This tool is maintained by the wood tech team and people they have specifically trained. Do not do any of the following tasks without talking to a woodtech first.
This wiki defines maintenance for the BOA/S 300 12in Surface Planer and Thicknesser. It is based on the manufacturer’s handbook and established practice.
The maintenance consists of a bimonthly inspection and cleaning and a bi-annual maintenance. The tool will also be cleaned and checked by members in general use.
For general notes on wood shop maintenance see here.
Warnings
- This task requires the removal of safety guards. Turning the tool on while maintaining it could result in life-changing injury or death. Lock out/tag out machine prior to maintenance.
- This task involves the removal of machine parts – set to one side in a safe place and don’t lose them.
- Wear RPE and goggles as required.
- This task involves moving heavy equipment with significant momentum – move with care and never be trapped between the moving object a wall or workbench.
- This task deals with very sharp blades – handle with care.
Caution
The planer is a vintage machine in very good condition. It uses traditional planer knives which rely on the clamping force from the screws, unlike e.g. a circular saw where the blade is ultimately secured by the arbor and even when loose will not immediately come undone. The blades must be correctly set and secured for the tool to remain in a safe condition.
Tools Required
- Lock out/tag out kit.
- Air-line & hoover.
- Ratchet set from red woodtech toolbox.
- MT1099 Magnetic Knife Setting device from red woodtech toolbox.
- Straight edge.
- Methylated spirits/solvent wood cleaner.
- Blue towel or rags.
Prep
- Check area is clear of projects and storage.
- Turn off tool at the wall and lock out as required.
- Remove wooden extraction hood and set to one side.
- Check the condition of the black rubber mat on the floor to ensure that the planer will move easily when the hovercraft is used.
- Use the local air line to move the tool clear of the wall to improve access to the sides of the machine.
Blue Exam
Note
This inspection is based on the weekly tasks listed in the manual: the lower rate of use for the planer-thicknesser in our workshop means that the tool is maintained at approximately the intended frequency.
This exam is done once every two months.
Inspect the planer.
- Remove the cutter block guard from the machine completely by undoing the thumbscrew on the front of the machine and lifting it clear.
- Inspect the fence, checking it moves smoothly across the infeed table and locks using the appropriate knob. Check the linkages work smoothly.
- Check the fence locks securely at an angle and and square to the table. When it’s against the hard stop, is the fence should be square to the tabletop. If needed, carefully adjust the small bolt which acts as a positive stop.
- Fix the adjustable fence plate about 10mm from the outfeed table using the wingnut.
- Clean the outfeed tables and cutter head using air, brushes and the hoover.
It is easier and safer to gently rotate the cutter head clockwise - towards the infeed table - with the palm of one hand. Take care not to trap your fingers or cut yourself on the exposed edge of the knife.
REVISION LINE
- Inspect the cutter head by carefully rotating it, looking for signs of wear or scraping on the head itself. You may need to clean dust and buildup off the head.
- Visually inspect each knife without removing or disturbing them: check none are notched or chipped. Check for build up or other signs of blunt knives. Check all screws are tight and the knife is secure.
If a secondary bevel or heel is forming on the blade, and it is greater than 1mm, the knives must be changed or sharpened.
If a Green exam is due, complete the planer tasks as laid out below and come back to this point when you’re finished.
- Inspect the infeed table by adjusting it to maximum depth of cut, checking it adjusts smoothly. Apply a drop of light oil to the ways and adjustment knob if required. Use the blades on the cutter block to check that it is square to the cutting edge.
- Adjust the infeed table to the minimum depth of cut, ensuring it adjusts smoothly. At absolute minimum the two tables should be level with each other and a straight edge should be clear of the cutter head.
- Drop the adjustable fence plate so it’s flush with the outfeed table.
- Refit the safety guard. Check that the thumbscrews secure the height and lateral position of the tin guard and it cannot be moved once cinched.
Inspect the thicknesser.
- Raise thicknesser table to minimum cut by unlocking and turning the Table Rise/Fall handwheel. If table feels stiff it may require lubrication.
- Use air and hoover to clean out crevices of thicknesser table.
- Check rollers on table rotate freely and use the Table Roller Control Lever to check that they rise and fall. The normal position is 1.
- Raise thicknesser table to maximum cut by unlocking and turning the Table Rise/Fall handwheel.
- Use air and hoover to clean out the remaining parts of the crevices of thicknesser table and underside of planer tables.
If a Green Exam is due, complete the thickesser tasks as laid out below and come back to this point when you’re finished.
Check Function.
- With all safety guards refitted, remove the lockout on the tool and turn the power on.
The tool is now live - take all usual precautions.
- Turn the machine on and visually confirm that the cutter head and infeed/outfeed rollers are rotating. Use the feed motor control switch to check that the roller speed changes as desired.
- Check the emergency stop is functioning by pressing it and waiting for the machine to stop. Reset it and turn the machine back on, this time stopping it with the off button.
- Refit the extractor hood as desired.
- Fill out the Kanban card (next exam due in two months) and Record Sheet. Remember to note which exam you’ve done.
- Clean up. Sweep up any leftover dust and return tools to storage.
- Use the hovercraft to move the tool back into its storage position.
Green Exam - WIP
This exam is done once every six months.
Start by doing the blue exam above. A green exam is just a blue exam with extra tasks.
This exam has two sections - one for the planer and one for the thicknesser.
Notes:
Where instructed to oil, use only good quality light machine oil such as 3-in-1.
Where instructed to use grease, use only Shell gadus S2 V100 3 or equivalent.
Warning
LOTO protection must be in place for the following tasks.
Do not attempt these tasks without appropriate protection in place. Doing so may result in life-changing injury or death.
Planer Tasks
Changing the knives
The knives on the cutter head are changed on condition - i.e. when blunt or notched. The knives come in sets of three which are kept together. Currently there are four sets of knives, which are kept with the magnetic knife setting tool in the red cabinet. All knives are ground at 40 degrees, which is the reccomended setting for hardwoods.
Warning
It is critical that knives are changed as complete sets and sharpened together; if one is sharpened more than the others the set becomes unbalanced and dangerous to fit.
Knives are fitted as follows:
- Lower the infeed and outfeed tables to their maximum depth: loosen off the clamping knob on both sides and use the knob to drop the tables. If they are stiff, check the clamping knobs are actually released; if still stiff apply drops of oil sparingly to the ways and try again.
- Use a small amount of residue cleaner to soak and scrub away any build up around the screws and knives, paying particular attention to the cutter head.
- Check settings on magnetic knife setting tool: note that the tool with the white label goes closest to the fence. Make small adjustments to the setting tool as required and cinch finger-tight. Remove tools and set to one side.
- Using the supplied allen key, loosen the first knife. Remove from the slot and set aside, and remove the steel wedge which holds the knife in place. Clean out the slot in the cutter head, being careful not to damage the spring which sits under the knife. Wipe down the wedge with an oily rag and then wipe clean. Refit the wedge.
- Place the new knife in the slot and refit the setting tools. Allow the knife to sit on the magnet head and check that it clicks properly into place under the magnet. It may be necessary to depress the wedge once or twice to ensure the knife is at the right height.
- Hand-tighten the first and last of the five M12 fasteners to temporarily secure the knife in place.
- Remove the setting tools and rotate the cutter head to expose the next knife.
Thicknesser Tasks
END