Makita 2012NB Thicknesser - Help Required!

[sundaytrucker]

Morning. I recently bought a Makita 2012NB thicknesser and only yesterday started to put some wood through it, however I was surprised by how much force was required to get the timber through the infeed roller, I assumed I was taking too heavy a cut (1mm on a board less than 150mm wide which is within the tolerance stated in the makita manual) anyway, I dropped the cut down to .5mm and again it required quite some force to get the timber through the feed rollers, even at .25mm it felt firmer than I was expecting. Is this how these thicknessers work or is there a problem? I have only used a Hammer A331/341 (obviously better quality machine) and have zero experience with the lunch box planer machines.

Another surprise was the amount of snipe, I idiotically left my callipers at work so cannot measure the depth but I am getting 55mm at the front of the board and 70mm at the rear, I have no issue leaving boards over length and accommodating this but it feels like a lot, I would appreciate your thoughts, please?

Just as a side note, I adjusted the tables as per Makitas manual, using a post card on the main bed and getting the tips of the indeed/outfeed tables in line, as described here but it did nothing to address the snipe or infeed issue. Makita Manual Page 14 - Table adjustment

 

[Cordy]

I have this machine and it has minimal snipe and hardly noticed

Always let the wood go through at first with hardly a cut; the feed rollers will drag it through without cutting the wood
Then turn the handle a quarter turn at a time until it starts to plane
Continue with quarter turns until required thickness
Planing both sides of course

Used mine yesterday to size some Oak bread/cutting boards to leave a super smooth finish

 

[Bodgers]

Morning. I recently bought a Makita 2012NB thicknesser and only yesterday started to put some wood through it, however I was surprised by how much force was required to get the timber through the infeed roller, I assumed I was taking too heavy a cut (1mm on a board less than 150mm wide which is within the tolerance stated in the makita manual) anyway, I dropped the cut down to .5mm and again it required quite some force to get the timber through the feed rollers, even at .25mm it felt firmer than I was expecting. Is this how these thicknessers work or is there a problem? I have only used a Hammer A331/341 (obviously better quality machine) and have zero experience with the lunch box planer machines.

Another surprise was the amount of snipe, I idiotically left my callipers at work so cannot measure the depth but I am getting 55mm at the front of the board and 70mm at the rear, I have no issue leaving boards over length and accommodating this but it feels like a lot, I would appreciate your thoughts, please?

Just as a side note, I adjusted the tables as per Makitas manual, using a post card on the main bed and getting the tips of the indeed/outfeed tables in line, as described here but it did nothing to address the snipe or infeed issue. Makita Manual Page 14 - Table adjustment

Something sounds very wrong to me.

It shouldn't need any real force to get things to feed through.

If you 15mm difference between front and back that's also not normal for a lunch box planer. It is more typical to have a slight amount at the front and back of the work piece.

I would just send it back.

Sent from my Redmi Note 5 using Tapatalk

 

[sundaytrucker]

I appreciate your comments, thank you. I am just going back to have a little bit of a fiddle but I think a return might be in order, typically I tossed the box!

 

[Nelsun]

I'll second Cordys experience. I usually get next to no snipe (that's not always none, so I still allow for it!), similar starting technique and quarter turns between passes yields good results for me.

 

[sundaytrucker]

Nelsun, That was what I was expecting from all I had read from the reviews. Bizarre, thanks for posting.

If Cordy Or Nelsun have the opportunity at some point would one of you be able to snap an image of a straight edge going across both both feed tables, please?

 

[Cordy]

Something like this ?

 

[sundaytrucker]

Perfect, thanks Cordy. Your tables look set up exactly as mine do so that is good.

I had a quick play around yesterday and feeding material was still way harder than it should be so I have arranged with Amazon to return it and by freaky coincidence I was offered a Jet JPT260 planer/thicknesser yesterday, for a decent price and it is only five miles up the road so jumped on that.

I must have a got a Friday afternoon model, I am sure with some tinkering I could get it running like it should fate seems to have handed another option.