My Rigid Planer is "obsolete". Can't find rollers......

[Michael Drew]

I think the model number is a TP13000. It was one of their first. I have not ever had a problem with this planer, and it still works fine. The infeed and outfeed rollers, however, are not grabbing the material that well anymore. I have to "coax" the boards at times. I thought I'd just replace the rollers, ordered a set and just found out the set of rollers I bought are for one of the newer planers. After a more careful search, yep, the rollers are no longer manufactured and obsolete.

Seems like a waste to buy a new planer because I can't get stupid roller..... I ended up cleaning both with some acetone while I had them out. The outfeed does not look bad at all. The infeed does have some scoring. And yes, I do wax the bed.

Any suggestions?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Michael, I have one of the same planers. You might try contacting CUTECH as they have I think the design for the TP1300. CUtech's 40200H seems to be the same planer and IIRC, guys have bought sprial head upgrade kits for the TP1300 from CUTECH. Subscribe to the following thread for future reference: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?241089-Ridgid-TP1300-Planer .

[Brian Runau]

I think the model number is a TP13000. It was one of their first. I have not ever had a problem with this planer, and it still works fine. The infeed and outfeed rollers, however, are not grabbing the material that well anymore. I have to "coax" the boards at times. I thought I'd just replace the rollers, ordered a set and just found out the set of rollers I bought are for one of the newer planers. After a more careful search, yep, the rollers are no longer manufactured and obsolete.

Seems like a waste to buy a new planer because I can't get stupid roller..... I ended up cleaning both with some acetone while I had them out. The outfeed does not look bad at all. The infeed does have some scoring. And yes, I do wax the bed.

Any suggestions?

Are these rollers a metal tube with rubber bonded to the OD of the tube? Just thinking out loud, I wonder if this is a standard industry conveyor roller that you could source from some one like these guys? Don't know about the durometer of the rubber etc, but I assume Rigid could provide that info. Not sure how cost effective it would be to do it this way even if you could?

https://omni.com/products/conveyor-rollers/

Brian (https://omni.com/products/conveyor-rollers/)

[Frederick Skelly]

I recalled someone previously discussing having some rollers refurbished. So I googled
> Reconditioning machine rollers < Several companies came up. I don't know anything about doing this, but it might be an option if the price is low - one company claimed to do jobs as small as $50.

[Cary Falk]

Western Roller will strip off the rubber and replace them with urathane. I had 2 rollers done on my JPM-13 years ago. Excellent company to work with.

[Steve Lindsey]

Might try waxing the bed, installing new knives, and clean the rollers before you disassemble the machine. That has worked for me in the past. Good luck.

[Richard Coers]

You should be careful cleaning rubber with acetone. The chemicals could easily hasten the death of them. I use Simple Green and it works very well. Water based.

[Michael Drew]

Michael, I have one of the same planers. You might try contacting CUTECH as they have I think the design for the TP1300. CUtech's 40200H seems to be the same planer and IIRC, guys have bought sprial head upgrade kits for the TP1300 from CUTECH. Subscribe to the following thread for future reference: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?241089-Ridgid-TP1300-Planer .

Thanks! I should have spent more time searching......

[Michael Drew]

Western Roller will strip off the rubber and replace them with urathane. I had 2 rollers done on my JPM-13 years ago. Excellent company to work with.

That might be a great option. Down side is no planer to use for whatever time period that all takes.


Are these rollers a metal tube with rubber bonded to the OD of the tube? Just thinking out loud, I wonder if this is a standard industry conveyor roller that you could source from some one like these guys? Don't know about the durometer of the rubber etc, but I assume Rigid could provide that info. Not sure how cost effective it would be to do it this way even if you could?

https://omni.com/products/conveyor-rollers/

Brian (https://omni.com/products/conveyor-rollers/)

Not a tube. Solid bar stock, with machined areas for bearings, keyways and retaining clip groves. I could not use the "new" Rigid planer rollers I bought, due to the center/center spacing where the bearing block registers is 1/2" shorter than the TP1300.


I recalled someone previously discussing having some rollers refurbished. So I googled
> Reconditioning machine rollers < Several companies came up. I don't know anything about doing this, but it might be an option if the price is low - one company claimed to do jobs as small as $50.


Might try waxing the bed, installing new knives, and clean the rollers before you disassemble the machine. That has worked for me in the past. Good luck.

Did that first. I've cleaned the rollers a few times, while in the machine. Never did a great job.....


