Thicknesser not feeding

[Taffy]

Hi guys, I have been away for a while on account I had a run in with my saw bench, I now hahe two fingers slightly shorter than they were but semm to be ok.
I have a problem with my Thicknesser in as much as the rollers are going around but they don't feed when there is timber being cut. I have taken the side panel off and cleaned the shaft and belt, blown any shavings from in and around the rollers, I have now changed and adjusted the blades.
I noticed that there are 4 sprung bolts that would appear to tension the front and rear feed rollers but am not game to start stuffing around with them until I know more of what I am doing, The manual of course tells me nothing of what I wish to know.
if anyone can shed some light on this I would appreciate it. I did put a few drops of thin oil on the drive chain a couple of months ago but have since checked for any oil on the shaft and belt.
The machine is a Planer 10"/Thicknesser 6" PT260.

Thanks guys nice to be back.
Taffy
:confused:

[Gumby]

Have you tried a bit of wax on the table, makes a hell of a difference on mine.

[journeyman Mick]

Taffy
sorry to hear of your run in with your tablesaw, machinery is not forgiving at all! I'm not familiar with your machine, but what happens to the feed rollers when you pass the stock through? If they stop rolling it would indicate a slipping drive whereas if they keep rolling but don't grip the timber then the problem would be a lack of roller pressure. If you have rubber rollers then they may have worn down thus decreasing their grip. Otherwise the tension springs you've spotted may have lost some of their power. Owners of similar machines may have more insight.

Mick

[Taffy]

Thanks Mick, the rollers are Metal front Gnarled, and the rear one is rubber.

I will wax the table next and see if this cures it, I still think that there is some connection with those sprung bolts.

[MajorPanic]

G'day Taffy

The infeed & outfeed rollers need to be 0.812mm LOWER than the blades at BDC. (bottom dead centre)
Get yourself a dial indicator and a magnetic base.
All you do is zero the dial under the blade when it's at BDC, then move to the outfeed roller & adjust each end until it reads +0.812mm. Do the infeed next & while your at it do the chip breaker. Also make sure that the tension on the infeed & outfeed rollers is the same otherwise timber will skew as it's being plained. ;) :D

[ozwinner]

I had one of those thicknesser/planer combo jobs, I think you will find the belt has stretched and there is no adjustment for it.

I got an old inner tube and cut me some wide rubber bands from it ( about an inch ), worked a treat, and when they stretch just cut another one.
Although if you get a small inner tube stretching wont be a problem.

Al :)

[Taffy]

Thanks guys, just some clarification please
I have cleaned the tray with metho and will try some wax before I get into more serious stuff. Gumpy can you tell me what wax is best to use? I have Danish, Paraffin, Beeswax, car polish and I have a silicon spray I use on the runners of the Triton, bit dubious about silicon on timber although every thing is sanded and cleaned after the Thicknesser.
Ozwinner, I understand what you are saying how old was your machine when the belt stretched? my machine is only 6 months old and when the cover is off all the roller cogs appear to be turning at the same rate.

Major Panic!!, I just had a look and I do not happen to have a dial in my back pocket (its a public holiday today), are you saying then that the four bolts with springs are in fact adjustments for the rollers, I will rig something up to check the distances to see if this is a problem.

Thanks for your suggestions this should take up an hour or two today, (the grass will just have to grow a bit longer)

Taffy

[Gumby]

I just used a bit of Traditional wax from ubeaut but that's not really the way to go or what that product is for. I've successfully used silicon spray but there are those who say it is going to stuff up your finish or is bad for your health. Give it a try since you have some. I'd aslo try that beeswax you have. Give it a light coat and a good buff.

I'm not sure what you mean in your initial post. Is the timber being fed through OK when its not being cut. As in when you have it too far from ther blade and it feeds but doesn't touch the blades? maybe if that is the case, you are winding it up too far and putting too much pressure on the rollers. I never try and take off the 3mm it's supposed to be able to cut in one pass. I get better results taking very shallow cuts and then winding the table up about 1mm each time. After a fair amount of planing, I often have to 'help' the timber through as the table seems to rough up again. A good wipe, some spray and it's fine again after that.

[MajorPanic]

Taffy,

Usually the 4 bolts are the adjustment up/down. There might be tension screws or bolts that put downward tension on the ends of the rollers above the springs. I'm not familiar with your particular model so it might be a all in one deal - adjustment & tension is done simultaneously. You might have to fiddle a bit. :p

[Taffy]

Thanks to all you guys'
Gumpy, it seems that the slip slop method has worked, I cleaned the table with metho and then sprayed a little silicon, put a piece of flooring through with just a fine cut and it went through without a hitch.

I have printed out all your answers to put in the manual (I use the term sparingly) ;) The belt idea may come in handy one day as every thing seems to go wrong on a PHol.

And at least now I know that the rollers can be adjusted if required.

Might do a search and see if I can get an expansion on the Book that actually tells me what all the parts are for and how to adjust them.

