startrite feed issues!

[lincs1963]

Good afternoon all. Got a question I am hoping one of you chaps can help with. I have a startrite combination machine, can't recall the model and the shop is 15 miles away, but the problem I am experiencing is with the thicknesser. Last week I made a full flight of winding stairs- no problems, this week I have been making some 8 foot wide pairs of louvre doors for a plant room. I buy my timber by the cube as 4"x10" roughsawn in 16" lengths so obviously its through the bandsaw, over the surface planer and through the thicknesser. first 6 or 8 lengths no problems, then the trouble starts. The thicknesser is feeding intermittently. The feed roller is turning and the outfeed roller is turning but I am having to push the timber through manually. any suggestions as to what is causing this and how do I cure it?
Many thanks in advance for your help, Neil.

 

[Blister]

Give the bed a clean then a good coat of wax

makes all the difference :wink:

 

[lincs1963]

Thanks for the suggestion it is well waxed but I will add some more and see if it helps.

 

[Blister]

Thanks for the suggestion it is well waxed but I will add some more and see if it helps.

best to give it a solvent clean with some wire wool to get any resign off first then a good wax

 

[toolsntat]

Does the bed have a set of adjustable rollers which may have dropped a little ?

Andy

 

[lincs1963]

No, it is just a flat bed. Never done this before so not something |I have had to sort out. I will be using the machine tomorrow so I will clean and re wax the bed and see how it goes.
thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Guyforks]

Neil.

I had something similar to this with my Jet JPT-260 Planer Thicknesser.

It has a metal ribbed in-feed roller and a rubber out-feed roller.
The in-feed ribs were full of dust and resin, leaving a smooth surface and the out feed (rubber) was just very dusty.

A wire brush and a damp cloth and all was good with life again.

Glynn

 

[eribaMotters]

My first thoughts were feed roller tensions, or build up of resin on the infeed roller/wear of the rubber outfeed roller. But then you say the first lengths of timber go through OK. This implies they are fine, and the trouble lies elsewhere. Is the drive to the feed rollers by chain or belt. If by belt it could be slack, and this shows as it warms up a little. Even when slack it will transfer enough power through to the rollers that they can be seen to turn, but would slip under load. It would check the belt tension.

Colin

 

[tjwoodms]

Its difficult to say without seeing whats going on.
A common problem i come accross on thicknessers is operators tend to increase the spring preasure when they are having problems feeding which causes more friction in the bed and makes it harder to feed the machine.

Try backing off the preasure and give it a go (keeping count of how much you have adjusted the springs so if it dosnt work you can simply reset).

Also somtimes the preasure bars can be to low again increasing friction the correct posision is

in feed approx 1-2mm above the cutters
out feed level with the cutters

i usually use a block of par wind the table up so when you turn the cutterblock by hand it just skims it then use the block a adjust the rear preasure bar so it just skims the block. Then set the front preasure bar abut 1-2mm higher

 

[lincs1963]

Thanks to all. I had a bit of everything, feed roller clogged up with dust and resin, resin deposits on the bed and outfeed roller all dusty and slippery! All sorted now ta!