Brand New Grizzly G0563 Oscillating Edge Sander Table To Platen Not Square Issue

[Ben Rivel]

So I recently bought a Grizzly G0563 Oscillating Edge Sander (LINK (http://www.grizzly.com/products/Oscillating-Edge-Sander-2-HP/G0563?utm_campaign=zPage)) and after working out the mobile base I finally got to set it up this weekend. After getting it all unpackaged, cleaned and setup I took to attempting to set the table 90 degrees to the platen. What I found was that it appears the platen is twisted slightly on the motor side and no matter how I adjust the angle adjustment the length of the platen is never all square with the table. Here's some images of what I'm seeing:

Checking square from each side and the middle:

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With the sanding belt installed:

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As you can see it looks like the side furthest from the motor and middle appear square but the side closest to the motor is skewed away from the platen near the table.

After seeing this I thought it might be the table that is warped so I threw some winding sticks on it and it looks fine to me:

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So how critical should one be about the squareness of the table to the platen on an oscillating edge sander? I have read through the manual and there doesnt seem to be any way to adjust or compensate for this issue. I havent called Grizzly about yet as I wanted to see what my fellow 'Creekers thought about it first, but if/when I do what are they going to do, send me another one? It was pretty tricky/difficult for me to get this one on the mobile base I really don't want to go through that again.

What are your guys' thoughts?

[Ben Rivel]

Well I gave Grizzly a call and they said the platen definitely should be straight and square and that mine sounds warped. I sent them the images and they are looking it over. We'll see what they say when they get back to me. I just hope they dont have to swap out the machine as this thing was a PAIN for me and my buddy to lift and get onto the mobile base. I do not want to have to get it off of there and back onto a pallet and then a new one on the base!

[Victor Robinson]

Bummer, keep us posted.

The thing about these machine purchases is even when a company makes it right (e.g. by replacing the machine and covering all costs, as they should), it's still a royal PITA and a waste of your time. Hopefully there's a way they can just send you a new platen and you can replace it? Taking the machine apart wouldn't be fun but perhaps better than machine musical chairs.

[Bill McNiel]

So how critical should one be about the squareness of the table to the platen on an oscillating edge sander?

Ben,
Square is essential for an edge sander to be worth anything. Do not accept anything less than dead on square.
FWIW- Bill

[Dave Lehnert]

I have only used much smaller belts sander.
I would think the belt being used could have the grit just a little thicker in spots and cause gaps along the length you are seeing.
Did you check square without the belt installed?

Again, I don't own a sander that size and my have a different opinion checking it myself.

[Ben Rivel]

I have only used much smaller belts sander.
I would think the belt being used could have the grit just a little thicker in spots and cause gaps along the length you are seeing.
Did you check square without the belt installed?

Again, I don't own a sander that size and my have a different opinion checking it myself.
The images I posted show squareness checked both with and without the belt installed. Its out of whack either way.

[Cary Falk]

I agree that square is essential. Grizzly will make it right one way or the other.

[Rich Riddle]

Grizzly maintains great customer service. I am wondering if it's the platen out of square or the sanding component that is the culprit.

[Ben Rivel]

Grizzly maintains great customer service. I am wondering if it's the platen out of square or the sanding component that is the culprit.
Im thinking its definitely the platen:

Checking each end of the table:

345280345281

[glenn bradley]

Well I gave Grizzly a call and they said the platen definitely should be straight and square and that mine sounds warped. I sent them the images and they are looking it over. We'll see what they say when they get back to me. I just hope they dont have to swap out the machine as this thing was a PAIN for me and my buddy to lift and get onto the mobile base. I do not want to have to get it off of there and back onto a pallet and then a new one on the base!

Glad they said that. The lack of a perpendicular relationship at that junction is a no-go. However this gets resolved, get it resolved or you will end up cursing the machine every time something doesn't fit right. Be sure it is the platen and not the table. The table is an easy fix. Nothing like going through a lot of effort and fixing the wrong thing ;-)

[Ben Rivel]

Glad they said that. The lack of a perpendicular relationship at that junction is a no-go. However this gets resolved, get it resolved or you will end up cursing the machine every time something doesn't fit right. Be sure it is the platen and not the table. The table is an easy fix. Nothing like going through a lot of effort and fixing the wrong thing ;-)
I have sent all the images and info to Grizzly and still awaiting a response. They said they will need some time to look it all over and decide the best course of action to get it fixed. Ill post back when I have more info.

