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

So I recently bought a Grizzly G0563 Oscillating Edge Sander (LINK) 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:

Attachment 345215Attachment 345216Attachment 345217

With the sanding belt installed:

Attachment 345218Attachment 345219Attachment 345220

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:

Attachment 345222Attachment 345223

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?

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!

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ben Rivel

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

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

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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The images I posted show squareness checked both with and without the belt installed. Its out of whack either way.

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

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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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Im thinking its definitely the platen:

Checking each end of the table:

Attachment 345280Attachment 345281

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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!

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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 ;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glenn bradley

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 ;-)

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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.

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

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.

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.