Powermatic Planer upgrade to urethane outfeed roller

[Joe Jensen]

I have a PM100 planer that I bought new in 1990 and I love it. It has a Byrd head and I have it adjusted well with tight tolerances on the pressure bar so there is minimal snipe. The one frustration is that with the pressure bar adjusted to minimize snipe I need to keep wax on the bed to feed stock well. The outfeed roller has a smooth polished surface so it cannot pull stock. When someday I upgrade my planer I will get one with urethane outfeed rollers. I was at the AWFS show last week and Western Roller (they do urethane wheels and such) and they were showing a urethane roller upgrade for lunchbox planers. I talked with them about modifying mine or making a new one and it's not that expensive. Thoughts? they were not sure if my roller was hardened or not, I need to check with a file. If they can turn my roller down the cost would be only $100. If they need to make a new one the cost is higher, I did not get a quote.

[Erik Loza]

Rubber-coated outfeed rollers are a pretty standard option on the industrial planers but I guess urethane would do the same thing. Could you put a piece of sandpaper up to the rollers to rough them up a bit? BTW, I have always considered regular waxing a necessity on planer tables, even the big guys.

Erik

[Mike Kees]

Joe I have no experience with an outfeed roller on my planer. I do however have experience with urethane tires on my shapers from Western roller. They have been excellent to deal with as a company and the rollers work real good as well. I would not hesitate to deal with them.

[Darcy Warner]

Yeah, you have to wax tables regardless.

The outfeed roll really isn't doing that much until after it is off the infeed. I have several machines with urethane covered outfeed. Unless western can cast them, they told me pressing ones on would slip in use.

[Joe Jensen]

They said "cast" on the phone. They recover planer rollers all the time and of course Western Roller consider urethane an upgrade over rubber. Having used rubber power feeder rollers and then upgrading to Western Roller wheel I agree.

Yeah, you have to wax tables regardless.

The outfeed roll really isn't doing that much until after it is off the infeed. I have several machines with urethane covered outfeed. Unless western can cast them, they told me pressing ones on would slip in use.

[Darcy Warner]

They said "cast" on the phone. They recover planer rollers all the time and of course Western Roller consider urethane an upgrade over rubber. Having used rubber power feeder rollers and then upgrading to Western Roller wheel I agree.

Last time I checked they were limited to 12" length for casting urethane so that conversion didn't go any further.

[Joe Jensen]

Last time I checked they were limited to 12" length for casting urethane so that conversion didn't go any further.

I only need 12" so maybe fine