[Mike Heidrick]

I wish you could see a Vega OES in person. Their platen is made with an I-beam.

[Jim Andrew]

Just got a G0564 sander, checked it after I saw this post, and it is off about 1/32 from one end to the other. Think I can live with it. That is 1/32 in 6" from one end to the other.

[John Ziebron]

I bought this same sander last year. Bought it from a fellow that originally purchased it 3 years before, but didn't use it much and I got it at a great price.

After getting moved to my shop, like you, the first thing I checked was the squareness to the platen. Mine was square at the motor end and about a 1/16 off at the idle roller end. Then I checked the table and it was flat and true (no twist).

Since this was a used machine I knew any fix would be on my dime. I thought about getting a replacement graphite strip and figuring out some way to shim between it and the platen to get everything square. I ended up realizing that to make a shim with a smooth transition from a 1/16th to nothing would be very difficult, so I canned that idea.

Then I took the machine apart in order to get the platen off. I figured the twist in it was caused by welding on the support pieces. But since the twist was so little I figured I had nothing to lose by trying to "twist" it flat. I had to devise a way to secure one end and then used a long, strong steel bar to apply the torque. It took 3 tries because metal has a memory and I didn't want to over twist it. But it worked, and now that machine is one of the most used in my shop. I also do some metal working and it sands steel almost as fast as wood.

[Ben Rivel]

Just got a G0564 sander, checked it after I saw this post, and it is off about 1/32 from one end to the other. Think I can live with it. That is 1/32 in 6" from one end to the other.
Yea mines about 1/4" off and its just in the last foot or so of the right side of the platen. Im not happy with that. But they are working with me on it. Either way it IS going to result in a headache to get taken care of. I just hope they compensate me somehow for the work Im going to have to do to either replace the whole platen or prepare the machine for a return and replacement.

I bought this same sander last year. Bought it from a fellow that originally purchased it 3 years before, but didn't use it much and I got it at a great price.

After getting moved to my shop, like you, the first thing I checked was the squareness to the platen. Mine was square at the motor end and about a 1/16 off at the idle roller end. Then I checked the table and it was flat and true (no twist).

Since this was a used machine I knew any fix would be on my dime. I thought about getting a replacement graphite strip and figuring out some way to shim between it and the platen to get everything square. I ended up realizing that to make a shim with a smooth transition from a 1/16th to nothing would be very difficult, so I canned that idea.

Then I took the machine apart in order to get the platen off. I figured the twist in it was caused by welding on the support pieces. But since the twist was so little I figured I had nothing to lose by trying to "twist" it flat. I had to devise a way to secure one end and then used a long, strong steel bar to apply the torque. It took 3 tries because metal has a memory and I didn't want to over twist it. But it worked, and now that machine is one of the most used in my shop. I also do some metal working and it sands steel almost as fast as wood.
That sounds like a good fix, but I dont have the tools to do that and since its brand new I want them to take care of it. But good to know it can actually be fixed.

[John Ziebron]

Ben, I absolutely agree with you. If I bought my sander new from Grizzly they would be taking care of the problem. I posted my story for several reasons. This problem is starting to appear like a common one with this sander. Other folks with this model that haven't checked it for square, should. Folks considering purchase of this sander now know that this squareness issue may be a problem they will have to deal with.

And I was merely pointing out a possible solution for those in my situation (used and/or past the warranty period) who have this sander with a squareness issue. Another possible solution is to have the platen surface ground. But that would likely require purchasing a new graphite strip since the original would have to be removed for grinding.

Lastly, if Grizzly monitors this forum and sees a probable systemic problem in the manufacturing of this machine they may look into and change their process in making the platen.

[Ben Rivel]

Ben, I absolutely agree with you. If I bought my sander new from Grizzly they would be taking care of the problem. I posted my story for several reasons. This problem is starting to appear like a common one with this sander. Other folks with this model that haven't checked it for square, should. Folks considering purchase of this sander now know that this squareness issue may be a problem they will have to deal with.

