Maintenance of Planer Thicknesser

[HornBen]

Good Afternoon,

I’ve recently been continuing to set-up my basement workshop and finally got a good run at getting my planer/thicknesser (Scheppach hms3200ci) and dust extraction up and running. The question I have is in relation to maintenance of the p/t. I bought the p/t second hand and so far it seems to be running very well and seems to be pretty well tuned. I have given the externals of the machine a good clean and have cleaned and waxed the cast iron beds however I’m not sure if I should be opening up the machine and doing anything to the running gear.

How regularly should I be checking feed rollers, belts/bearings and lubricating gear assemblies etc? I have some hand written instructions from NMA for maintaining the gear assembly but I’m slightly nervous about opening up machine and doing anything unless necessary.

Thanks in advance for any advice…

Cheers,

Ben

 

[nick winfield]

if its not broken don't fix it

 

[HornBen]

Thanks, yes I agree to some extent, but also wondered if some preventative maintenance would also be beneficial?

 

[MARK.B.]

Look after your machines and they will last longer and perform better, even if you just remove covers and blow out with a airline on a regular basis.

 

[AJB Temple]

Clean with air line or vacuum
Deal with any rust
Check belts
Check / deal with blade sharpness

I do very basic maintenance on all machines quite often, in the hope of spotting problems before they turn into major issues. It is all easy stuff and mainly revolves around workshop and machine cleanliness. I think this improves health, safety and longevity (tools, not me!) My wife thinks I am overly tidy though!

 

[shed9]

Contact Scheppach UK and ask them what maintenance is required and what can be constructively done on that machine by an end user.

 

[heimlaga]

Lubrication is the key to longevity for a machine. I have seen way too many good machines that have became sloppy and worn due to lack of lubrication. Wood dust takes is an excellent mediom for collecting and removing oil which means that regular oiling is an important routine.
Most people don't do this. When the mechanism starts to jam they usually make things worse by forcing it with a hammer. When the hammer cannot make things move any more thery turn to a sledge hammer. Then they complain that old machines are useless........

I would try to clean chiops and wooddust out of the machine and apply a bit of oil or grease to all moving parts. Oil is better in most places but there are a few places where grease is required.

 

[novocaine]

for what it's worth I agree with the above that lubrication is key, but with modern chemicals I'd suggest having a serious look at dry lubs (wax or graphite based) which won't attract wood dust in the same manner.

 

[shed9]

Boeshield T9 is a very good dry lubricant, cheap enough as well.

I rub down my cast iron tops with it on a regular basis.

 

[scrimper]

Have owned a Startrite P/T for over 30 years and only thing that I have needed to do is fit 1 new bearing on the knife roller and keep the tables waxed, there is not much you can do really in the way of routine maintenance, the bearings are all sealed anyway.

 

[blackrodd]

Get a copy of the user manual.
It maybe a good idea to take note of any belt numbers, if they're still legible it can be a pig of a job trying to measure the inside of a broken belt or pratting about with string etc.
Rodders

 

[HornBen]

Thanks for all the advice. I have the original manual and although it's not the best at least I will be able reference spare part numbers etc. if required.

I have taken the advice and removed covers cleared wood dust and lubricated. I think that will do for now!

Thanks again for the input..