Wrong size pulley on planer - any advice?

[duncan wallace]

Hi guys, I'm brand new on this forum so I'm sorry if I've done anything the wrong way . I recently purchased a second hand Axminster CT-150 planer (2005 model). First thing I noticed when I went to set it up was the motor pulley was at an angle so I loosened all the bolts, straightened it up, slid the motor up to the top of it's slots with the plan to get the belt on then slide the motor down to tension the belt. When I mounted the table top I noticed straight away that the belt was gonna be pretty blooming tight, I managed to tilt the table assembly enough to physically get the belt onto the cutter head pulley, but it was very tight. I decided (quite foolishly) to give the machine a run - it ran ok, I put a small softwood board over it & it cut fine - but I could smell that something wasn't happy. Sure enough the belt and cutter head pulley were both extremely warm.

So I had a look on this forum and found this thread -- axminster-ct150-jointer-teething-troubles-t5715.html -- (sorry if I haven't linked to it correctly)

Basically the fella had a similar problem and it turned out his machine had come to him (brand new) with the wrong size motor pulley on it - his was 120mm in diameter and a kindly chap on the forum had measured his at 90mm. The fella got a new pulley from Axminster and all was well. So I measured my motor pulley and sure enough it is 120mm as well, so no wonder the belt won't fit!

I contacted axminster who said they don't have any pulleys, but they can get me one from a Jet planer that "should fit" :wink: ... it'll take 10 - 12 weeks to be delivered. I thought of a couple of options and would really like to hear what you guys think I should do.

1. Leave the oversize pulley on the motor and buy a slightly longer v-belt ... but I'm worried that the larger pulley on the motor will be making the cutter head turn too slow (or fast, or something!)

2. Buy a pulley for the motor of the correct size from a different source (a quick scan of the interslice seems to throw up lots of options)

3. Wait the 12 weeks to have the "should fit" pulley delivered from Axminster

Any advice you guys can give me would be a great help. One final point - how the heck were all these machines (well, at least two!) coming out the Axminster factory with the completely wrong sized pulley on them?!?!

Thanks, Duncan

 

[wallace]

If you leave the pulley your cutter head will be going too fast. If you take measurements to a bearing supplier they will sort you out. Is it one of those aluminium ones? There not expensive

 

[tomatwark]

Give these guys a call and see if they can sort you out the right pulley or point you in the right direction.

http://claremontelectricmotorrepairs.co.uk/

 

[duncan wallace]

Thanks guys. Yeah it would make it too fast Wallace not too slow, I should have been able to work that out!

Tomatwark I called the guys you linked to, they couldn't help me but they put me in touch with Forth Engineering in Edinburgh who supplied me with the right size pulley and taper bush for £13 ... the problem is now solved and the planer is running just perfect - a great result thanks to you guys

I still wonder how the machine came out the factory with the wrong sized pulley, it's mildly terrifying that such a thing could happen!

Anyway, thanks again fellas

 

[Phil1975]

Mildly terrifying is one way of putting it!

I am after a planer thicknesser too & I have discounted anything from Axminster. There seem to be just too many tales of new machines being delivered with niggles/faults, which Axminster seem to be very good at sorting, to their credit.
It just strikes me that things should be a bit better at the point of sale. Maybe I'm expecting too much?
I really don't want the hassle of buying second hand & having to sort a problem that never should have existed in the forst place, as you have had to do.

Anyhow rant over - I hope your planer continues to work well from now on.