Jointer loud shaking noise, and lack off power when cutting wood

[John Strong]

Hi,

My 8 in 1970's delta jointer started making a loud shaking noise randomly when it was running today. I immediately shut it off when I detected the change in sound. I tested powering it up a couple times after this. Each time it started up there was slight screeching noise, with the cutter head being slow to get up to actual speed. Once it hit a steady state normal seeming speed (still making more noise than normal) I tried running a board over. The board caused the cutter head to stall. (The motor is 1.5 HP so this type of bogging down is definitely not normal.). I did take a peak at the belt, and it feels taught.

Has anyone experienced this before? Hopefully I'll be able to get some more time in the next couple days to investigate whats going on.

Thanks for you thoughts,
John

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I'm assuming you checked the belt, it's in good shape and not slipping? 1980's jointer is bound to have had a lit of use; check the belt. Next would be the cutter head bearings and pillow blocks.
Give it a try.

[Bill Dufour]

I would remove the belt and run the motor by itself to check bearings. I would suspect the 50 year old grease has dried out or the belt has stretched.
Maybe be the pulley is slipping. It might get hot enough to feel or see with an IR gun.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

You say the cutterhead stalled, did the motor stall or not?
Bill D

[Greg Quenneville]

Can you describe the sound when the cutter head stalls? I would suspect the belt first, then maybe a loose pulley.

(I cannot imagine a bearing failure would cause the machine to stall without lots of alarming sounds and blown breakers)

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I think Greg's loose pulley observation is the most likely. It sounds like you have lost the woodruff key in one of your pulleys.

[Myles Moran]

I'm with Greg and Maurice. I had the motor pulley in my jointer work itself loose a few days ago. The loud shaking noise and loss of power makes me think that's what you have. I was edge jointing a board and it sounded incredibly bogged down when normally it doesn't blink at that.

[Brian Runau]

Agree with others. Remove the belt and make sure pulleys are on correctly, no heavy grooving inside the pulleys and make sure they are in line, run the motor to see if it sounds fine with no load. If motor sounds fine and pulleys are good, keys are in correctly, I would install new belt(s). Brian

[Richard Coers]

I'd look for missing set screws and the key. You might have a disaster on your hands if the pulley has been spinning on the motor or butterhead shafts.

[John Strong]

I'd look for missing set screws and the key. You might have a disaster on your hands if the pulley has been spinning on the motor or butterhead shafts.

Can you elaborate on what type of damage I might expect, if this happened?

[Greg Funk]

Can you elaborate on what type of damage I might expect, if this happened?

If either pulley is not secured to a shaft properly the shaft will spin and potentially get damaged such that a new pulley will not fit tightly.

[Bill Dufour]

Some set screws are doubled. Two in one hole. So you have to pull the first one to tighten the one that does the actual work.
Loose key can chew up the groove, set screw the same etc.
Bill D

[Roger Feeley]

If either pulley is not secured to a shaft properly the shaft will spin and potentially get damaged such that a new pulley will not fit tightly.

+1 on checking this NOW. If the motor shaft is spinning, that’s a lot of heat.

[Richard Coers]

Can you elaborate on what type of damage I might expect, if this happened?

If the key is missing, you will be spinning the metal pulley on the motor shaft. You will see grooves worn in the motor shaft and since the pulley is likely softer, the bore will no longer be accurate. Pulley replacement would be necessary.