How To Stop Planer Feed Rollers From Slipping
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I own a 13″ Delta planer that has served me well for the past four years. That is until I was planning the lumber for my headboard. I was down to the last two passes to get the lumber to 3/4 inch thickness. All I needed to plane off was two passes at 1/64 of an inch each.
But then it happened, the board stopped moving through the planner. About half way through the board just stopped and I hand to push it will considerable force and then switch to the other side to pull it through. This has never happened before. Of course when the board got stuck it allowed the planer knives to cut a slight grove into that spot. Augh!
I changed out the knives and tried to plane the next board. The same thing the planer would stop pulling the board through.
After researching it, I finally figured out the problem. The feed rollers were gummed up with pitch and did not properly grip the roller as they used to. The solution to this problem is to carefully wipe down the rollers with either mineral spirits or naphtha. You will have to remove the front and rear access covers to get to the rollers.
As always, first unplug the machine before servicing it. Otherwise, you might get the nick name of stumpy.
Never use any type of oil because it will soak into the roller and then be deposited onto the wood your are planning down. It is a quick way to ruin a pretty stick of lumber. Don’t use any harsh solvents on the feed rollers because they may damage the roller material and physically destroy them.
I would clean the planner feed rollers after planning down stock that has a high sap concentration. Yellow and white pine heart wood is notorious for gumming up saw blades and feed rollers.
The other regular maintenance that you need to do on the planner is to clean out the wood chips. The best way to keep them out is to use a dust collector with the planner.
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