DEFLECTOR PLATE for Delta 380 planer

[Dave Zellers]

I just bought a used 22-380 15" Delta planer and in taking it apart to clean and remove the knives for sharpening, I discovered it is missing what Delta calls the deflector plate. (also called the chip deflector later on in the manual) It screws on under the top cover where the chips are ejected but they seem to be ejected just fine without it.

Is this an important piece? It just seems to fit over the cast body and maybe extend past it a small bit. (hard to tell from the pic in the manual)

It's 45 bucks to buy a replacement part. Do I really need it?

[Chip Lindley]

Dave, the chip deflector serves a purpose, but not important enough to spend $45! The original 4-post Rockwell/Delta RC-33 (13-1/8") used 1/8" hardboard (Masonite) for the part. Not sure what DC-380 deflectors are made of. I believe this part serves more purpose if the planer was used without any dust collection attached. With adequate DC, you can probably get by without it.

The deflector screw holes are slotted which can adjust it very close (1/16" or less) to the knives to keep chips from being sucked down with the rotation of the cutterhead, onto the exiting board. More chips are guided out the chute instead.

I made my own replacements. (I used some 1/8" acrylic that works well; 1/8" aluminum would be fine too) The factory part has a 45 degree bevel (sharp edge up) on the long side nearest the knives to streamline the flow, I suppose.

[Dave Zellers]

Thanks- good info.

I don't have any dust collection so I would almost rather have the chips fall onto the board than thrown out into the room. I may experiment with plexiglass- I like that idea, and see how it affects things.

[Dick Strauss]

Dave,
If it is the piece that sits at the top back (opposite of the feed side) of the cutterhead about 1/8" away, it is usually a thin piece of sheetmetal with lots of small holes punched in it (kind of like a honeycomb).

If you are planing knotty material be careful! If you launch a good size knot, it might send the factory metal shield towards the blades and ruin them (DAMHIKT).

[Chip Lindley]

Thanks- good info.

I don't have any dust collection so I would almost rather have the chips fall onto the board than thrown out into the room. I may experiment with plexiglass- I like that idea, and see how it affects things.

Dave, most of the shavings will be thrown out of the chute, regardless! My reference to chips being sucked down by the cutterhead, instead of out the chute, bears more explaination. Those shavings that do not exit the chute, fall onto your board ahead of the outfeed roller. The outfeed roller then presses them into your freshly planed board, leaving little impressions; especially in softer woods. You don't want that!

[Dave Zellers]

I see. No- I definitely do not want that. I'll fiddle around with 1/8" plexi and if that doesn't work I guess I'll spring for the replacement part.

My old Delta 12" lunchbox just drops the shavings rather neatly on the board as it exits so that's why I was thinking the way I was.

Can't wait to get this baby up and running. I'm waiting on gear oil, new knives, and a knife setting jig that I bought online. Should all happen next week. The word is, this sat for almost 10 years unused so I'm reluctant to run it much without changing the oil.

[Robert Maloney]

Dave,
I saw one on Ebay last night. I think it was about $8. Hope this helps

[Dave Zellers]

Dave,
I saw one on Ebay last night. I think it was about $8. Hope this helps

I'm trying to find it now...

Do you remember what you searched for?

[Kent A Bathurst]

Been quite a while since I got my 380, but... IIRC, when I installed the add-on dust hood, that deflector HAD TO come off. Can't be possible it is still around here somewhere, sorry - if I had it, it would have surfaced when I dug out the tables + hardware for Chip the other week.

[Dave Zellers]

Thanks for posting that. This is all starting to make more sense. This planer came with a home made wooden dust chute attached. That would explain why the chip deflector had been removed.

[Alan Schaffter]

I had a DC-380 a few years ago, but if I remember correctly it said to remove the chip deflector when you attached the DC boot/chute.

[Dave Zellers]

It's probably sitting in the warehouse where this was stored in a box somewhere with the other accessories like the wrenches and knife setting jig.

The place was very disorganized but he did say he would keep my email and let me know if he found anything. That of course will be right after I break down and buy one.

Dust collection is far off in the future. My next move is a Grizzley G0490.

Soon!:)

[Kent A Bathurst]

It's probably sitting in the warehouse where this was stored in a box somewhere with the other accessories like the wrenches and knife setting jig.

