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James Waldby James Waldby is offline
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Default Rockwell planer, any comments on this beast 13x6

On Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:21:55 -0500, Igor wrote:

This is a Rockwell 13x6 planer. The motor is 3 HP Baldor single phase.

When I bought it for $20, it was in parts. When I agreed to buy it, I
did not even realize that it was a planer. At first, I thought I was
buying a pile of worthless metal parts plus a 3 HP single phase motor.

http://yabe.algebra.com/~ichudov/mis...3-by-6-Planer/

I would like some comments, specifically perhaps any planer-related
warnings and things to double check before first power up.

The reason why it was a pile of parts and not a working planer, is that
the cast iron table is cracked. However, the parts included a
replacement table, still in shipping plywood. They set this planer aside
when table broke, bought the replacement table, and never got around to
replacing it, so it sat like this for years.

So, my second question is, how hard is it to replace the table on those
things, does it require a deep disassembly or not.

I do believe that I reassembled it carefully and that all belts are
properly engaging (the slow feed, variable speed belt and the fast belt
that drives planer knife).


Since you put it together, and apparently recently, it seems like
you should know better than anyone what you have to take apart
to change the table.

Do you have you a manual? There's a pdf copy at
http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/pubdetail.aspx?id=2438
and although the scan is too light it is possible to make
out some of the details of the exploded-parts diagram.
Possibly printing the diagram would help with readability.

Re startup, you could take the blades out before first spinning it
up. (On the other hand, if the blades are sharp, tight, and are
all set at exactly the same height, you might want to just leave
them in place.) Anyway, before you run it with the blades installed,
verify that the bolts shown in fig. 28 of above pdf are properly
tight. Note, all the knives should have the same weight, all the
chocks, etc., since the rotor spins pretty fast (4500 rpm).

If the blades aren't sharp, you can buy a spare set at Amazon.com,
maybe $62 for Rockwell Delta, although the Freud C573 at $40 might
work ok - check the measurements. (The C573 would limit width of
cut to 12.5" instead of 13.125".) You might be able to find a local
resharpening operation with a lower cost than a new set of blades.

Re later operation, if the table rolls aren't in good shape, maybe
fasten a formica-surfaced table to the cast iron table. Also fasten
infeed and outfeed rollers to the table to support stock. Rollers
need to raise and lower with the table, of course.

--
jiw