Ejca planer/thicknesser gib removal

[heimlaga]

A friend of mine bought this Ejca planer/thicknesser/table saw secondhand. It is in decent condition overall but there are a few minor problems.
I am trying to help him getting started as he is new to woodworking machinery. The part that has caused us most head scratching is the cutter head. The gibs and the slots they slide in are in dire need of a thorough cleanup as plenty of pine resin has built up on them. The problem is that we cannot get the gibs out of the slots. They cannot be slid out endways and the narrowness of the top of the lots prewents them from being taken straight out though the gib screws are screwed in tight.

Is there a way to get the gibs out for normal cleaning without taking half the machine apart?

 

[dickm]

Eyeballing the pic of the end of the block suggests the answer is NO. The combined thickness of the gibs and the adjusting screws looks to be more than the width of the top of the slot, and there isn't an obvious (or even a subtle ) way to get it through the gap.
What holds the axle of the block in place? If you could just lift that whole assembly out (or even just raise one end about 1/2") you could then slide the assemblies out through the end?

 

[marcros]

it isnt something silly like they are slotted. loosen the bolts and lift out? That is the only way that i can see tat it wouls have been manufactured in the first instance.

 

[Myfordman]

Or once loosened to break the bond of the old resin (soak with paraffin and a brush) they should slide out.
MM

 

[heimlaga]

I will take another look at it. Though the gibs seem to be put in place before they instelled the cutter head on the machine.

I suppose we could take everything apart and file half a millimetre off each gib screw head to make the gibs removable in the future. He will plane mostly pine so the gibs must be removable for cleaning.

I will contact the manufacturer on monday and ask if there is any other solution.