If you are planning to buy a thickness planer, knowing what problems you may face may help you down the road. You may have encountered some of these problems if you are using thickness planers for a while. These are common problems, and solutions are also as common as the problems. Knowing the solutions, you can optimize your thickness planer for long-lasting and effective performance.
Here I will mention the Cutech planer problems and some common problems for a thickness planer. Don’t worry; solutions are also included with the issues.
The Cutech Planer Problems and Solutions
The Cutech benchtop planers are one of the known planers among woodworkers. You will find planers offered by Cutech are less pricy than the planers from the other manufacturer. The planers also come with various features for better thickness planning with the planer. You may face some problems here and there while using the Cutech planers. I will discuss Cutech planer problems with solutions so that you can fix them on your own.
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Dust Collector Leak
As any planer produces a lot of wood dust, dust collector plays a vital role in collecting the dust. The dust collector doesn’t let wood dust spread all over your working place. Some old models of Cutech planers have problems in collecting dust. This problem is incredibly noticeable in old models.
The dust collection isn’t optimal in collecting all dust. This mainly happens when the collector doesn’t seal appropriately for a leak. You can improve the sealing by blocking the leak using some masking tape or sticking a foam.
For making a batter and clean dust collecting, you should use a shop vacuum. Attach the vacuum hose to the collector chute, and you will get a clean workplace. You can use a rubber flex coupling for attaching the vacuum hose.
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Pricy Spiral Cutterhead
Rather than using straight blades, all models of Cutech planer come with a spiral cutter head. Spiral cutter heads have some advantages as well as disadvantages over straight blades. A spiral cutter head reduces sound produced by a planer. Some say planers with spiral cutter heads produce 50% less noise than planers with straight blades. The spiral cutter heads last longer than straight blades.
There are some problems with using a spiral cutter head. You cannot resharpen a spiral cutter head when they are dull. You have to buy new ones, and they are more expensive than a straight blade. But the longer lifespan of the cutters will make up the extra money you have to spend.
Common Problems of Thickness Planers with Solutions
There are some common problems you can face no matter what the brand or model of the thickness planer is. These problems are widely discussed among the thickness planer users.
If you are using a planer, then you may have already faced a problem. Now you are in the right place to find a solution for that. Check below for common problems with multiple solutions, and you may find just the right solution for your problem.
Thickness Planer Snipe
Snipe is a common issue for any thickness planer. But what is snipe? Well, it is a woodworking term for a situation where the cutter grabs an extra bit of wood fiber at the starting or ending of a cut. The reasons for a snipe occurring can be because of the planer design or the woodblock.
If your planer has short infeed and outfeed trays, then it can cause snipes. When you try to feed longer or heavier board through the planer, you will need proper infeed and outfeed support. Short trays don’t provide that support. Without support, the boards will have a lot of downward pressure leverage on the outside. So, the blades will start cutting extra depth to both ends of a block. Keep infeed, and outfeed tables flush with the base to avoid this. You can make a temporary support table if you are planning longboards.
Snipes can occur from a woodblock, where your woodblock isn’t prepared for reducing snipe. When the opposite surface of the planning surface isn’t flat, you can face snipe. If the block is twisted or bowed on the bottom surface, you should flatten them before feeding the block through the planer.
For reducing snipe effectively, you can use a sacrificial wood block. The sacrificial woodblock should have the same thickness as the original board.
Wood Blocks Sticking in The Planer
This is also a common issue where your woodblock gets stuck or traveling slowly in the planer. There is a reason for this issue to be happening. Let’s go through the reason with its solution.
If your planer isn’t pulling lumber, then you should check the planer rollers and bed whether they are dirty or not. If they are dirty, then you should clean them to make the planer work again. Use a rag with alcohol or naphtha to wipe the rollers. For the bed, wipe some paste wax, let it dry and buff it nice and smooth. If you use your planer frequently, then you may have to clean the bed and rollers more often. Be sure to unplug the planer before cleaning.
Planer Is Louder Than Usual
The planers are a noisy tool whatsoever. But if you notice that your planer is making louder sounds than usual, there is a reason for this. Dull blades produce more noise than sharp blades. So, changing blades will be a remedy for this situation.
With dull blades, the shape of the wood shavings also gets changed. If you notice that the planer is producing small wood shavings than usual, it is another reason you should replace the blades.
Conclusion
Facing problems with your thickness planer doesn’t mean that the planer isn’t usable again. Follow my writings of Cutech planer problems and other common problems for thickness planers with solutions. The solutions will help you fix them on your own without any involvement of professionals.
If you face any problems other than the problems mentioned here, mention them down in the comment. I will try to give you the easiest possible solution.
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