And I was merely pointing out a possible solution for those in my situation (used and/or past the warranty period) who have this sander with a squareness issue. Another possible solution is to have the platen surface ground. But that would likely require purchasing a new graphite strip since the original would have to be removed for grinding.

Lastly, if Grizzly monitors this forum and sees a probable systemic problem in the manufacturing of this machine they may look into and change their process in making the platen.
Oh I'm with ya, believe me. That is the other reason I created the thread, so others will know in the future that these problems can and do exist and they process by which they either do or do not get taken care of. Ill continue posting as I go through the process.

Latest update:

Grizzly contacted me yesterday (Friday) and wanted more images. They are trying to determine if its the platen or table that is out of whack. I thought the "measurements" I had already taken were enough to show that its the platen, but the tech I was working with and I came with a few more shots and "measurements" I could take to confirm that. It is definitely the platen. It is bowed in the middle as well as slightly bent in the lower right corner where Im seeing the deflection from the right side of the table. Im going to send the latest images off to them and we'll see what they come back with.

[glenn bradley]

Glad things are moving along. I do get their desire to be sure about the table not contributing. I've read too many posts about folks who get themselves in trouble trying to fix their dovetail-way jointer tables when the fence was actually the culprit/ Talk about making a small problem big by starting at the wrong end ;-)

[Ben Rivel]

And just for kicks:

Here is a shot of the amount the table to plate is out of square (approximately 7/64")"

345392


And here is a shot of how "unflat" the table is using a 24" Starrett straight edge and Starrett feeler gauge:

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This that pretty much confirms it is definitely the platen.

[Jim Andrew]

Bought my G0564 sander slightly used, so could not expect Grizzly to fix it, so I removed the platen today to attempt to straighten it. Was fairly easy to disassemble, used a chair to support the motor assembly so I did not have to remove the wire, and laid the platen face down across my work bench. Used a bar clamp to hold it down, and another to clamp a 4' 2x4 across the opposite end. Had to bend it back a little as I went too far the first time, but it is straight now. Got the platen back on, and the motor assembly back on, but have to finish it later. Much easier to bend than you might imagine. Do NOT put all your strength into it.

[Ben Rivel]

Bought my G0564 sander slightly used, so could not expect Grizzly to fix it, so I removed the platen today to attempt to straighten it. Was fairly easy to disassemble, used a chair to support the motor assembly so I did not have to remove the wire, and laid the platen face down across my work bench. Used a bar clamp to hold it down, and another to clamp a 4' 2x4 across the opposite end. Had to bend it back a little as I went too far the first time, but it is straight now. Got the platen back on, and the motor assembly back on, but have to finish it later. Much easier to bend than you might imagine. Do NOT put all your strength into it.
Good to know. Never know, I may have to get it done myself. Havent heard back from Grizzly, but Im pretty sure they are going to send me a new platen. We'll see I guess. Thanks for the info though, good to hear from another thats its a pretty doable task.

[Ben Rivel]

Just an update, after looking at the latest images I sent them showing the table to be out about 12 thousandths from perfectly flat they think the out of square might be due to the table. I don't think the table being .012 inches from flat would equate to the 7/64" gap I'm seeing when squaring it to the platen, but I guess we'll start with replacing the table since its easier and cheaper for them. They did say the table wasn't right either, so either way that needed to be replaced too. So right now in my mind its looking like my machine had a not flat table AND platen.

They said they're going to have their shop check and make sure the new table is good and flat before sending it out and then they'll get it in the mail ASAP. Ill update after I get it and install it.

[Rich Riddle]

Ben,

No company or person is perfect, but they certainly respond positively when customers query them or encounter a problem. Glad it's ending well for you.

[Ben Rivel]

Ben,

No company or person is perfect, but they certainly respond positively when customers query them or encounter a problem. Glad it's ending well for you.
Agreed. So far they do seem to be taking care of me, so I cant complain about the service I guess. I just hope I dont have to dang near rebuild this machine just to get it the way it should have come ya know?

[glenn bradley]

Good to hear.

[Ben Rivel]

Well, I received the new table and got it installed this weekend only to find that the new table they supposedly had checked for flatness before it left the warehouse was dipped in the middle 9-10 thousandths of an inch. It also wasnt shipped with any protective coating on the top so there was sections with light surface rust on it that took me about an hour to remove and clean up. The fit and finish of the replacement table wasnt as nice as the one that came with the sander either. Different grinding on the edge and slightly different looking finish on the top. And of course the right side of the table and platen are still not square but now the middle is also not square due to the replacement table being dipped slightly in the middle.

