6. Tighten the gib set screws, beginning with the center one first. This will lessen the tendency of the knife to creep upward.
Sharpening Knives
Your Planer/Molder is a high precision machine, and the knives are an integral part of that precision. For the
Knives should be sharpened promptly when the | Figure 8 |
edge is lost rather than letting them get to the |
|
chipping and tearing out stage. A regular |
|
schedule of sharpening should be arranged. |
|
Always sharpen knives at the recommended |
|
levels and angles. Figure 8 shows the proper |
|
bevel for the planer knives. |
|
Proper grinding done at the right time will do |
|
more than anything to prolong the life of knives. |
|
More dulling occurs in the last 20% of the useful |
|
life of the knife than in the other 80% of use. If |
|
the knives are sharpened on schedule and |
|
before the last 20% of possible use they can be |
|
resharpened with .002” to .005” of material |
|
being removed. If, however, they are sharpened |
|
during the last 20% of the useful life, it will be |
|
necessary to take off .006” to .010” of material. |
|
TIP: An occasional use of a hand held hone will |
|
extend the sharpening life of the knife. |
|
If your planer knives have struck bits of dirt, |
|
gravel, or other foreign objects, etc., they will |
|
leave behind nicks and burrs on the cutting |
|
edge of the planer knives. If the nicks are heavy |
|
enough to the degree where the nick shows up |
|
in the same spot on all three knives, this will |
|
affect the appearance of the finished surface on |
|
your stock. |
|
Occasionally you can hone some of the nicks |
|
out with a knife hone immediately after the nicks |
|
occur. These nicks must eventually be ground |
|
out in the sharpening process if your planer |
|
knives are to do an effective job of planing. |
|
This type of knife damage usually nicks the |
|
knives in the same cutting circle. A simple way |
|
to remedy this is to stagger the knives on the |
|
cutterhead: move one knife 3/32” to the left, the |
|
next knife 3/32” to the right, leaving the third |
|
knife in its original position. |
|
If only one knife is nicked, the other knives will |
|
clean up the rough edge left by the nick, and no |
|
adjustments may be necessary. |
|
10
