Planer "debris" in wood surface

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

Hi folks,

I'm still quite a bit new w/ the power jointer and planer. Planing down some cherry today after face & edge jointing, I noticed w/ each pass through the planer i was getting little chips of wood stuck to the surface when it comes out the other side. It's almost like they are mashed into the surface and then just stick there.

Is this normal? My planer is a Griz 453z w/ spiral cutter head. I've experimented with lighter cuts (1/2 crank of the wheel) and it helps a little bit.

I know cherry is a bit soft so I tested a piece of ash and it still did it, just not quite as bad.

Thanks!

[Andy McCormick]

I would think it is a dust collection issue. You will have some of the chips get trapped but if there is a lot, then you may need to upgrade your dust collection.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Yes, I agree. I have the same problem if I forget to open my dust gate or try to plane without using the DC.

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

Hmm...good suggestions. I have a Jet DC1100 attached w/ 10 foot flex hose right to the planer. There are a few bends in the hose, i wonder if that's slowing things down too much.

I have no issues w/ same DC on the 8" planer...even when face jointing all 8 inches.

[David DeCristoforo]

"I have no issues w/ same DC on the 8" planer..."

The DC is only half the story. The design of the planer is also an issue. If the chip ejection is less than perfect, the DC will not be able to pick up all of the chips and dust, especially when making heavier cuts. There may be a screen or baffle that directs the waste and keeps it from falling back onto the stock. Sometimes you can adjust the position of the screen or baffle a bit.

[Larry Edgerton]

"I have no issues w/ same DC on the 8" planer..."

The DC is only half the story. The design of the planer is also an issue. If the chip ejection is less than perfect, the DC will not be able to pick up all of the chips and dust, especially when making heavier cuts. There may be a screen or baffle that directs the waste and keeps it from falling back onto the stock. Sometimes you can adjust the position of the screen or baffle a bit.

True enough.....

Pulling this deflector back makes less noise, moving it closer greatly improves chip pickup, but greatly increases noise. You will have to balance one with the other. I was always going to drill some holes in the deflector plate back from the cutterhead and see if it quieted it down but sold the planer before I tried it. It is the air compressing and decompressing that creates the scream. If you adjust the plate a few thousands from the knives the thing will sould like an air raid siren.:)

[Anthony Whitesell]

I agree with David that DC is only half the issue and half the problem. If the DC is pulling out the chips for whatever reason, they can get mashed into the wood by the feed rollers. Unfortunately what doesn't stick to the wood can stick to the roller. So be sure to clean those feed rollers.

[John Keeton]

I believe there is a piece of foam around the area where the dust collection point is. Removing that seemed to help on mine before I hooked up the DC to it. As I recall, there was a thread regarding that tip.

It works fine now with the DC.

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

So sounds like i should open the dust hood and investigate whether it can be adjusted somehow to allow better airflow.

I really should pull it apart and have another go around w/ cleaning. I wonder, since its new, I may not have been so particular cleaning cosmolene from the rollers and blades.

Thanks for the feedback...

[John Thompson]

I haven't had the problem on my 20" with the dust collection as I run a 6" flex hose directly to it from a cyclone about 4' away. I adapted the 5" port to take the 6". But.. I have had the problem when the feed rollers get gummed up from running a lot of soft wood through.

If it's new.. I would do what the others recommend on the dust side of the coin and check that cosmoline issue you mentioned as it really doesn't take much to hold chips on as they get compressed under the extreme pressure the feed rollers produce as some have mentioned.

Good luck as it probably is nothing major...

Sarge..

[george wilson]

I can't address lunch box planer DC problems. I have a Delta,but take it outside with no dust hood. It makes mulch. I use it when I have a lot of wood to plane,or on some figured woods as it seems to plane them smoother (with sharp knives,of course). My dust collection bin is only 33 gal. on my Dust Gorilla,and it doesn't take too long to fill it.

On my 15" Bridgewood planer,I had a 6" hose outlet welded on,which replaced the 4". I have had no problems. The planer is only about 6' from the collector,with metal pipes.

[Tom Veatch]

John,

In support of the other responses, the owner's manual for my planer states:

"Adjust the outfeed chip deflector...to within 1/4" to 1/8" of planing knives to prevent chips from being pressed into the surface of the work piece by the outfeed roller...".

Although my planer isn't the same model, or even brand, you should check any baffles or deflectors around the cutter head for proper clearance per your planer's documentation.

[John Keeton]

John, I finally found the threads that discuss this very problem. This is where I picked up the tip. Hope this is the solution for you.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=86104

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?referrerid=5960&t=30434

[Jack Ellis]

Sometimes it can be the species of wood, too. I have to clean the rollers in my AP1300 fairly frequently when planing ash. Elm, oak, fir, poplar and pine don't seem to be nearly as problematic.

Too bad because I have lots of ash.

[Todd Hoppe]

My grizzly will do that if I get a little lazy, don't hook up the vacuum for a pass or two, and let the chips build up. I have to dig out the clumped chips before the vacuum will work properly again.

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

I'm willing to bet the root problem is that i did a bad job cleaning off the rollers to begin with. Now, after using it for a good bit of wood, debris has built up even more on the rollers, so it needs a good cleaning again.

I'll get on that this week as I have some planing to do on the next project (cherry end table for the basement rec room).

Thanks everyone. Being new to the equipment I just wasn't sure what type of typical maintenance to expect. it sounds like taking the hood off and cleaning the rollers and cutter head will happen every so often to keep these types of things to a minimum.

[John Keeton]

I'm willing to bet the root problem is that i did a bad job cleaning off the rollers to begin with..... It sounds like taking the hood off and cleaning the rollers and cutter head will happen every so often to keep these types of things to a minimum.
John, I disagree on this. Since I removed the foam, and initially cleaned everything, I don't have to do anything other than recommended maintenance. I never have to clean out anything to avoid the chips.

But, like Todd said, if I forget to open the blastgate for the planer (which I occasionally do if I am back and forth between machines), I will have the same thing happen and get the chips imbedded in my stock. It is a quick reminder!

[Larry Edgerton]

This happens when my dust collector gets over full, and stops when I empty it, so I do not think it has anything to do with the rollers.

In fact, I suspect that it is the chips circulating back around the cutterhead and getting between the knives and the wood, and as the chips can move the knives are not cutting them. If you look very closely with a magnifying glass it looks as if something was drug across the surface, not impressed.

I do not believe that my rubber outfeed rollers on my SCMI are stronger than the wood, say ash for example, and that the rollers would deform before the wood would be pressed into the surface. I would like to see a film of what is going on, but that is my theory.

Anyway..... I think you need to work on the dust collection....