How often do you guys have to re 'set-up' your planer thicknesser?

[paul_allen]

I've only used mine for about 20 hours and the beds are already out of coplanar, is this common? How often should I expect to reset it? I'm incredibly new and naive to woodworking so genuinely have no idea what is common and what is not.

I have the Axminster AT260PT/AT107PT if its relevant.

I spent half a day getting the whole thing to 0.05mm initially btw

 

[rogxwhit]

Well ideally, never. But that pertains to cast iron beds & frame with machined ways.

Are you on about the surfacer beds only? Are all the screws & nuts tight? Do you ever move it by lifting with the tables?

With a moveable bed, there's always a trade off between free movement and play.

It's hard to advise without being hands-on.

 

[TRITON]

I spent half a day getting the whole thing to 0.05mm initially btw

Well done you. I dont think you would need to get it any more accurate than that, afterall its wood innit.
Are you sure you're torquing up all screws/nuts/bolts ?, that might be the reason things are moving, Vibration is prone to make things undo or shift.

 

[Fitzroy]

That doesn’t sound right to me. My DW1150 is slightly out of being coplanar but it remains the same all the time. I’ve had issues with shavings under where the beds register when going between modes.

 

[paul_allen]

Well ideally, never. But that pertains to cast iron beds & frame with machined ways.

Are you on about the surfacer beds only? Are all the screws & nuts tight? Do you ever move it by lifting with the tables?

With a moveable bed, there's always a trade off between free movement and play.

It's hard to advise without being hands-on.

Yeah it's just the beds that are the issue, I'll check the screws/bolts but I'm quite sure I tightened them well.

It is on castors and the wheels have flattened a little, so each time I roll it out for use, it is a little bumpy, maybe these repeated micro bumps have done it? I make sure to never push/pull by the tables though, only the body.

 

[paul_allen]

That doesn’t sound right to me. My DW1150 is slightly out of being coplanar but it remains the same all the time. I’ve had issues with shavings under where the beds register when going between modes.

Hmm that's interesting, this is the second one I've had, the first was replaced because whenever the in feed bed was raised/lowered, it would again knock itself out of coplanar.

I've always wondered what switching it between the modes actually does, does it just engage the rollers?

 

[rogxwhit]

I've always wondered what switching it between the modes actually does, does it just engage the rollers?

Yes. Except that with some models you hinge one or both surfacing tables out of the way - which isn't normally an issue, but worth considering.

whenever the in feed bed was raised/lowered, it would again knock itself out

Was the sideways clearance slack, I wonder, allowing the table to skew?

I wonder what tolerances you're trying to adhere to? It's not about numbers, it's about the work, which is where the results play out. You have to notice a problem with the work, to realise that there's a problem with the machine (or your technique of work handling) that needs fixing. How have you noticed the 'problem'?