346801346802

Sent them the images and details and am now awaiting response. At this point Im guessing theyll have to send me a new platen now, however even if that is perfectly straight the dip in the middle of the table will still cause the middle section to be out of square. So that still wont fix the overall problem. Seems like its going to have to be another new table and a new platen.

[Cary Falk]

I would say it is probably not your table then and put the old one back on. Wait for Grizzly to send you a new platen

[Ben Rivel]

I would say it is probably not your table then and put the old one back on. Wait for Grizzly to send you a new platen
Only problem with that is that the old table wasnt flat either. Between the two its either a dip in the middle of 9 thou or a dip on the right side of 12 thou.

[Jim Andrew]

After having taken my sander apart to straighten the platen, think you could probably just clamp a 2x4 either to the back side or the front side, depending on which way it needs to go, on the idler end of the sander, and just put some pressure on the 2x4 to straighten the platen, without even removing it.

[Ben Rivel]

After having taken my sander apart to straighten the platen, think you could probably just clamp a 2x4 either to the back side or the front side, depending on which way it needs to go, on the idler end of the sander, and just put some pressure on the 2x4 to straighten the platen, without even removing it.
And then if I did that and was able to get the platen perfect, would I then just live with one of the non-flat tables?

[John Lankers]

Ben, I have a similar edge sander (different brand), it also had a small twist in the platen and in the table. I did exactly what Jim suggested to the platen and to remove the twist from the table I shimmed one edge up with a few strips of thin paper and then retightened the bolts. You want to check the sander table against another known to be flat surface like a table saw top or jointer table before you attempt to straighten the platen. I didn't have to deal with a dip in the table though. Both errors combined resulted in a 1/8" - 3/16" gap on the idler side of the machine and now it's dead on perfect.
These machines come all out of the same 'hatchery' in South East Asia where QC is not necessarily part of the vocabulary, in other words we get what we pay for.
Edit: I should have used winding sticks to check for twist, could have saved me a lot of time trying :eek:.

[glenn bradley]

I am sorry this has drug on for so long. It is these occasional stories that make some folks knee-jerk Grizzly haters. If its any consolation I have had similar issues with Jet, Delta and Powermatic. Maybe I should have coughed up the $2300 for a Vega ;-) Although the Grizzly is bargain priced, it is not a bargain if it does not function correctly.

I'm sure a lot of shops that just use a tool of this type to edge sand doors would use that machine without issue. I need my machine to be reasonably true and with a bit of futzing my little Jet is fine. The accuracy is not in the thousandths but, the grit variation on the abrasives is greater than that. It is tuned up to where I can sand small box sides while referencing off the base or top lip and not foul up a good square side.

Hold them to it. Grizzly machines will last you for a long time so you want them to make good. If you are not happy with the machine you will grouse every time you use it. I prefer to walk up to my machines and smile. Several are Grizzlys.

[Ben Rivel]

I am sorry this has drug on for so long. It is these occasional stories that make some folks knee-jerk Grizzly haters. If its any consolation I have had similar issues with Jet, Delta and Powermatic. Maybe I should have coughed up the $2300 for a Vega ;-) Although the Grizzly is bargain priced, it is not a bargain if it does not function correctly.

I have read a few times the suggestion of a Vega and after doing some research around the net, over the last few years it seems like its the same group of people recommending them. When looked up the sander I have to admit there doesnt seem to be much to it and even the Grizzly I bought looks like a much more robust machine. Just to be sure, those that recommend these Vegas, THIS (http://vegawoodworking.com/product/edge-belt-sander/) is the one you're talking about correct? Am I mistaken or is that not a cast iron table? And I really dont like that design of adjusting the angle of a table where two hinges are tightened on either side. There is no andle gauge and no easy way to ensure both sides are set the same.