Again many thanks.
Have a great new year.

Taffy

[Gumby]

No probs, I'm glad it worked for you. It's certainly the easiest and first solution to try.
Happy hogmanay to you too ;)

[fxst]

and on a lighter note as the thread had not deviated....
you could always wave a pancake or a bit of roast beef in front of it and see if that entices it to feed :D :D
I know I know 'P1ss off Pete'
bye
Pete

[Grunt]

Feed it pancakes not fingers is my advice

[ozwinner]

DONT PUT SILICON ON IT!!!!!!


When you come to finish off your nice piece of furniture, you will find the finish will bugger up, all because you use silicon.

Al :(

Oh yeah, the belt stretched almots straight away.

[outback]

DONT PUT SILICON ON IT!!!!!!



I agree, silicon is bad, maple syrup tastes much nicer.

[echnidna]

It sounds like someone stuck a donut through it instead of a pancake.
We all know that donut holes play havoc with auto feed mechanisms.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[markharrison]

I have the Elektra-Beckum original of this machine. As you have found out from others, the problem is you need to lubricate the table of the thicknesser.

As noted by other folks here you should not use a wax or polish (like most car polishes) with silicone. The reason why is that with many film finishes you will get what is called "fish eye" defects. I'm not an expert on finishes so you might want google this term for specific information.

I use Liberon Lubricating Wax on my machines and I don't have any problems.

As for the stretched belt, it sounds a little strange to me unless these machines are vastly different to the original. On the EB, re-tensioning the belt is just a matter of loosening two (or four?) dome nuts, pushing down and re-tightening the nuts. Not that I've ever had to.

[journeyman Mick]

Just going a little bit off topic here (as I'm not mentioning pancakes :) ). Anybody that doubts silicone is a problem might want to try this:
Get some silicone sealant and smear it on a board. Once it's dry give it a sand to roughen up the surface. Go to your local paint shop and get the best primer you can and, if you like, some of that ESP oil or similar that's supposed to make paint stick to anything. Apply as per instructions. Watch the paint crawl back off the silicone - it won't stick! Now try painting the bit of sandpaper you used, suprise, suprise, the paint won't stick to it either!

Mick

[silentC]

Get a tub of Traditional Wax from Ubeaut. I use it on all of my tables, handplanes, etc. It reduces friction and helps prevent rust. It wont cause finishing problems down the track. Smells good too ;)

It is surprising how often the problem is caused by friction on tables. Put a bit of wax on your jointer tables and it's amazing how much easier it is to push a big plank over it. Put some wax on your thicknesser tables and the timber will just fly through. It's a low-tech solution that actually works.

[Wally Woodman]

Taffy,
Yes the lubrication of the table will aid in the feeding of stock in the interim. However, should you find that you have to wax the table every 10 minutes then this is in fact not the ideal solution. It appears obvious to me from what i've read so far, that you have an issue with the infeed roller. Has it worn slightly? A 1/4 turn on the adjustment screw will do the trick. Be carefull that you adjust both sides of the infeed roller to the same height.
Good Luck,
wally.

[echnidna]

Just going a little bit off topic here (as I'm not mentioning pancakes :) ). Anybody that doubts silicone is a problem might want to try this:
Get some silicone sealant and smear it on a board. Once it's dry give it a sand to roughen up the surface. Go to your local paint shop and get the best primer you can and, if you like, some of that ESP oil or similar that's supposed to make paint stick to anything. Apply as per instructions. Watch the paint crawl back off the silicone - it won't stick! Now try painting the bit of sandpaper you used, suprise, suprise, the paint won't stick to it either!

Mick

What do you think about coating the wide drum sander belt with silicon then wiping it off. Hopefully none of the resins or sawdust will clog the grit!! :confused: ;)

[journeyman Mick]

What do you think about coating the wide drum sander belt with silicon then wiping it off. Hopefully none of the resins or sawdust will clog the grit!! :confused: ;)

Good idea Bob! You try it first and let us know how you go! :D

Mick

[echnidna]

I will try that when I get a bit of spare time Mick

[journeyman Mick]

I will try that when I get a bit of spare time Mick
Spare Time? Does such a thing exist? Where can I get me some? :confused:

Mick

[ozwinner]

Bunnings Mick.

Just past all the usless doodads and thingamees, down on the right hand side near the back door.

Al :D

[journeyman Mick]

But Al, if you have to pay for it it's not really spare is it? Unless it costs me less to buy than I could make in the same time of course. In that case I could work for, say an hour and buy an hour and a half. If I did that in bulk I could buy me a few years and be 25 again! :p

Mick

[vsquizz]

If I did that in bulk I could buy me a few years and be 25 again! :p Mick
Liar Liar Pants on fire:D

Cheers

[echnidna]

Spare Time? Does such a thing exist? Where can I get me some? :confused:

Mick
Well if I put off next years shed cleanmup for another year I have that time spare next year Mick!
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)