Adjust 20" planer for snipe and table not flat

[Matt Putnam]

I recently purchased a used '99 Woodtek 20" 4-blade planer. I've cleaned and lubed it up and had the knives resharpened. I got a new knive setting jig from Woodtek and feel reasonably good about the blade installation. The issue is of course snipe. If I run two boards back to back the snipe is less if not gone all together.
The manual doesn't cover this and I'm hoping someone here can give me some pointers on what to adjust for snipe. This planer looks like most of the Grizzly, Jet, etc. planers with the 4 posts and the accordian-style column covers - so I'm guessing a few of you have pretty much the same machine.

On a second note - on wider boards I'm getting a crown to the board (higher in the center) when I check with a straight edge. I checked the infeed side of the table and it has a definite low center (haven't checked with feeler gauge). I wonder if the board is getting pressed into this low spot and therefore not getting cut as much in the center. I'm hoping there is another explanation though. Hard to tell but the center of the table (under the cutterhead) is flatter. Any ideas? And if it is the table flatness causing the problem - any good fix?

[Jim Becker]

I don't have a similar machine, but my gut feeling is that it has to do with adjustment of the feed and bed rollers, etc.

[Steve Milito]

I just bought my first planer, a grizzly.The manual suggested a wide range for roller heights, so I set it in the middle of the range using a straight edge and feeler gauge. I had significant snipe.
I bought a oneway multigauge. I then set the rollers as carefully as I could to .002" above the bed between the two rollers. I was very carefull to make sure that both rollers were the same height, and that each roller was the same on both sides. Snipe is essentially gone.

[lou sansone]

I agree with the bed rollers being the place to look.

lou