[Van Huskey]

I have read a few times the suggestion of a Vega and after doing some research around the net, over the last few years it seems like its the same group of people recommending them. When looked up the sander I have to admit there doesnt seem to be much to it and even the Grizzly I bought looks like a much more robust machine. Just to be sure, those that recommend these Vegas, THIS (http://vegawoodworking.com/product/edge-belt-sander/) is the one you're talking about correct? Am I mistaken or is that not a cast iron table? And I really dont like that design of adjusting the angle of a table where two hinges are tightened on either side. There is no andle gauge and no easy way to ensure both sides are set the same.

That is the Vega everyone talks about. No the tables aren't cast iron but neither are ones on some of the old mid level commercial machines. Trust me there is no comparison between the Vega and anything else available new for under 3-4K. That said if someone has the room an old Ekstrom Carlson, Wysong Miles or Central Machinery (not Harbor Freight) is an even better choice.

[glenn bradley]

There is no andle gauge and no easy way to ensure both sides are set the same.

True. The Vega stuff is somewhat like the Kalamazoo stuff when it comes to sanders. Fairly task specific. They are "industrial" machines that lack the bells and whistles that one would possibly want in a home shop. They are attractive to me in that they are not really high priced for the beefy build that you get.

But, I am a one-man home shop kinda guy and went with the little Jet machine which does OK (and I got a great price on it). Between it and the Griz I really wish I would've spent a little over double to-my-door. The table design on the Jet is quite poor and it is a lightweight machine. But, like I said, it does OK; I doubt I will replace it unless a really good deal comes along.

[Ben Rivel]

Takin' their time on this one. Been over a week now and I still haven't heard back from them after sending them the images of the new table and it being not flat. They did confirm that they got the images the following day though. We'll see how it goes... Ill post back when something happens.

[Ben Rivel]

Just an update, still havent heard anything from them and its been over two weeks now. Going to try and send someone an email now.

[Ben Rivel]

Well the saga continues. Grizzly contacted me again finally after a 2.5 week pause and told me they are 8 weeks out on replacement parts, best case scenario. They also gave me the option to replace the sander but they said they wont have any in stock until mid January (again 8 weeks) best case. Then they said I could also return the sander for a refund. But with the latter two options they said I would have to get it back on a pallet and crate it up just as I had received it and have it ready for a shipping company to pick up. Well of course after over a month of dealing with this I dont have the pallets and crating material it came with anymore. Why would I keep that?!

Then the CSR proceeds to try and convince me this "squareness" issue wasnt something I should be concerned with as squaring up the edge of a board is not a job for an edge sander and that I should be using a jointer for that. I explained to him that first of all that wont help on plywood and second this all began when I called to ASK it the platen being out of square from the table was an issue and THEY said it definitely shouldn't be that way and THEY started wanting to send me replacement parts to try and fix the problem. And now they're backtracking and saying it isn't an issue and I should what? just deal with it? Then he tells me most edge sanders come out of square and usually require some tweaking. I had to stop him there before I got annoyed and lost control and told him I'd sleep on it and get back to them as to what I'd like to do.

Under any other circumstances I would figure out a way to return this unit for either a refund or exchange, but the wait is an issue for an exchange and the fact that I got free shipping on a promo deal was another as I probably wont get that again if I return it and repurchase another when they come back in stock. The other issue I have with returning/exchanging it is that it's very difficult for me to get any help from other people to lift a tool like this and I had to "hire" a couple guys to help me get it off the pallet and into place already. I'd have to pay people again to get it back onto another pallet that I don't know where I'm going to get just to get it ready to ship back.

At this point I'm not sure what I'm going to do... Very frustrating.

[mreza Salav]

I once bought a sander (different kind) from a company (not Grizzly, but a "sibling" sort of) and upon using it for the first time I realized I can't live with it. I returned the machine and never bought from them again. If I were you I'd return it (shouldn't be hard to find/make a pallet/crate).
If you want to give them another shot you can wait for a replacement to come and then return this one on the pallet of that machine (perhaps have a CC # as hold).

[Van Huskey]

Sorry for the continued issue.

As an aside I NOW keep all a machines crating material until I know I am happy with the machine, I learned the hard way. The again I am the guy that keeps laptop boxes until the warranty expires... I did use one once.

[Larry Frank]

Sorry to hear of your troubles....really tough when you are excited about a new machine.

Van Huskey has good advice. Unpack a new machine carefully and save packing. It seems to be more important with some brands than others. Also, take pictures before unpacking and document any issues.

