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GregLee
23rd July 2004, 11:53 AM
I picked up one of the reconditioned Ryobi AP13 Thicknessers for $150 yesterday. I have tried it out today and whilst it produces good results in pine tassie oak etc. It does appear to have one issue.

When planing any length of timber it will plane the last 50mm of timber to 0.5 mm greater depth than the rest. Is this normal for one of these cheap thicknessers?

I have read the manual and can't see what could be adjusted to resolve this.

Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated. :confused:

mat
23rd July 2004, 12:28 PM
Did you have adequate support for the timber on the outfeed side. Once the timber leaves the infeed roller it can move upwards and therefore cut deeper if it is not adequately supported on the outfeed side.

GregLee
23rd July 2004, 12:37 PM
Yes timber was supported well. I also thought that may be the case. So I planed a few pieces 300mm long of various timber types. Same issue.

I rang Ryobi and they want me to bring it back with the timber samples. Just wish they weren't at Milperra as I live in Manly (other side of Sydney).

I'll know better next time. Try it out in the shop b4 u leave.

mat
23rd July 2004, 01:46 PM
It must be related to the timber leaving the input roller. Maybe the sheet metal base is springy and pushes the timber up when it leaves the roller.

mat
23rd July 2004, 01:47 PM
Try staggering a few narrow pieces so one ends after another has started and see what happens.

jimmyjames
23rd July 2004, 02:09 PM
Hi greg, mine does that too. It is definately due to the change in the timbers stability as it passes under the roller. I allow 50mm or so onto either end of any peice I'm doing or support it carefully as it enters or leaves the machine and use blanks either side of the peice as it goes through the machine to take the brunt of the snipe.

Another issue. Yesterday I was planing some old painted oregon and the rubber roller was really struggling to pass the peice through. It was planing fine, the motor didn't seem to be laboring too much but the roller was slipping on the painted surface. Even backing off to take 1/2 mm off with each pass didn't make a diff. There was a lot of twist and warp in the timber so I'm putting it down to the roller not getting great purchase on the peice as it passed through. What do you think?

himzol
23rd July 2004, 03:08 PM
Greg,

I baught one of these units earlier in the year (from Melbourne), haven't had the problem you speak of. I do get a bit of snipe but I've learned to allow for this with the length of timer I use. I would definetly take it back if I were you and have them look at it before the three months is up.

JimmyJames,

Mine does that as well, the problem seems to be lack of dust extraction. When it happens to mine I give it a good clean with a vaccume and wipe the rollers with a cloth and it's fine after that.
I have used it on English Oak, Jarrah various other timbers, I am wary of the Ryobi badge these days so have never really tried to take off too much material in any one pass.

regards,

Himzo.

lbarnes
23rd July 2004, 03:14 PM
I think the problem you are experiencing is 'snipe'. My Hafco cheapy thicknesser does it on harder timbers when cutting aggressively. I find if i back off on the cutting depth and make sure outfeed support is on the same plane as the thicknesser's table the problem is greatly reduced.

See this http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/planer_setup.pdf for an explanation.


Luke

GregLee
23rd July 2004, 06:32 PM
I have adjusted both the infeed and outfeed rollers so that they are parallel to the rollers and cutter head. Snipe is now reduced. However, it still exists even on very fine cuts.

When cutting, the initial grab of the timber by the infeed roller appears to lever the entire cutter head up slightly on the support columns. This raises the cutter head slightly. This appears to be due to some slight lateral movement of the cutter block on the support posts. This movement does not appear to be as pronounced on the outfeed side. As a result, when the timber is removed from below the infeed roller when you get to the end of the timber the cutter head then drops 1/2 mm resulting in the snipe issue.

As these thicknessers don't have column locks I doubt there is much that can be done about this apart from adjusting as discussed previously to minimise the snipe. I will take the thicknesser out to Ryobi and show them the issue. You never know they might even be able to fix it. I doubt it somehow though.

Anyway for $150 I'm not too unhappy. I can live with the problem as it as long as I make sure that I thickness all timber prior to cutting and allow for the snipe wastage.

Thanks everyone for your help as usual. :rolleyes:

Iain
23rd July 2004, 06:40 PM
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/plan-pm.htm
Could help a little.

glenn k
23rd July 2004, 06:50 PM
Try lifting the wood up as it comes out of the thicknesser and I think the problem will stop. My carbitec 12" does it as well if I am not carefull.

GregLee
23rd July 2004, 08:05 PM
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/plan-pm.htm
Could help a little.

Thanks Iain,

Looks interesting. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

GregLee
23rd July 2004, 08:08 PM
Try lifting the wood up as it comes out of the thicknesser and I think the problem will stop. My carbitec 12" does it as well if I am not carefull.

This was the first of many options I have tried. Only one that works is to add another piece of timber the same thickness to the infeed just before the original piece finishes feeding. In this way you move the snipe from piece 1 to piece 2.

Ben from Vic.
23rd July 2004, 10:10 PM
JimmyJames.

If your rollers won't push the timber through, try a little wax on the tables.

Worked for me.


Ben.

jimmyjames
24th July 2004, 07:39 PM
Ta - today i just gave the rollers a brush with a dustpan brush at the first sign of slip. Worked a treat.

bsrlee
26th July 2004, 12:07 AM
Most of the writers from Fine Woodworking seem to think this is a standard 'feature' of thicknessers. They all speak of allowing a few inches extra to be lopped off after going thru' the thicknesser.

I have seen some reviews of the new DeWalt 'planer' aka thicknesser, which apparently has better locks for the cutter head & doesn't snipe.

journeyman Mick
26th July 2004, 11:29 AM
I've still got (somewhere :confused: ) the earlier Ryobi 12" thicknesser. I paid $750 tax ex. (915 retail) for it about 8 years ago. I've never had any problems with snipe as long as heavier stock was supported on in and outfeed. It did however break a feed drive chain (fixed under warranty) whan it became completely packed with shavings. After this I kept an airline with a duster handy to continually blow it clear. While it was being fixed I got a loaner - a new (at the time) Delta and it was extremely flimsy in comparison, lots of flex in the tables and bed and lots of snipe.
My cast iron taiwanese 15" thicknesser has no snipe at all as long as it's set up correctly. Any thicknesser that has enough flex in it to allow movement which in turn will throw out all the alignment is going to produce snipe.

Mick

DavidW
26th July 2004, 02:04 PM
I am considering the 15" Carba-tec model some time down the track so its good to here that someone is happy with it. I am also considering the ML 392 Combo (it all comes down t0 $$$ in the end) so I am curious to hear from any owners as to snipe from these. machines.

Caliban
26th July 2004, 08:39 PM
Greg
I've got an almost antique thicknesser. It used to snipe really badly until I adjusted the relationship between the outfeed roller and the cutterhead, the depth of cut is set by how far you wind the infeed roller down. It worked for me, give it a go unless these new ryobi's can't be adjusted this way.