Kity 636 adjustment help.

[LukeViv]

Hi all, I’m new to this site and was hoping for some help in regards to my Kity 636 planer thicknesser.
I purchased it second hand and in rough condition.
Could someone advise me on the steps to calibrate and setup this machine?
The outfeed table seems to dip down and not sure how to adjust this.
How do you level the surfaces?

I have the manual but there is no mention of calibrating.
Many thanks

 

[Myfordman]

Usual problem is when people have used the tables as handles when lifting the machine or stacking too much weight on the ends of the tables.
This can distort the sheet metal body.
First carefully check that both table are still flat. Then using shims if needed get the two tables co-planar. Set the height of the outfeed table too just under the blade height. look at youtube for the drag test. it is really easy. You do not need jigs.
This should get the planer working well. then set the thicknesser table up so that full width boards come out parallel thickness. if they dont, adjust the sprockets on the drive chain until the work comes out parallel.
Don't expect to do this in 5 minutes!

 

[LukeViv]

Thank you for your advice. Do you shim the bar that The in-feed table rides on or do you shim the outfeed table?

 

[Myfordman]

Ideally aim to get both tables level with the cutter block (not the knives) so you might need to shim in various locations. This avoids the need to fit knives on the skew to get the planer right and then the thicknesser gets messed up.

 

[DerekJohn]

Addressed to myfordman

Kity 636 configuration question last year.

Thicknesser adjustments - you suggested to "adjust the sprockets until the board is parallel".

What sprockets?

Please excuse my ignorance

Thank you.

 

[Steve Maskery]

We are talking about two different operations here.

Shimming the tables is to do with getting the upper tables (surface planing in the UK, jointing in the US) co-planar.

Adjusting hte sprockets is to do with getting the lower table (planer in the US, thicknesser in the UK - hence the confusion about the term "planer") right.

You won't find the sprockets until you get the machine on its back or upside down.

I had a 636. One day I was sitting in my lounge. My workshop was the other side of the wall. I heard an almighty crash. A cupboard full of metal (nut's bolts and the like) fell of the wall and knocked over the 636.

I asked the insurance company to fix it, it needed setting up again. No, they would just send a replacement, which was the 637.

The 637 arrived. It was a Friday Afternoon job. Poor paintwork, nothing straight and true, thicknessed board 0.5mm different over a 125mm width. Just unusable.

Called Kity Support. It wasn't called Kity - something beginning with S, I forget - but they did the support work for them. They sent an engineer. He took a look. "Never seen one of these before".

My heart sank.

"But I used to service Chinook helicopters"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

He took it away. Several weeks passed. I had no receipt that he had taken it. I was starting to worry.

Eventually it came back. It was PERFECT. He had spent 16 hours on it. That must have cost the agent more than the value of the machine. But it was perfect.

A year or two back it started to get very noisy. I changed the head bearings, but the problem was a plain bearing in the drive chain. A mate made me a new bronze bearing and now it is right again.

I wish it had longer tables (they are 600mm). But I've never actually regretted buying it. A good little workhorse.