Startrite SD310 planer thicknesser - play in cutting block

[Houdini Spoon]

Hi Folks,

I'm trying to overhaul a Startrite SD310 planer thicknesser which was acquired by my late father. Despite the cutting block having new bearings there is some play in the cutting block. This is coming from the spindle which goes through the centre of the cutting block cylinder.

Is this normal? There doesn't appear to be any way of adjusting this and I'm concerned this may cause damage to the machine when I eventually fire it up.

If anyone here has one of these, I'd be interested if there's any play in the cutting block which is not caused by loose bearings, but from the spindle shaft which goes through the middle of the block.

Many thanks

Matt

PS: I've uploaded a video which shows the block

 

[Fitzroy]

Matt,

I’ve no knowledge of your machine but both of mine have had cutterblocks machined from a single piece of metal. Any ‘looseness’ in a cutter block would in my opinion be very dangerous. Please don’t start the machine until you know what’s going on with it!

I couldn’t find a manual for the machine. But hopefully someone with experience of it will be along shortly.

Apologies if I’m preaching to the choir but the spinning mass of a cutter block always terrifies me.

Fitz

 

[Houdini Spoon]

Matt,

I’ve no knowledge of your machine but both of mine have had cutterblocks machined from a single piece of metal. Any ‘looseness’ in a cutter block would in my opinion be very dangerous. Please don’t start the machine until you know what’s going on with it!

I couldn’t find a manual for the machine. But hopefully someone with experience of it will be along shortly.

Apologies if I’m preaching to the choir but the spinning mass of a cutter block always terrifies me.

Fitz

Yeah it scares me too!! I've got a manual for it, but it's rather skimpy on tightness of cutter block

 

[RichardG]

Difficult to see but is the cutter block pressed onto the shaft or is it machined in one piece as the video makes it looks like the block is moving on the shaft? I wonder if the block jammed and then the shaft spun inside the block....

 

[Spectric]

That is a knackered cutter block, when you think how precise you need to set the knives in relation to the outfeed table then with that amount of movement you will not succeed. Can you turn the cutter block without the shaft as it looks like a two piece assembly with the shaft now adrift.

 

[johnnyb]

seems odd to make in 2 pieces how would it not come loose over time. could have been shrunk on or clamped like spindle block. very strange.

 

[no idea]

Take the block completely apart to check if there are any bushes or splines between the shaft and the block itself. These could have broken when the block got damaged hence the play you now see.

 

[Houdini Spoon]

Thanks for your input folks, I'll put a full update on here when I get back to the workshop.

 

[Houdini Spoon]

Hello people! Forgive the delay in responding, covid and work delayed me getting back over to the workshop.

Answers to your points mentioned:
[] It is indeed a 2 piece assembly where the cutter block can slide freely, there is a pin in the middle which prevents it from spinning on the shaft.
[] The whole shaft can slide out of the block easily, as you'll see in the video there is visible play between the shaft and cutter block
[] There doesn't appear to be anything 'broken' - however I suspect that the bore into which the shaft sits has changed shape, probably from the force of and unwanted bit of metal going through the machine at speed.

I'd be interested in finding out if anyone else has one of these and how stable the cutter blocks are on these.

Any advice on whether this can be rectified? Perhaps re-boring the cutter block and making a new shaft to fit tightly?

I'm not an engineer so I'm in the dark on this. Any feedback would be very much appreciated

Many thanks again

Matt