Hope you get this resolved.

[Ben Rivel]

Oh man, regarding the packaging, I am extremely anal about saving all my boxes to pretty much everything I buy as I usually end up reselling and upgrading almost everything. Im into a lot of hobbies and it adds up. So normally having the original packaging saved wouldnt be a problem, but keeping around something as large as the pallets and crating material is a bit trickier for me. Ill figure something out to get it re-crated if I have to, but right now Im kinda leaning towards just having them send me a new one when they have more in stock and reusing the shipping material the new comes with to package up the old one. The one I got based on the serial number was actually made in the middle of 2015, so it had been sitting somewhere for a while. Id be interested to see what would come that was brand new, made in 2017.

[Van Huskey]

I think there are plenty of those machines in the wild and plenty of people happy with them, so if you want that machine I say wait on a "new" one. We have all had one of those "Friday afternoon" machines that tried to make us tear our hair out.

[Ben Rivel]

I think there are plenty of those machines in the wild and plenty of people happy with them, so if you want that machine I say wait on a "new" one. We have all had one of those "Friday afternoon" machines that tried to make us tear our hair out.Well, it always sounds believable when people say that, and true its an angle worth considering, but when I purchase a tool that is brand new from a company like Grizzly who houses most of their stock in the same warehouse (as I understand it) and when I get it I find that it was manufactured a year and a half ago, I start to wonder if this machine sat around for so long how many do they really move?! That and there is very little about them around the net. So those two thoughts make me lean towards they dont sell too many of these. But we will never know that for sure.

[Ben Rivel]

Another quick update. I finally go back in touch with the original gentleman I was working with and what a difference it can make depending on who you talk to. This guy's name is Robert and he has been very helpful.

However there is not really anyway for him or anyone else to sugarcoat the situation. They simply dont have any machine nor parts to replace my unit with. Ill have to wait until more come in stock some time in January. He is going to try and get management approval to ship me the replacement first and then I re-use that crating material to ship the old one back once they are back in stock. Otherwise we discussed me buying another one first and then after it arrives using re-using the shipping material to send the old one back and they give me a full refund (shipping included) for the replacement one.

We also discussed me renting an engine hoist to get these moved around easier. I like the idea better than trying to find people to help me, just have to find a place that rents them, burrow a truck and then get some help getting in on and off the truck a couple times.

So we'll see how this continues in over a month. Ill be sure to post back.

[Ben Rivel]

Continuing the story. A couple days ago I randomly received a UPS Freight shipping label from Grizzly via email with nothing more describing what it was for. I was going to call them but had been pretty busy the last couple days and instead received a call from the CSR Robert that has been handling this case. He asked me if I had received the shipping label, I told him I did but had no idea what it was for. He explained to me that they issued it since they now want to bring my sander back and inspect it. That was all he said they wrote in the notes.

I was driving so I didnt think to ask: wait I thought we had decided we were waiting for a new one to come in or at least replacement parts. And then there was the issue with crating it and they were going to consider cross shipping me a new one so I could use the crating material to send back the old one. Guess that all went out the window and now they say that since its a "woodworking" machine it doesnt need to be that precise and they cant tell how out of square it is from my pictures so they want to inspect it in person now.

So now I guess Im forced to rent a cherry picker to lift this machine back onto a pallet I have to find from somewhere and then go buy boards to build a crate around it to have it shipped back. I almost convinced they are just going to send me the same unit back "repaired" or "checked to be perfect" like the replacement non-flat cast iron table they sent me. I have half a mind to just tell them to keep it and issue me a refund once they get it back, but then Im back to square one with figuring out what sander to get.

Sigh... Only big tool I've ever had any issues with and it happened to be the first and only Grizzly product I tried.

[Jim Andrew]

Having straightened my machine, think it would be to easy to fix to go through the hassle you are going through. Just clamp a 2x4 onto the thing and spring it a little in the direction it needs to go. Try not to bend it too far. Think taking it apart is not necessary.

[glenn bradley]

Sigh... Only big tool I've ever had any issues with and it happened to be the first and only Grizzly product I tried.

Experiences like this can make you swear of a brand. I have returned Powermatics and Jets as well. Each brand seems to have something they do extra well. I have yet to try another Powermatic but, I do have a Jet sander that does fine, a couple Delta machines and a few Grizzly's.

