How do I adjust this planer head?

[Mark Gibney]

My Steel City 13" planer cuts about 1/32" lower on the left than on the right.
The manual does not tell me how to adjust the head to be level, and I can't work it out by looking at it.

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I couldn't fix this problem when I got the machine, and it has been gathering dust for a few years.
Time to get it fixed or get rid of it, probably.

Anyone know the secret?

thank you, Mark

[Nick Decker]

Mark, get in touch with Mike at Cutech Tools. Cutech planers are based on the old Steel City designs, and he can probably tell you how or if it's adjustable.

[Richard Verwoest]

You should be able to access the timing chain and sprockets from the bottom. You need to remove the timing chain, then turn the sprocket gears on one side until level. Then reattach the timing chain. I had to do this on an older Delta planner.

Richard

[Mark Gibney]

I'll try that with the socket chain, it sounds like it could work.

Cutech's planers look the same as the Steel City machines, makes sense now.

thanks guys.

[Michael Donahue]

Can you shim the existing bed? How about making an auxiliary bed out of melamine or something similar and shimming that a bit to match the cutterhead?

[Mark Gibney]

I'll try Richard's idea first. I doubt I'd ever be able to shim 1/32" progressively across 13", but as a last resort I'd give it a shot.

[Nick Decker]

Mark, let us know how it goes. The Cutech planers' design actually go back beyond Steel City to the Ridgid TP 1300, and probably some others.

[Todd Hyman]

Yes I would also like to see how it goes. Thanks

[Mark Gibney]

It took me a while to get around to adjusting the planer, but it was simple to do. My apologies to Nick and Todd, who were curious about the outcome, for the wait.

I unscrewed the chain cog from the bottom of one of the two elevating screws.
I then turned the screw by hand until the distance from the table to the head was the same on both sides - I put a tape measure on the table at each side and picked a point on the plastic cover that covers the front of the head and when they read even I put the cog back on and screwed the little holding bolt back on.

As you'll see from the photos the chain cog has a key that aligns with the bottom of the elevating screw, and so when the cog is on the chain the key slot on the screw can only be in a discreet position. And so you cannot finesse the height of the head side to side.

I ran some boards through the planer and it mills to the same thickness across the width of the head.

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[Nick Decker]

Glad you got it fixed, Mark, and thanks for the PM.