Jet 260 Planer Thicknesser Problem - NOW FIXED!

[wizer]

Pipe down you. It's all YOUR fault

 

[9fingers]

Tom,

Given your table saw fettling expertise, I'm sure you could devise a solution.

As i've said before - you could look at the 12" solution and pinch ideas from that.

Have the knives arrived OK?

Cheers

Bob

 

[wizer]

Thanks Bob, they dropped on the matt this morning.


I'm hoping not to have to fettle the machine. I'll stop the vibration first and see if that helps.

 

[9fingers]

Thanks Bob, they dropped on the matt this morning.


I'm hoping not to have to fettle the machine. I'll stop the vibration first and see if that helps.

The cause will still be there and be a nagging doubt whenever you put stock though. Go on - fix it you will feel much happier knowing that it can't happen again.

Bob

 

[wizer]

What's that Bob? You'd like to help me do it? Cool, see you in about 4 weeks. :lol:

 

[9fingers]

What's that Bob? You'd like to help me do it? Cool, see you in about 4 weeks. :lol:

If I could find a way to assist then YES!

Since post that previous comment, I have been trying to find the downloadable versions of the manuals for the260 and the 310 so I could suggest something.

So I do want to try and help.

Bob

 

[wizer]

Well that was tongue in cheek, but we all know how much engineering savvy I have. So some help would be very much appreciated. I'm sure WellsWood would love to join in too.

You posted the American manual for the 12" version in the first page of this thread.

I wouldn't bother with the UK versions, they're not worth the paper, etc. I imagine the inside of the machines are all the same with the difference that the 260 has the locking lever missing?

 

[WellsWood]

Well that was tongue in cheek, but we all know how much engineering savvy I have. So some help would be very much appreciated. I'm sure WellsWood would love to join in too.

... I imagine the inside of the machines are all the same with the difference that the 260 has the locking lever missing?

Reading my mind there...
I was wondering if the locking mechanism for the 310 was obtainable as a spare, and whether it was possible to retrofit it to the 260. It would require drilling the relevant holes in the cabinet side at the very least, but if there's nothing too clever going on inside it may very well be feasable.
I'm in the workshop all day tomorrow, I'll pull the inspection panel off mine and have a look how it actually works - can't be that complicated.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Well that was tongue in cheek, but we all know how much engineering savvy I have. So some help would be very much appreciated. I'm sure WellsWood would love to join in too.

... I imagine the inside of the machines are all the same with the difference that the 260 has the locking lever missing?

Reading my mind there...
I was wondering if the locking mechanism for the 310 was obtainable as a spare, and whether it was possible to retrofit it to the 260. It would require drilling the relevant holes in the cabinet side at the very least, but if there's nothing too clever going on inside it may very well be feasable.
I'm in the workshop all day tomorrow, I'll pull the inspection panel off mine and have a look how it actually works - can't be that complicated.

Is yours a 310 Mark?

 

[9fingers]

Studying the US manual here
http://content.wmhtoolgroup.com/manuals/708475_m.pdf
the lock acts directly on the rise and fall column under the table.
The column is then driven by a vertical leadscrew which in turn is driven by a pair of bevel gears from the external handwheel.
From an engineering point of view, the lock as designed is the best method. However, if we are considering a retrofit kit, an adequate solution would be provided by locking the handwheel. All the backlash will be taken out by the weight of the table.

Tom, Please can you take some photos of the handwheel both face on to the output side of the machine and side on with as much detail as possible.

Cheers

Bob

 

[WellsWood]

Is yours a 310 Mark?

Yep

 

[wizer]

Will get those pics in the morning Bob. I do wonder why the manufacturers have said the problem should not exist with the digital display? Maybe that's at fault? I won't have time tomorrow, but on Monday I will take that off, put the new knives in and test it. If the problem is still there then I'd like to see if it still does it when on terra firma. But I do agree, now it's happened, I'll always be paranoid of it and if I'm not then I may get error creep into my projects which might not be obvious until it's too late.

 

[9fingers]

Is yours a 310 Mark?

Yep

I should have paid more attention last week. Simon, I think P/T is a 310 and has a table lock?
Also Mark if yours is a 310 does it have the lock too? ( that means Tom's comment about Mark being interested in the solution is a bit strange??)

So many questions

Bob

 

[wizer]

Bob I meant Mark being willing/forced to help

Mark has a 310 and Simon has the 410, i.e 12" and 14". Both have the table lock function. I cheaped and went for the 260/10" :roll: Which is why I blame it all on Mark, who's a very bad and naughty man!

 

[WellsWood]

... Which is why I blame it all on Mark, ....

It was only a matter of time............. :-({|=

 

[Oryxdesign]

Simon has the 410, i.e 14"

I'l have you know mines 16", the extra 2" is sometimes important :wink:

 

[dicktimber]

Tom
What worries me is that the manufacturer knows about the problem, and the only offer of a fix is to attach the digital readout mechanism.?
So in reality there isn't one?

I am surprised that Nick has not come back with a more specific fix....because trading standards would class this as, not fit for purpose.
As soon as you try a retrofit you will probably face warranty invalidation, although it is probably out of warranty, this problem should not occur given the little use it has had.

I would think hard before taking up the offer of carrying out any work, although the help offered is in good faith.

If you are confident there is a mechanical problem...you could always try the small claims court, which take claims up to £5000 if my memory serves me well, but you should ensure that the company you have bought the machine from is given the opportunity to correct the problem first.
If they don't or wont, I think you would have a strong case for the machinebeing, not fit for purpose.

I would contact Axminster, if this is who you purchased it from and get them to check it out.

What also seems strange is that at our local college we had a planer thicknesser that had the locking mechanism removed because the students kept forgetting to unlock the table, and put too much strain on the rise and fall drives when forgetting to unlock it.
But I can't recall the table ever dropping because there was no lock on it.

I hope you get it sorted out whichever way you go.

 

[9fingers]

The plan I have in the back of my mind is to try and find an easy to fit solution for Tom (ok that is a challenge too far - I should say -a solution for Tom's planer :lol: )

Then I would make a few more kits for those forum members who want one.

I'm guessing that Jet know there is a design shortcoming in the 260 model but it would be commercial madness to admit it publicly.

There are no doubt compromises in most machine design made to get the works cost price down to meet a market. Maybe this one has backfired a bit. At least it is not a Toyota!

Bob

 

[newt]

Tom,
Just had a
However they say that if a digital display is attached the problem should be fixed!!!*****
I have no idea how this fixes the problem but this is what they are saying.

I assume they mean you can see how much it has dropped with the digital display and reset to the correct height. If that is the case they need there a---- kicking. I suspect you need some more friction in the rise and fall mech, can the bevel gears be adjusted for a tighter mesh?

 

[dicktimber]

Bob...that sounds like about right


peter
And that info was from the technical director!!!!!