You should be careful cleaning rubber with acetone. The chemicals could easily hasten the death of them. I use Simple Green and it works very well. Water based.

I thought of that, but it didn't harm them. I only used a small amount on a rag.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

From experience servicing the reel-to-reel data tape drives, alcohol will harden rubber capstans making them slip. When a rubber capstan got dirty, I'd clean it with alcohol one time and order a replacement. The initial cleaning would work for a short period and then the drive would start experiencing data errors due to slippage on the hardened rubber. I'd stay away from solvents and try soaps and water.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks! I should have spent more time searching......

No problem. I read the thread when it started and with that Ridgid planer, I subscribed to the thread for future reference for my own selfish use.

[Michael Drew]

I sent an email to Cutech this morning. The infeed roller is out of stock. The outfeed is in stock. I also asked about a spiral cutting head and they will let me know if they can hook me up.

"Hi Michael,

Thank you for reaching out to Cutech. The infeed and outfeed rollers for the Cutech 40200H planer will fit your Ridgid TP1300. The infeed roller is currently out of stock. We are expecting a shipment in mid January.

Infeed roller
https://cutech.tools/collections/repair-parts-for-40200h-1/products/rp-40200-104


Outfeed roller
https://cutech.tools/collections/repair-parts-for-40200h-1/products/rp-40200-098


Tech service has reached out to our supplier to see if the spiral cutterhead can be made to fit the Ridgid TP 1300. We will be in touch soon as we know more."

[lowell holmes]

I have this planer. I have never regretted buying it.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=dewalt%20planer&catalog=4294607708

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I sent an email to Cutech this morning. The infeed roller is out of stock. The outfeed is in stock. I also asked about a spiral cutting head and they will let me know if they can hook me up.

"Hi Michael,

Thank you for reaching out to Cutech. The infeed and outfeed rollers for the Cutech 40200H planer will fit your Ridgid TP1300. The infeed roller is currently out of stock. We are expecting a shipment in mid January.

Infeed roller
https://cutech.tools/collections/repair-parts-for-40200h-1/products/rp-40200-104


Outfeed roller
https://cutech.tools/collections/repair-parts-for-40200h-1/products/rp-40200-098


Tech service has reached out to our supplier to see if the spiral cutterhead can be made to fit the Ridgid TP 1300. We will be in touch soon as we know more."

Michael, please update this thread with information concerning the spiral cutterhead update. I would love to do that to mine too!

[Ken Krawford]

Michael, do you have a reference source (Youtube video, etc) that shows how to tear the planer apart for the roller replacement?

[Michael Drew]

Michael, please update this thread with information concerning the spiral cutterhead update. I would love to do that to mine too!

Will do! And as soon as the infeed roller is back in stock, I will order both and report back after I get them and compare them to what's in the machine.


Michael, do you have a reference source (Youtube video, etc) that shows how to tear the planer apart for the roller replacement?

No, sorry. I just started taking the thing apart and figured it out as I went. It kinda goes like this (proceed at your own risk):

1) Raise cutter head to top most position, and lock it into position with the cutter head locking lever. (to give you more room to remove the roller carrier bearing blocks). These are secured in place by small plates with two hex head screws.
Note: I have no better term to use than "bearing block". It's simply a square block that serves as a bearing at each end of the roller.
2) Remove top end bracket and center tray to gain access to the cutting head and roller gears and chains. (four hex head screws at the top of machine)
3) Remove the top cover of the gear box for raise/lowering rod (three small hex screws). The rod needs to be removed to gain access to the gear and chain sets. (just makes life easier).
4) Remove lock nut at the base of the raise/lowering rod. There is a flat on the rod, near the bottom to hold the rod with a wrench while loosening/tightening the lock nut. The rod should lift up and away from the machine now. It may need some slight twisting to "roll" the gear sets apart. (ensure cutter head locking lever is still engaged). I really do not know if the cutter head can tilt up/down, but I didn't want to test my luck.
5) Remove C-clips from gear/chain sets, and pull them off rollers. They slide right off. Take note of how the gear/chain cover is positioned. It will need to slide off and out with the gear sets.
By now, the rollers are ready to be removed. There is a spring that applies downward pressure at each end of the rollers. The spring is captured in a small pocket, between the roller end bearing blocks and the machine. I used a couple clamps to hold the rollers up, while removing bearing block retaining plates at each end (as well as when I re-installed them).
6) After the clamps are installed, securing rollers to the machine, remove the bearing block retaining plates at each end of roller. Two small hex screws hold each plate.
7) Carefully remove clamp and allow the roller to lower downward. Don't loose the springs. They will drop out of the machine.
8) Remove roller from machine. Remove bearing block and transfer to new roller. I suggest cleaning the block and wipe some grease on the new roller before sliding the block onto the rollers.
9) To hold the roller springs in position, in the machine itself, I used a good bit of grease. I slobbered some grease on the end of the spring, then kinda "stuck" it up in the spring pockets.
10) Slide the new roller into position, hold it there while you re-install your clamp onto the roller to raise it up into position against spring pressure. Don't force anything, just slight pressure. Once it is secured in the upward position, you can install the retaining plates.
11) After the plates are installed, turn/rotate the roller by hand. It should turn by hand (assuming you cleaned and applied new grease to the bearings), without a great deal of effort. It you can't rotate by hand, you've got something bound up. Remove, inspect, try again.
12) Reinstall roller gear sets and chains. Rotate rollers as needed to get the key ways to line up. Don't forget the chain cover when you do this.
13) Reinstall the raise/lowering rod. You might need to rocker the gear set back and forth with the raise/lower handwheel to get the rod's gear to mesh correctly. Just don't move it too much or the cutter head might get knocked out of alignment to the bed. Reinstall the gear box cover plate.
Install the remaining stuff......

