Thread: Carbatec CT-330X - how to adjust the cutterhead

I have solved my problem! Well I hope I have, 9pm is not a good time to run a planer in a suburb. I think this should apply to all of the lunchbox planers with a side wheel for height adjustment, 4 posts and 2 elevation screws. The units with the top mounted height adjustment handle have different methods for adjusting the elevation screw.

Under the CT-330X are two nuts. You'll need a 17mm socket for these M10 nuts. Prior to this, you should remove the top and side covers to expose the elevation screws. And the many, many wood chips that have stowed away in every crevice of the machine.
CT330X bottom.jpg

On the elevation screws on each side there is a flat. A 12mm spanner fits on this.
CT330X elevation screw.jpg

Hold the spanner steady and turn the nut, it may be quite tight (you may need a cheater bar or more weetbix). But once the nut comes loose just a little, the elevation screw can be turned by hand.

I cut a piece of already dimensioned timber to fit the length of the bed (double checked it's sides were parallel with a caliper) and placed it on the bed under the infeed roller. The same gap that I'd found earlier in the week was confirmed. Loosened the elevations screw nut as per above. Turned the elevation screw until the roller was touching the timber and the same size feeler gauge couldn't pass through either end. Then back to the spanner and socket and tighten up the nut making sure the screw doesn't move. I used the infeed roller as the reference because that's where I saw the gap. When I run the machine I'll get to confirm this, but adjusting the elevation screws is pretty easy - once you know how.

The bigger question is when/why it went out of whack. I only noticed the issue because the cherry board above is 195mm wide. Most of the stuff I've been planing this year has been 150mm or less so the problem likely just hasn't been apparent. I've had the unit for more than 5 years now and I've done nearly 300mm wide boards before with no issue... more mysteries. All of the nuts and bolts were tight as heck, most had blue loctite on them as well. I can only guess that maybe one of the long 3m blackwood boards earlier in the year levered against the cutterhead assembly or abraded the roller.