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I have just bought a new DeWalt DW733 thicknesser. It was brand new and straight out of the box. I did a few test runs on some rough but clean pallet wood; which came out perfectly smooth. I checked for nails before an after each test and there were definitely no nails, etc. However, I have now developed ridges running down the length of all my new planed wood. Again, I am milling down pallet wood but it has all been thoroughly inspected for nails.

I am 99% certain that the ridges are being caused by chips in the blade but I can't understand why I have developed chips so quickly.

I have read somewhere that if the dust extraction is not adequate, the shavings can be "recycled" and cause knicks in the blade. For my first test runs, I was still waiting for a proper dust extractor and I was just using a standard vacuum cleaner which got clogged up and there was virtually no extraction from the machine for perhaps 8 passes in the thicknesser. Also, there were loose bits of wood on this new wood that is being milled, which arguably may have chipped the blades. I was doing gradually reductions so I wasn't taking a lot off easy pass.

I have been using a belt-sander and orbital to mill my wood so I am new to using a thicknesser. Am I being very ignorant or are the thicknessers really this delicate that the blades get chipped so easily?

Can anyone shed some light why I have a chipped blade so quickly?