Delta 22-260 knife change problem

[John Ricci]

Today I started to change the knives in my Delta lunchbox only to find that the hold down bolts were so tight that most of them gave a visible spark when they cracked loose and three of them stripped their heads. I had to drill off the heads and extract the stubs but the machine is ok and only needs new bolts from hardware land.

This has never happened to me before with this machine and I ask if any of you have had a similar problem with the Delta planers???

J.R.

[Greg Cuetara]

John,
I have the 22-560. Bought it used and when I first changed the knifes the bolts came out no problem. After the first time two bolts stripped. Then the third time the rest of them went. I changed them out with regular machine screws from the hardware store and no problems since. Guess I will see what happens when I have to change the knives again.
Greg

[John Ricci]

Well Greg, at least I'm not alone on this one...it was like the bolts were installed by King Kong with a breaker bar! Once the heads stripped I figured my only choice was to drill the heads off using lots of oil, rags and compressed air to keep the chips out of the machine cleaning it as I went along. Tougher cap crews are definitely in order:rolleyes:

J.R.

[Greg Cuetara]

John,
I just checked out my machine and I actually put in hex head bolts so that i can use my socket set to get them out in case this happens again...but yes it seemed like king kong had put them in.
Good Luck,
Greg

[Kirk Poore]

John,
I just checked out my machine and I actually put in hex head bolts so that i can use my socket set to get them out in case this happens again...but yes it seemed like king kong had put them in.
Good Luck,
Greg

When mine stripped out, I ground flats on the side of the heads with a dremel tool, then used a punch to start them turning. Vise grips finished the job.

It was a good planer, until I wore it out. The key on the cutterhead into the belt pulley wallowed out. No fixing that besides a new cutterhead. I replaced it with a DW 734. But even with only 2 knifes, the Delta cut deeper with less protesting.

Kirk

[John Ricci]

John,
I just checked out my machine and I actually put in hex head bolts so that i can use my socket set to get them out in case this happens again...but yes it seemed like king kong had put them in.
Good Luck,
Greg

Sounds really sensible so today I bought a dozen 6x1.0 hex heads to replace the whole mess and the planer is good as new and all I need is a 10mm socket to change knives when I need to. Good idea, thanks.

J.R.

[Greg Cuetara]

No problem John. Good luck with the planer. I am still having problems with the cutterhead / shearpin...hopefully someday I will figure that one out but other than that the Planer has worked great for me.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I put spark plug antisieze under the heads of the screws on mine and have had no problems. The screws seem to sieze between the heads and the retainer plate, not the threads. It seems to be a surface finish issue on the plate
or the screws. It is probably compounded by thermal cycling as the blades heat up and dissipate during use.

I have the 22-580 and have had good luck with it so far.