for bringing that back to the light of day!   :)  

I think it might be beneficial to have a section in the Knowledge Base regarding machine maintenance--I'd definitely vote to have Termite's comments added about tweaking planer/molders to the knowledge base, fwiw.

Y'all can pronounce it "puh-SKOLLY"

chet

Paul,
Your planer should have a feed roller and an exit roller. They should both be a semi hard cushion roller. They should be just over the feed tray. First things first, verify that they are turning when the unit is running. You may have a drive chain off, a broken key, or a missing roll pin.
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

ladylake

Paul
I have a RBI 20" planer molder that came with a 1/2" plastic top to go over the bed.  Without the plastic top I had lots of trouble getting wood though, with it no problem.  Maybe you find a piece of slippery plastic for yours.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Fla._Deadheader


  After getting all the help found by Termite's link, we bought a 12" wide piece of Melboard. That's the white coated stuff used for quick assembly cabinets. It is REAL slick, and hard. We screwed a cleat to the bottom, so it won't feed into the planer and out the other side. Cheap, slick and lays flat. 1" thick will just make your scale read 1" high .  ;D ;D

  Welcome to the forum, Paul.  ;) ;D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Texas Ranger

I run a 15" delta, every now and then I need to clean, polish, and coat the feed surfaces with silicon.  works well.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

MemphisLogger

Careful with that silicone, Ranger, if it gets on the wood and doesn't get sanded off, it will wreak havoc with finishes.

Pure paste wax (no silicone added) is a safer bet.
Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

Ed

Looking at the drivetrain diagram, it could be a stripped feed roller drive gear, ya might have to take it apart a litte to check.

Faron

Paul, Did you ever get her running?
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

Texas Ranger

thanks, Scott, haven't had any problems, yet.  How about turtle wax?
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Ironwood

I know a guy up in NY who puts  good ole DUCK TAPE on the feed rollers of his planer molder. He swears by it and runs alot  of custom mouldings commercially. has two or three of these planer moulders and they all have duct tape replacing the worn rubber feed rollers as he wears out the original material. Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Tom

Duct tape sounds like a good idea for rubber rollers.  I might try that. :)

The best wax I've found for lubricating the surfaces of a planer or Table Saw is Johnson's Paste Floor Wax.  The one in the short round yellow can.  

It is recommended that waxes called tru wax be used because  many waxes have silicon and other additives in them.  They are death on wood finishes.  Tru Wax, according to what I can find out, was developed from "tree" wax.  Basically, I think, the recommendation is for waxes produced by vegetation rather than animal or mineral sources.
http://www.cyberlipid.org/wax/wax0001.htm

Waxes have been recommended to me for lubrication of the moving parts of the planer as well as the bed.   Gob it on the threads of the acme threads or threaded rods that control the height of the head.  It won't hurt anything but it does create a slick surface that won't rust or collect sawdust.

SwampDonkey

Termite,

Is that the scientific name for teflon? Farmers here use it to line metal on potato harvesters and rollers and elevator (speed) beds on harvestors. Keeps from wearing the metal. Also, teflon is used in the meat shops as cutting boards or at home as cutting boards. They manufacture the stuff not far from here, in Grand Falls. It comes as powder in sealed tubs and they add some chemicals to make it into the teflon product.

Good tip on the planer. :)

As stated ealier your planer has a feed and exit roller and sometimes the rubber on these feed rollers wear and may need replacing. Sometimes I just give the board a hand by pushing it along. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

pappy

Donk,
Don't know if it's the "scientific name" for this stuff but this is what these folks call it.


  
QuoteLONG WEARING, SLIPPERY UHMW MAKES GREAT JIGS AND FIXTURES...MACHINES LIKE WOOD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Ultra High Molecular Weight (UHMW) plastic is dense, very slippery and tremendously durable - available in sizes and shapes to fit your specific needs:


1/8", 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" thick pieces make great auxiliary fences.
3/4" material works well for making fixture and jig runners and cutouts.
3/8" x 3/4" piece can be used as a miter gauge slot runner (might require final fitting).
813-784 - Self adhesive UHMW wearstrip can be applied to machine fences, tool bottom plates or base plates.
UHMW machines just like wood, except it has a tendency to clog fine countersinks.
USA.



http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=836-990&LARGEVIEW=ON

It's the same material pastry and butcher shops use.  When it's time to change their work surface you can usually get it for a good deal. Also makes good skis for ya tote sled :P

Wax is fine if you run 100 lin ft of lumber but it don't last.  When ya gotta run a couple 1000 lin ft or more and your shutting down the planer to wax while ya customer is standing there watching the clock ... well I had to find something better and the local farm machinery manufacture turned me onto this stuff and  :o  :o BRILLIANT !!! JUST BRILLIANT !!!  
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

SwampDonkey

I'm pretty sure its teflon, maybe make casual mention of the name and maybe they can confirm it. Teflon is pretty slick too, it lines most new frying pans and is added in some windshield washer fluid. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Texas Ranger

Question of waxes and silicon.  If silicon gets on wood surfaces and cause finish problems if not sanded off, would  not any wax do the same?  Canauba are any of the vegie waxes are slick, and effect the surface finish.

Is it 6 of one and a half dozen of the other?
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

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