Metabo planer thicknesser (Snipe)

[Lumberman]

I have been watching Steve Maskery's video on snipe.

I have a Metabo p/T and have just changed the knives only to find that I am experiencing severe snipe when surface planing
I have never had this happen before at least not to the extent I have now. I have set the knives correctly I am sure, but according to Steve the out feed table is set to low, and the table should be adjusted. but I can't see anyway of adjusting it on my machine. Do any one own a Metabo? and can they enlighten me please.
Harry,

 

[andersonec]

You don't adjust the out-feed table, it's the blades which need adjusting and you need to set the blades level with the out-feed table so in your case the blades need to be lowered, if you do not have any jigs then you need a piece of straight edged timber about 25 mm x 12 mm x 300 mm lay it along the out-feed table so one end projects over the cutter block, make a mark on your piece of wood in line with a reference line on your out-feed table and rotate the block by hand slowly until a blade picks up the timber, carries it forward and lowers it again, the mark you previously made will be your measuring point, you need to adjust the depth of the blade until it carries the timber forward about 5 to 8 mm or less, obviously this has to be done so it is the same measure the full width of the blade and the same for all your blades.

Andy

 

[Lumberman]

Thanks for the tip Andy.
I have heard of this before but watching Steve Maskery's video threw me a bit because he actually lowered the table.
However I tried your method spent all afternoon trying to get the right blade projection to no avail I'm afraid can't seem to get it right even 5mm seems to be to much when I try anything lower the blade won't move the straight edge forward. Watching another video the bloke used a piece of paper laid on the table put a straight edge along the cutter block and raised the blades to the same height as the straight edge I can't see it giving much blade projection, however I will give it a try.

Harry. :?

 

[Otto]

I have a HC260C (thicknesser bed height adjuster on top) and if I had your problem, this is what I'd do.
First, wind the infeed table up to the zero mark. Get a straight edge and place across the infeed and outfeed tables to make sure they are lined up, check at each side of the cutter block, if the tables are coplanar you won't see any daylight along any of the length of the straight edge.
There is adjustment on the outfeed table, a grub screw behind where the locking lever clamps it down allows tilt adjustment for either side of the table, the table itself can be moved in or out (affecting height) by undoing the large allen head bolts and moving into position. Once you've fiddled about with the tables and got them right, go at the knives.
There is a setting jig that comes with the planer, but in my manual, it actually states this is only a EE requirement to supply it with the machine and that a better way of doing it is with a straight edge and checking how much travel you get by laying the straight edge over the gap between tables and seeing how much it is carried forward when the cutter block is turned. (Like andersson says above).
I do this on a stick with a couple of pencil marks, but set my knives so that the stick only travels 4 mm. Check each side and the centre for each knife. This virtually eliminates snipe when jointing and thicknessing.
I agree that the outfeed table shouldn't need adjusting, but at the end of the day, it is only a light construction and bound to move with being walked into and knocked or taken off and put back on again.

 

[marcros]

I bought the oneway multi gauge for my planer. I could never get on with the dragging method, although I could see in theory how it worked. It wasnt chap, but did enable me to see exactly how far the blades protruded. it also speeded up the job substantially. I also removed the springs from beneath my blades because I found them to be a nuisance when setting the blades. It was a different model (and only a planer rather than pt), but they cant be that dissimilar.