Troubleshooting Planing Results
This section covers the most common problems with the workpiece that you may encounter. DO NOT make any adjustments until the planer is unplugged and moving parts have come to a complete stop. For Machine troubleshooting go to Page 33.
Planing results are affected by the species and condition of the wood, how the planer is setup, and the condition of the knives. The following characteristics are some common problems, and the solutions woodworkers might use while planing.
SNIPE — More material is being removed from the board ends rather than the middle of the board.
SOLUTIONS:
•Lock down cutterhead lock knobs before planing.
•Provide more support on the infeed and outfeed sides so the wood travels completely through the planer without any vertical tilting. But this alignment problem occurs with all planers to some degree.
•Hold the workpiece flat against the planer tables and rollers so the board does not tilt while entering and exiting the planer.
•Install extra roller stands.
CHIP MARKS — Chips are not being properly expelled from the cutterhead. The chips get caught between the knives and the workpiece and hinder knife cutting ability. Chip marks are usually random and uneven.
SOLUTIONS:
•Unclog the chip deflector blockage and adjust the chip deflector clearance.
•Increase cleaning intervals.
•Install or service dust collector.
CHIPPED GRAIN — Grain shows cut marks and chips.
SOLUTIONS:
•DO NOT plane against the grain.
•DO NOT plane workpiece with knots or cross grain.
•Install sharp knives.
•Make shallower cuts.
•Only surface clean and flat wood.
FUZZY GRAIN — Grain fibers stand up on the workpiece after planing.
SOLUTIONS:
•DO NOT plane damp or wet wood, check wood with a moisture meter. Any wood with a moisture reading over 20% should be allowed to dry.
•Install sharp knives.
GLOSSY SURFACE — The wood is scorched, blackened, and/or glossy.
SOLUTIONS:
•Increase the cutting depth.
•Adjust feed rate.
•Remove all resin or glue
•Install sharp knives so shallow cuts do not have to be made to compensate for dull knives that burn the wood. If a glossy and burned surface has existed for a long time, the knives will be
WOOD DOES NOT FEED CORRECTLY — The planer draws wood in erratically or slowly.
SOLUTIONS:
•Adjust the bed rollers, they may be too low, or too high, or tilted to high on one side.
•Adjust the feed rollers
•Adjust the chip breaker, it may be dragging on the workpiece.
•Plane wood that is not twisted or warped
•Lock down cutterhead lock knobs before planing.
•Remove any pitch
•Replace the knives if they are dull or broken.
OPERATIONS
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