The place was very disorganized but he did say he would keep my email and let me know if he found anything. That of course will be right after I break down and buy one.

Dust collection is far off in the future. My next move is a Grizzley G0490.

Soon!:)

Yeah....um...well......Fire up that 380 bad boy, and send a coupla rough-sawn 10" boards through it. Recheck priorities re: dust collection :D

[Dave Zellers]

No amount of sawdust from the 380 will come between me and my new 8" longbed jointer.:D

I'm not even gonna tell the Mrs until the truck is in the driveway.;)

"Honey, our new jointer is here..."

[Robert Maloney]

Dave,
On Ebay search chip deflector under Business and Industrial and it should be the only thing that pops up. I just searched it. Actually it is $11.95 "buy it now"

[Peter Quinn]

It's probably sitting in the warehouse where this was stored in a box somewhere with the other accessories like the wrenches and knife setting jig.

The place was very disorganized but he did say he would keep my email and let me know if he found anything. That of course will be right after I break down and buy one.

Dust collection is far off in the future. My next move is a Grizzley G0490.

Soon!:)

I'll tell you Dave, if you do a lot of planing and want any quality of work space or quality of lumber (what Chip said about impressions is no small problem) even a small cheap DC is worth its weight in gold. like a little Grizzly 1HP or something.

Anyway, I too have a used DC-380, I bought it from a guy that shot his chips into a bin sort of thing without DC, so I added the hood and HAD to remove the deflector to use the DC chip hood. I have one somewhere in the shop, I'll look for it, but I'm not the most organized guy I know, so no promises. You can have mine if I can find it tomorrow when I back in the shop.

PS, congrats on that planer, its a big step up from a lunch box in every way, you're going to love it! I call mine the little Buffalo, because its not large as iron planers go, but it is surprisingly capable.

[Dave Zellers]

Dave,
On Ebay search chip deflector under Business and Industrial and it should be the only thing that pops up. I just searched it. Actually it is $11.95 "buy it now"

Thanks. I see it now. I may actually be rethinking things. See below.

[Dave Zellers]

...even a small cheap DC is worth its weight in gold. like a little Grizzly 1HP or something.

So no sooner do I read this than I check my local CL and see this:

Shop dust collector, excellent condition, used only 6x

On wheels; perfect for small shop

1 HP, single phase, 110 volts

$150 obo.

He doesn't list a brand. Should I pursue this?

[Dave Zellers]

PS, congrats on that planer, its a big step up from a lunch box in every way, you're going to love it! I call mine the little Buffalo, because its not large as iron planers go, but it is surprisingly capable.

I'm pretty much chomping at the bit. I have lusted after the Delta 15" planer for at least 10 years. I go down to my shop and can't believe I'm seeing it there.

Come on, Amazon, hurry up!

[Kent A Bathurst]

So no sooner do I read this than I check my local CL and see this:

Shop dust collector, excellent condition, used only 6x

On wheels; perfect for small shop

1 HP, single phase, 110 volts

$150 obo.

He doesn't list a brand. Should I pursue this?

IMO -a buck-fifty for a no-name used single-stage is too high. Lotsa guys here run the 2HP HF model - and seem very happy with it. I don't frequent HF, but IIRC those can be had NIB for less than that. Even if it were the same or a bit more, you'd prolly still be well ahead of the curve, I'd think.

[Peter Quinn]

That looks like a little delta collector and if so is probably worth $150. I'd call to find out if it were me. The dc 380 will take off a little over .100" per pass without much trouble, my dewalt lunchbox started screaming at anything over a light 1/32". When you are hogging off that much material per pass the pile of chips gets thick quick without chip collection. I for one don't care to stand in a pile of chips and work and never considered DC to be optional. When a board is coming out and you are catching at the out feed table, guess who is getting a face full of shavings? Yummy.

[Chip Lindley]

The biggest planing job I ever undertook with the DC-380s little brother (Rockwell RC-33) was a van-load of sawmill oak 1x12s for a guys log home panelling. The tough planer never missed a beat, planing full 12" width! After 6 hours of planing, I hauled off two heaping pickup loads of shavings! Luckily, a gardener-friend was happy to get the mulch! Otherwise, there would have been a huge, smoldering pile out back!