Planers cause a certin sort of woodworking frustration. They don’t make a board smooth. You know, you took the time to plane a board smooth, and now it’s supposed to be like glass.
But there is those deep gouges or rhythmic marks. This particular machine, the Delta 22-580, have been in shops for decades and is a tough piece of machinery. But it’s not invulnerable.
Flatness problems, chatter and snipe can occurs on this machine too. It is not broken; it is just misaligned or worn in ways that are easy to fix. Most of the time, it simple wears out or gets out of whack.
What you have isn’t a planer that need replacing. You’re simply looking at how to step-by-step check the feed rollers, the tables and cutter head. Fixing up these interfaces result in a surface that looks like it came off factory floor.
Troubleshooting Tips For Delta 22-580 Planer
Planer Alignment and Geometry
When we look at first point of reference on any planer, it’s the relationship between the infeed table and height of the cutter head. If the knives extend too far, you invite snipe. Patches where the knife doesn’t reach cause unplaned areas.
Ideally, the knives will be out past top of table. To see if you have correct relationship try running a known flat board through with depth gauge set to zero. If it leaves a mark, then your knives is too high or your table are not parallel than the path of cutter head.
Many common repair can be resolved with this simple check. Secondly look at your feed rollers. The rollers is supposed to hold the wood firmly but not crush it.
Adjusting Feed Rollers and Pads
This is done with screws and springs located around back end of machine. If the rollers is too loose, they’ll cause the board to bounce and that results in chatter marks. Chatter mark are those parallel lines across the board that mess up the finish.
If the rollers are too tight they’ll dent the softer woods or restrict feed rate. You want them just right so the board feeds smoothy and doesn’t hesitate at all. Also inspect your rubber pads.
Cracked or glazed rubber will slip no matter what setting. Another common issue arise with how the tables align. The infeed and outfeed table need to be parallel to plane of cutter head.
Look at precision straightedge running width of table. A gap will indicate that the tables is not parallel. The board rocks back-and-forth when going through machine due to warped tables or worn casters.
Rocking cause an uneven cut. Replace worn casters and shim the tables until they has the flat reference plane again. It’s tedious work, but you’ll always get good results.
Checking and Replacing Knives
Do not ignore your knives. A dull knife tear instead of slices. It take more power to cut.
This put undue strain on motor and causes feed problem. Check edge of the knives for dull areas, rolls and nicks. If they can be sharpened by hand, do so, but in most cases it’s more effectivly to replace with new sharp ones.
Make sure the knives is properly seated into the holder. A loose knife will vibrate and a vibrating knife will chatter. Tighten the hold-down screws well when installed.
Half the problem solved… A good snug knife. You should of checked this earlier.
Preventing Snipe with Proper Support
Sniping happen when machine takes more off at each end of the board. It’s usually a matter of support. If the board isn’t supported going into planer or coming out, the board will sag.
When that happens, it go through the knives in wrong position. To prevent this, use roller stands or outfeed tables and make sure your board is flush with planer tables. If the board is realy long, also support middle.
This prevents sagging and snipe. This is not a machine defect, but setup issue. Last, look at chip deflector.
Maintaining the Chip Deflector
That’s the component that directs shavings away from cut area. When this piece is broken or dirty, it allows the chips to get stuck between knives and the board. The result is a rough surface and tear-out.
Clean it out after every use. And take a quick look at edge for any damage that will block path of the wood. Keep the chip path clear for a clean cut.
This is simple maintenance that many people forget about and easiest of all these fixes. Control is everything in woodworking. When machine does its job, so does the wood.
If it doesn’t, you see the results. This was case with the Delta 22-580. Support the stock.
Sharpen the steel. Fix the geometry. Be precise and patient.
And your next board will be smooth.