[Bruce Wrenn]

Many of the older Ridgid tools carried a "lifetime warranty," not an LSA. Yours might fall under this classification. But if you filed the LSA, then it's up to Ridgid to fix, or replace it.

[Ken Krawford]

Michael, thanks so much for posting instructions. I appreciate it.

[Michael Drew]

Many of the older Ridgid tools carried a "lifetime warranty," not an LSA. Yours might fall under this classification. But if you filed the LSA, then it's up to Ridgid to fix, or replace it.

What's an LSA?

How would a person go about getting a replacement? Not sure I'd want to do that, because I like the machine and I'm not sure if the "new" rigid is as good a machine as this one, but I am curious. My machine still has the "lifetime warranty" sticker on it. I suppose I could put that to the test.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

LSA might stand for "Lifetime Service Agreement"?

[Mike Kees]

If the Cutech ones work you could always send the old ones out to get resurfaced so a set of spares is available next time.

[Bruce Wrenn]

LSA might stand for "Lifetime Service Agreement"?


Older machines came with a lifetime WARRANTY. Newer ones came with the option to file a Lifetime Service agreement. Most didn't file it, so after three years, they are SOL.

[Michael Drew]

I just got an update from Cutech. I've asked if they have instructions for the cutter head swap. I'm not sure if I want to install one or not...... I need to ponder that option a bit.

------------------

Hi Michael,

The infeed and outfeed rollers are back in stock.

The spiral cutterhead can be used on the Ridgid TP1300. The cost is $219.99 and comes with 26 high speed steel inserts and screws to attach to the cutterhead.
https://cutech.tools/collections/repair-parts-for-40200h-1/products/rp-40200-chd

[Michael Drew]

After a few emails, I ordered the in/out rollers and spiral cutter head today. I upgraded the cutters to carbide, and got a box of extra cutters too. Not sure if this was a good move or not, considering I spent 60% the cost of a new planer, but this Rigid has been good to me, and I like it. Of note, the "spiral" cutterhead doesn't look all that spirally to me. The cutters are just staggered. 26 total, so you basically get the same length of cutting material as 2, 13" blades. Users of similar machines claim this cutter is a bit less obnoxious. I hope that's true. A quieter planer would be appreciated by my neighbors. I'll report back after I get the parts, and hopefully - install and have a successful FCO.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks for the update Michael!

[Michael Drew]

I finally got around to installing the new rollers and cutter-head. The cutter head was more involved than the rollers, but not difficult. I ran a couple boards through the machine and immediately noticed a decrease in noise level. Finish is much smoother too. Where the finish with new, straight HSS blades would be comparable to 180 grit paper, it now is closer to 300 grit.

The little cutters can be rotated 90 deg, if you bugger one up or it just gets dull, but only once. I bought an extra package of 10 cutters, just to have on hand. There are six rows of cutters. 26 in total, each row staggered. The cutter came with new bearings and drive pulley installed.

The Rigid feels like a new planer. Glad I did this, verse buying a new machine.

451518

451517

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks for the feedback Michael! I will probably do the same thing in the future but for now, I still have one more new set of knives. I really like my planer!