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benchtop planner

930 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  CaptainKlutz 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
at the moment I have the porter cable benchtop planner its the pc305tp,,i believe I need new rollers on it but I cant find them,,its really been a good planner,,i purchased it at lowes about 4 yrs ago,,i noticed they are not selling it anymore,,they have the craftsman which I have been told is the same as the porter cable,,,,i was wandering about others opinions on this planner,,,or would it be better to step up to a more expensive one,,my concern is being able to find parts for it,,,,any input would really be appreciated
 
#2 ·
Some thoughts If material isn't feeding well; if that's not the problem it would help with more detail of what's wrong with the rollers.

  • the rollers made need cleaning ? rub them down with simple green and a paper towel
  • maybe the bed is sticky ? clean and wax the bed
  • maybe the blades are dull ? flip them if they are double edged or get new knives
  • maybe in/out feed tables are not level with the bed ? dial them in

Sometimes cleaning, greasing, and minor tune-up tasks make it all better.
 
#5 ·
+1 wax tables

+1 When my properly tuned old bench top planer(s) had wood feeding issues, it was usually dull blades or dried out rubber roller.

If fresh blades don't fix it, then try cleaning the rollers.

+ Simple Green
It has phosphoric acid and is great for removing wood resin from rollers, but sometimes you need something industrial.

Cleaning rollers with a rag dripping with lacquer thinner will work, but the current green solvents loaded with alcohol don't work as well as old stuff. If you have real lacquer thinner from automotive paint supply, that is stuff to use.

When they get really dried out, need to use rubber rejuvenator on the rollers. Most office supplies stores (Staples/Office max) still carry rubber rejuvenator in spray cans for typewriters and printers.

WWW likes to talk about some other rubber grip restoring compounds used on car tires. It works, but dissolves the outer layer of rubber and makes it really sticky. The roller will end up covered in saw dust, and need cleaning even more often if you use these chemcials. Bad idea, even if you have can laying around. :(

Best Luck.
 
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