[Van Huskey]

My problem would not be the defect (all companies that make a widget have them) it is the time to resolution. It was an initial defect that has now drug out to 25% of the warranty period. Hopefully the resolution is just around the corner and it reminds us that it is good practice not to do away with machine packing materials until we are 100% satisfied with the machine, though I don't think I have ever done that.

BTW seeing your name Ben reminds me I owe you a PM, will get to it soon!

[Ben Rivel]

Having straightened my machine, think it would be to easy to fix to go through the hassle you are going through. Just clamp a 2x4 onto the thing and spring it a little in the direction it needs to go. Try not to bend it too far. Think taking it apart is not necessary.
A couple of folks have suggested I attempt to fix it myself, and while I dont think its a bad idea nor do I think it wouldnt be possible, I wonder, if you were in this situation and just spent almost $1900 on this tool would you be happy fixing it yourself? And even if you could bend the platen straight, what about the not flat cast iron table that you could do nothing about? You'd just keep that?

My problem would not be the defect (all companies that make a widget have them) it is the time to resolution. It was an initial defect that has now drug out to 25% of the warranty period. Hopefully the resolution is just around the corner and it reminds us that it is good practice not to do away with machine packing materials until we are 100% satisfied with the machine, though I don't think I have ever done that.

BTW seeing your name Ben reminds me I owe you a PM, will get to it soon!Thanks Van, still looking forward to hearing your story!

[Chris Merriam]

If you have a Sunbelt Rentals in your area, they rent hoists. i think I paid $40? for mine. The nice thing is they are knock-down, so all the pieces break down to long bar-shaped sizes. The longest are maybe 5-6 ft long, so technically would fit in a car with folding seats (I used my truck)

[Ben Rivel]

If you have a Sunbelt Rentals in your area, they rent hoists. i think I paid $40? for mine. The nice thing is they are knock-down, so all the pieces break down to long bar-shaped sizes. The longest are maybe 5-6 ft long, so technically would fit in a car with folding seats (I used my truck)Thanks for that suggestion. Not sure if I do but I do have a Hertz Equipment rental not too far and they have hoists I believe. A collapsible option would definitely be good though, I didnt know they did that.

Anyone know if the cheap Harbor Freight one everyone seems to have collapses down? I might just buy one to keep around if its cheap enough and can be broken down.

[Van Huskey]

Anyone know if the cheap Harbor Freight one everyone seems to have collapses down? I might just buy one to keep around if its cheap enough and can be broken down.

Yes, both the 1 ton and 2 ton engine hoists they sell fold up.

[Chris Merriam]

They fold up, but they don't break down into separate pieces

[Ben Rivel]

So I just got a call from a new Grizzly technical service rep named Justin and this one was really the first to make me feel a lot better about getting this situation taken care of properly. When I asked why he happened to call me today he just said that he had noticed the ticket and how long it had been open and thought he'd see if he could help.

We talked for a bit about quite a few things, went over a couple previously discussed issues and a couple new ones and long story short, as I understand it, we now have a hashed out plan for dealing with this. They are going to ship me a new replacement unit which he has stated he will look over with a straight edge and square personally before it gets shipped out to me. The new units coming in are still on schedule for delivery on Jan. 19th. They are willing to ship the replacement first so I can reuse the crating material to package up the old one. I might have to actually pay for the new one to get it shipped first but they will refund me the money as soon as the shipping company picks it up. Im okay with that as long as the whole thing doesnt take more than 30 days and my credit card charges me interest. And he said he will look into some store credit or compensation for all the hassle this situation has been.

We also discussed moving this machine safely both off and on the pallet and he warned against using an engine hoist due to there not being a good place to bear all the weight of the machine and instead suggested if I cant get enough people to lift and move it perhaps unbolting the top half of the machine and moving the two parts separately. I still have to take a look at it and figure out how best to do that, but it another option I suppose to consider.

Hopefully all of this will happen as planned, but at least Im feeling a little better about it. Thats worth something right? He said he'll give me a call tomorrow to finalize a few more details. Ill update when Ive got something.

[Ben Rivel]

They fold up, but they don't break down into separate piecesThat'd be fine, as long as it gets smaller for storage. That said Im not sure Im going to go that route now as Grizzly is recommending against it for that particular machine.

