SECTION 7: MAINTENANCE
!Disconnect power from the machine when per-
forming any mainte- nance. Failure to do this may result in serious per- sonal injury.
General
Regular periodic maintenance on your Model G0505 Planer will ensure its optimum perfor- mance. Make a habit of inspecting your planer each time you use it. Check for the following con- ditions and repair or replace when necessary:
•Loose mounting bolts, extension wings, or handles, or excessive play in the
•Worn switch.
•Worn or damaged cords or plugs.
•Dull or damaged cutterhead knives.
•Any condition that could hamper the safe operation of the machine.
The cutterhead knives on the Model G0505 are extremely sharp. Brushing your finger along the edge can result in a severe cut. Take extreme caution when doing any of the adjust- ments involving the cutterhead knives. Wear thick gloves anytime it is necessary to manual- ly rotate the cutterhead assembly.
Knife Sharpening
Knife sharpness is one of the most important fac- tors in getting good results with the planer. Knives can be used for a long time if care is taken in checking the condition of the wood before putting it into the machine. The biggest problem will come from wood with nails, pebbles, or other hard embedded objects. These items will nick or chip the knives, causing permanent damage. Another wear factor is sand, grit, or other dirt on the sur- face of the wood. At the speed the cutterhead is rotating, these types of surface contamination can have a very abrasive effect.
This planer has knives with a grind angle of 40˚ which is a configuration that should suit most gen- eral planing needs. The optimal grind or bevel angle is a compromise between effective cutting (the smaller the angle, the better the cutting action) and edge life (the larger the angle, the more the edge is supported, and thus, the longer it will last).
For the best results, have your planer knives sharpened by a professional sharpening service that has the grinding and measurement equip- ment to assure that the knife cutting geometry is maintained at optimum levels. Resharpening is a procedure that requires some care and precision; otherwise, a set of blades can be easily ruined.
Also, knives should always be ground as a set so they can be properly matched. Unequal material removal can result in an unbalanced cutterhead which can affect not only planing surface quality but ultimately the life of the cutterhead bearings.
To avoid downtime, we recommend having an extra set of knives for your planer (Model H5038 in the Grizzly catalog or website).
Please refer to Section 8: Service Adjustments for complete detail on the removal and reinstallation of planer knives.
G0505 121⁄2" Lean & Mean Portable Planer |