Chook's thicknessing problems (continued...)

**chook** · 1st January 2005, 08:29 AM

This is the latest episode in the sad tale of my CTJ 340 thicknesser. Previous threads contain the past history of this sad story.

Anyway having replaced the cutter head pulley and having bought a much more expensive drive belt I finally started the thing up. This time however I kept the pulley cover off, ran the machine for a few moments and then checked things. Which is what I should have done the first time, I hear you say.

It seemed to me that the pulley was getting rather hot very quickly, so rather than stuffing up a $42 belt I took the machine to a local workshop to have it checked out.

The verdict...
the main drive shaft off the armiture of the motor is bent. This is creating heat which is then transferred to the drive pulley and hence to drive belt.

The solution ...
get a new motor!:eek:

They gave me a quote of $280 for parts and labor. At that price the thicknesser was destined for the scrap heap.

I have rung Carbatec and they will replace the motor for $165 (parts and labor). This I will wear, if not happily. I have kitchen cupboards to be made and a pile of rough sawn timber waiting to be dressed.I comfort my self by mentally off setting the repair costs of the machine against the cost of buying silky oak raised panel doors. I have the timber already and at virtually no cost. $165 would buy maybe 2 doors. I have stopped crying now and the doctor says that the new pills will help me sleep at night.

Why would the drive shaft bend?

I hope that this is nearly the end of this tale.

**Iain** · 1st January 2005, 09:16 AM

One would have to ask how long has the shaft been bent, was it like this from new?

**chook** · 1st January 2005, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Iain

One would have to ask how long has the shaft been bent, was it like this from new?

That is a very good question, but I think not. The thicknesser is about 2 years old and has cut a lot of timber. It only just now started messing up drive belts. But perhaps the shaft was never quite right and has only recently got worse. A year ago a feed roller bearing seized and perhaps that did some damage that has got progressively worse. Maybe when I take it to carbatec this week they will find somtehing else.

**echnidna** · 1st January 2005, 09:24 PM

Perhaps when it dropped a belt it fouled the drive pulley at full speed causing it to bend

**chook** · 1st January 2005, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by echnidna

Perhaps when it dropped a belt it fouled the drive pulley at full speed causing it to bend

Noe that sounds very plausible. I know that that machines have had a problem with the drive belts. Firstly because the standard belt is rubbish and secondly because of a design fault. The repair man from Carbatec said that there is a small modification that takes 5 minutes and cost hardly anything which can help significantly. When I get the motor exchanged (AAHHH) I will get that done to. I do not know what they do but I will make the info available ASAP.

But I don't think that the drive shaft could have been bent for very long. I only ever use rough sawn timber so the thicknesser has seen a bit of work. You would imagine that the problem would have shown up earlier if the shaft had been bent for a while. Perhaps the first belt broke, bent the shaft,which has lead to the problem I have now.

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