Help needed with Axminster Planer/Thicknesser

[colinc]

Hi,

I have recently been using an APTC Planer/Thicknesser (from memory an AW106PT2) in our airfield's workshop where we are busy making spar laminations for 'Black-Magic'. I am having a few difficulties that I thought someone familiar with the machine could perhaps advise on. The machine was bought second hand and I am not familiar with its history. My own machine at home is a Scheppach with rubber feed rollers and I find this one feeds badly in comparison. A lot of the time it needs helping along as it often stops feeding the timber and the serrated feed roller marks the surface. When I try to help the timber along it actually take a lot of effort to push it through as there is a considerable clmaping force from one or other of the rollers. Often there are dirty marks on the back of the wood where it is scuffing on the thicknesser bed.

I have tried very hard to make sure the bed is clean and smooth to minimise friction. The timber going through is just Sitka Spruce which is not in any way demanding to plane if I put it through my machine.

Another problem I find is that the timber does not feed as straight as on mine and because the clamping force is so high it is almost impossible to correct the run off. Sometimes the wood will ride up on the edge plates of the thicknesser bed and then get machined with a taper. The lengths of timber are typically 5/8" thick x 4" wide but sometimes up to 20ft long so being able to steer them is important.

Any thoughts? Is it possible that the feed roller is worn out or misaligned? Am tempted to replace it with a Scheppach, but funding for the project is tight at the moment and would prefer to solve the problem anyway!

Has anyone ever replaced a feed roller if they are available?

Colin

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I can confirm a few things. I have the same model and my feed roller only marks the timber when its taking less than 1mm off, it feeds perfectly straight and I can adjust the timber while its feeding. I do often have to help it along when its cutting but thats when im taking a lot off a dense timber or its a length where the grain direction changes. I do get dirt marks on the back of the timber also from the bed but this is because I wax the beds to ease the timber through, its never more then a very light sand can't cope with.

If you are seeing feed marks and its clamping hard I wonder if the knifes are set correctly?

 

[riley]

Hi Colin

I have the Axminster AW106PT2 which I also bought second hand. I had trouble feeding the timber through the thicknesser, and had to help it along.
All I did to cure my problem was to use candle wax on the thicknesser bed. It now feeds perfectly.

I did some searching at the time and came up with this thread.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/axminster-aw106pt-planer-thicknesser-t594.html

Before getting too technical, I thought I'd try the basics first, and that was all that was needed.
If you think more is needed to cure your problem then the thread may give a few pointers.

Trevor

 

[colinc]

Hi, thanks for pointing out that topic, sounds like this machine has many of the issues mentioned. Perhaps that's why we got it secondhand. Am going to take it apart this weekend and see how it may be improved.

Colin

 

[Chip shop]

I'm not familiar with the machine, but it sounds to me like the bottom rollers are incorrectly set. There is an chapter in F. E. Sherlock's "Machine Woodworking Technology for Hand Woodworkers" which shows how to setup the feed rollers. One page in particular has some excellent diagrams.

Does anyone know if it is OK to post up a scan?

 

[woodshavings]

I have the same machine, purchased second hand.It had similar problems.
It needed a thorough clean and polish on the feed bed - I used emery to remove fine pitting in the surface - and then used chrome polish to really get smooth surface.
Cleaned off and then polished with v thin coat of wax. Result - no feed problems!!
HTH John

 

[custard]

Polishing the feedbed, and then regularly waxing it, are important on just about any planer. The friction between the feedbed and the workpiece is substantial, so minimising this friction is crucial for clean cuts.

 

[CHJ]

.......Does anyone know if it is OK to post up a scan?

Thanks for querying the copyright aspects of scanning the book.
As the Book was last published in 1988 and is no longer available for purchase from the normal sources other than in secondhand form I think that individual images suitably attributed to source would be acceptable.

 

[colinc]

Hi,

following suggestions above, I found that the drive chain tension was excessive and the rollers on the drive side wouldn't lift. Halving the lever arm on the tension lever made a real difference. Lubricating the beds with wax helped finish the job.

Thanks,

Colin

 

[heabow]

I too have purchased an Axminster AW106PT2 Planer Thicknesser second hand or third hand and have the same problem with stock not feeding properly on the thicknesser to the point where the ribbed feed roller is putting indentations into the stock and planning very little off of the surface.

I have checked the knife alignment and it appears to edge plane very nicely.

Are there any other adjustments that would be needed to get it to do the thicknessing?

Peter

 

[jonny boy]

Anyone having problems with timber sticking to machine tables, either cast iron or aluminium has to try what I use. I have tried many methods and products to aid the slickness ( if that's a word ) on your machine tables and the BEST one to use is HG yellow liquid Beeswax. It is unreal and lasts quite a long time as well. You can get it on ebay for a fiver or so, it comes in white also but for some reason, the yellow seems the best. If anyone hasn't tried the stuff, I urge you all to get a bottle. You need to just wipe a coat on with a rag and leave for 5 mins, then wipe off. I know all waxes do a good job but this stuff is the one to use.

By the way, I don't have shares in HG.

Jon.

 

[heabow]

HG Beeswax on ebay link is found by searching for HG-Hagesan-Beeswax-Yellow-Furniture-Polish-500ml since I cannot post the actual url

But what I really want to know is if there is an adjustment for raising the feed rollers?

Peter

 

[colinc]

Hi,

as I mentioned in the earlier posts, the drive tension was the biggest culprit. I did do a final check using a spring balance on each end of the rollers to check that the system was balanced side to side.

regards,

Colin

 

[Jojo]

Hi I know it's a bit late but I am new to this site. I have a kity bestcombie 2000 with the same problem, in the end I decided the rollers were not lifting enough and as it has stood for a long time I gave the roller tension springs a squirt of a well known brand of release oil at either end and hey presto works like a new machine. Hope this can help.