[Ben Rivel]

Time for an update. Had a few minor conversations back and forth with Grizzly over the last couple weeks. Still working with the new guy Justin that got involved and so far things seem to be moving along better. Just got the email saying the replacement unit has shipped and they were able to send it first so that I could use the crating material to re-crate the old one and send it back. I have been given 30 days to send it back or my credit card will be automatically charged for the second one and then Ill have to get a refund when it does ship back. Shouldnt be an issue as I'll only need a weekend to get it re-crated and sent back. He said they had someone look this one over and check flatness of the table and squareness of the platen to table before it shipped. We'll see. He also mentioned some sort of compensation in the form of store credit but the details of that havent been given to me yet. I imagine they are waiting until this whole thing is over. Ill post back when it gets here.

[Mike Manning]

What a story...so far. I hope the new one is better than the previous.

[Ben Rivel]

What a story...so far. I hope the new one is better than the previous.Thanks Mike, we shall see.

[Josh Molaver]

@Ben - was wondering if there was an update here - how did you make out getting the replacement G0563?

Am looking at the G0564...

[Ben Rivel]

@Ben - was wondering if there was an update here - how did you make out getting the replacement G0563?

Am looking at the G0564...
Crap, just realized I never updated how this situation turned out.

Well they did send another. It got to be with a broken pallet and was tilted over inside the crate and scratched up a bit and had a tiny dent on it. So I ended up swapping the tops (motor, sander, platen, table, etc). Worked out okay since I didn't have remove the base of the first one from the mobile base and the top alone was easier to lift than the whole unit. The replacement upper was indeed much closer to square. Wasn't perfect in one upper corner, but it was close enough. Oscillation was a little low and it looked like the paper was going to work its way off the rollers but that was adjustable to fix. Other than that, I haven't used it much, but it seems to be working out as expected. Fiasco for sure, but after months of dealing with it it all worked out in the end I guess.

[andrew weldon]

Well that's good to hear. I've been agonizing over the G0563 vs a Vega (or this awesome old Crouch that's on Craigslist right now..). The problem with the Vega is I don't have room for such a giant sander. The G0563 is the perfect size.

Thanks for updating, by the way!

[Jim Andrew]

That U shaped platen must be difficult to get straight when building it, at least if you are not aware of the problem. As for my sander, straightened the platen and it has been an awesome sander since. I also took a piece of sheet metal and made a 6" flange for the dust collection hookup.

[Phillip Gregory]

I recently got a G0564 and it is about 1/32" out of square at the idler end of the table using an 8" square, while it is dead on at the motor end. The table adjustment mechanism is not going to be perfect as it has a wide horizontal adjustment due to the pivoting platen/belt assembly, and the two ends of the table are independent of each other

The major issue I found with my G0564 was that the machine as shipped could not use 108" long belts. The included belt was 109" outer circumference and fit a little loose, but two 6x108" belts from different vendors both could not fit on to the rollers with the tension completely off, let alone run on the machine with the tension on. I did some looking and there are shims between the motor base and the machine frame, which are required as otherwise the drive roller hits a part of the platen frame (these are NOT denoted in the parts list but are required.) I had to adjust the stop nut for the idler roller tension mechanism until the tension spring would just fully compress when the lever was opened fully. That point would just let me use standard 6x108" belts. I screwed in that stop nut about 1/4" FYI. I also had to adjust the tracking, and it takes two 22 mm wrenches, not one 12 mm wrench, and the jam nut was on the other side of the threaded rod than the manual stated. Nonetheless, I got the machine adjusted appropriately.

The included 100 grit 6x~109" belt gave a finish approximating a 180 grit ROS, very fine and slow-cutting with the original adjustments. The 120 grit 6x108" belt that did not originally fit cut far more aggressively than that after I adjusted the machine, and the other 60 grit 6x108" belt I got hogs off material very quickly, as a 60 grit sanding belt should. I think the factory that made the sander had some slightly overly long belts and adjusted the machine to fit them even though it put the machine out of spec.

After adjustment, the machine works well. I wonder if Grizzly changed manufacturers recently and the new one supplied a metric-dimensioned (15x275cm?) machine that was "close enough" but in practice not quite so.