New Grizzly Planer

[Mark Blatter]

OK, so I bought a new planer, the G0453Z, which I am looking forward to using. First however, I have to remove about five pounds of grease, and it is getting ugly. The table tops weren't too bad, though the bottom rollers were a bit of a pain. Now I am working on the cutter head, trying to get all 74 of the small cutters clean. Then I will move onto the front roller and anti-kickback fingers, then to the back roller.

Having spent 12 years in the US Navy, I understand what happens when you mix steel and salt air, but do they need this much grease? Quite honestly, if I had realized how much grease, and how tough it was going to be to get it cleaned off, I would have kept searching for a used planer. Or perhaps looked more closely at something made in the US (thinking that if it isn't being shipped over the ocean, less grease would be used).

Any suggestions on cleaning the cutter head? I would use a toothbrush and degreaser if I could get the head out, but just don't want to mess with doing that, so cleaning it in place is the only option. I suppose that the toothbrush is still an option, perhaps the best option.

I am about ready to just get it the best I can, then run a large amount of softwood through it.

[Neil Brooks]

I am about ready to just get it the best I can, then run a large amount of softwood through it.

That'll work.

Get past this part, and you'll have a planer that you'll love for decades :)

Lots of rags. Lots of Simple Green, WD-40 .... citrus degreaser ... whatever.

[Steve Schoene]

Or perhaps looked more closely at something made in the US (thinking that if it isn't being shipped over the ocean, less grease would be used).

I think there is only one Made in USA planer made these days, the Northfield no. 2. It's an 18" model, but doesn't have the spiral head. Even so, they start at about 10 times what your Grizzly set you back.

[Cary Falk]

I took paper towels and mineral spirits to get most of it off. I then put a piece of cardboard over the top and turned it on to let it filin some it off the head. I then used a tooth brush and mineral spirts. Turned on the maching again. I then buttoned it all up and ran some scrap wood through it.

[glenn bradley]

I did what Cary did.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=157701&d=1281208748
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=157702&d=1281208748
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=157703&d=1281208776

[Chip Lindley]

Lots of rags. Lots of Simple Green, WD-40 .... citrus degreaser ... whatever.

Stick with WD-40 or just plain ol' mineral spirits. Simple Green is water-based. So are many citrus degreasers. Not advised for cast iron and steel!

[Norman Hitt]

When I bought my Bandsaw and jointer planer, I made a preshow deal 3 weeks before the show, and put a deposit on a bandsaw that was going to a ww show. Jim tried to talk me into a jointer planer as well, but I told them I would "Think" about the Jointer/Planer when I picked the Bandsaw up at the show when it was over. When I arrived at the show, the first thing I saw, sitting Front and Center as we came to the MM exibit was my MM 20 all shined up and tuned, AND right next to it also prominately displayed, was the shiny/clean FS 350. Jim rushed over and said, Norm, I shined them up for you inside and out, so you don't even have to degrease them. He got a big laugh when I just grinned and said, "I might have been born at Night, but it sure wasn't Last Night".;) Of course he got a much bigger grin when I handed him the check for the balance on the bandsaw, and then noticed that it included full payment for the jointer planer too. Sometimes, you just have to think outside the BOX. :D

[Mark Blatter]

Thanks for the hints and suggestions. Wish I had been smart enough to cover it and turn it on so it would self-clean much of the grease off.

Still working on it, but I am getting there. Feels like I am brushing the teeth of a piranha....lots of them and really sharp.

[Van Huskey]

Cosmoline can be a pain, but it is a one time pain.

FYI the Woodmaster also makes jointers in the US and they are much cheaper than Northfield but they do not come with helical heads.

[Rick Davidson]

I have to deal with cosmoline on a regular basis in my everyday job. We use WD40 or Kerosene both work great with lots of rags and nitrile gloves.

[Mikail Khan]

I used carburettor spray.

Put rags under the head to catch the run off.

Took 5 minutes.

MK