DW735 Issue

[Rob Bodenschatz]

My DW735 planer is giving my problems. It cutting grooves in the surface of the wood. This picture isn't very good but you can probably see the grooves. There's a wide one and several narrow ones. I tried flipping the blades but it's no better. In fact, it's worse. I've only done maybe a couple hundred board feet on this planer. It's been perfect until now. Anyone have an idea of what could be causing this?

48858

[Mark Rios]

Have you unplugged the planer, cranked the machine all the way up and looked into the underside? There might be something hanging down/stuck.

Just a thought.

[Travis Porter]

I would do what Mark suggests along with checking the infeed and outfeed rollers.

[Brad Townsend]

From the picture, it looks to me like what my 735 leaves when the blades are starting to go. They get dull and leave lines and streaks. Are you sure these are really grooves, as in depressions?

If my suspicion is correct, then based on my experience, you are planing very hard wood with a few flaws (dark spots, etc.) and I note a glue line in the picture, which could also form a dull spot on a high speed steel blade.

Just a hunch. If you find this to be the case, don't throw out the blades or the planer just yet. Many have complained about the fragility of the 735 blades. If nicks and dull spots is the explanation, I can give you some further suggestions.

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I checked out the underside including the rollers and I couldn't find anything that would cause this.

Brad, there are no glue lines, it may be the photo playing tricks on you. In fact, I have never run any glued up panels through this planer. What other suggestions are you alluding to in your post?

[Al Navas]

I have seen something similar on my DW735. But it happened on the table side of the planer!

Is that cherry you are planing?

I believe what caused it in my case was pitch that had built up when I ran several hundred feet of aromatic cedar through it; the pitch hardened, and afterward resulted in similar marks on other lumber I ran through it.

If it is happening on the top side of the boards, that is, the surface being planed, it is caused by rough edges on the blades. You may or may not be able to see a defect on the blade's edge while on the machine, so I suggest that you remove the blades for closer inspection.

I wish I could tell why this happens after relatively few feet have been run through this planer; it could be that the thin blades are just too delicate on this particular model. I don't worry about it too much, since I run most of my boards through the drum sander with up to 220 grit paper following planing on the DW735. Then it is just trivial touch-up with the ROS for final surface preparation.


Al

[Brad Townsend]

I checked out the underside including the rollers and I couldn't find anything that would cause this.

Brad, there are no glue lines, it may be the photo playing tricks on you. In fact, I have never run any glued up panels through this planer. What other suggestions are you alluding to in your post? Upon closer inspection I see what I thought was a glue line was actually the backround surface of another board.:rolleyes: My eyes aren't what they used to be. Sorry!

If it is the blades, here's what I've learned.

1. On something like hard maple, the lines can show up real quick..like after running through just a few board feet. Learn to live with the lines. They sand out real easy. As much as we get spoiled by that first few feet of glasslike finish, it won't last. Think of your planer as a demensioning tool and not a finishing tool. Keep on running the blades until the lines get really serious.

2. Don't accept DeWalt's definition of the blades as being "disposable". At $50 a set, we can't afford it. I bought a horizontal wetstone sharpener from Woodcraft, along with a jointer/planer knife attachment for around $100 on sale. I've sharpened two sets of knives twice over with very good results. The sharpener was paid for very quickly.

[Alan DuBoff]

Definitely looks like your blades.

Open it up and flip them around, they have 2 edges on each blade. If you're on your 2nd edge, then buy a new set from Infinity Tools, they have HSS replacement blades for just a tad more than the Delta blades.

The DW735 uses blades that are only 1/16" thick, so it goes through them easily, in my experience.

[glenn bradley]

It sounds like you've already done a good inspection so this is probably useless but I have had the problem due to pitch (or something) build up. I couldn't see the pitch and could only barely convince myself that I could feel it although the effect on the wood was definite. Just before going for new knives, I cleaned (watch those pinkies) the knives with mineral spirits. Problem gone (?). I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.