DeWalt DW735 "pre-initial" observation

[grbmds]

Does anyone have issues with the feed rollers slipping and leaving black marks on the boards? I use quite a bit of pine and this is a major problem,  I end up pushing and pulling the boards through frequently. Any solutions?

For dust collection I built a plywood box which I fasten the planer on top of. I ran the dust hose into the box and it serves as an efficient dust collector and stand.

Have you tried cleaning the feed rollers? I believe you can clean them with mineral spirits. Over time there pitch and sap and dust build up and then they may slip.  I'm not sure what else you can use to clean them. If you go online and search for planer maintenance articles (especially Fine Woodworking, Woodworker's Journal, or Popular Woodworking), I would guess you'll find more than one. If not, there are also books published about tool maintenance and/or just planer maintenance which would provide a list of maintenance tasks. I know that's not what you wan to do with your time, but the rollers do need it periodically. How often depends on what wood you run through it.

I also have polished the table and in/out feed extension with wax after cleaning them up a little. That helps with moving the wood through also. The table suffers from build up also over time.

 

[tbellemare]

Do you hook up your CT to the planer?

I use it with a CT 26 but with a Long-Life Bag and short 50mm hose. It tends to fill pretty quickly but I just empty it and move on. I can always tell when it's full because the stuff starts to accumulate around the planer bed.

Tom

 

[Jason Kehl]

I've cleaned the rollers with mineral spirits and it does work for a short while but if I'm on a job using lots of pine I would have to clean them serveral times a day. I'm a bit mystified why Dewalt uses black feed rollers, a white roller would at least eliminate the black streaks if not the feeding problem itself.

 

[hopper]

If those are the blades that came with it used, they might just be well-used. The holes in the knives which fit over the "pins" on the head are oval and, therefore, slightly movable right to left. Most likely it's a nick in just one of the 3 knives that's causing the ridge. Sometimes you can move that knife right or left, thus staggering the knives, and covering the nick in one knife with the other knives with no chip in that spot. It may not completely eliminate the ridge but at least most of it will be gone. Depends on the size of the nick in the knife.

The knives are a piece of cake to remove and replace as they do not have to be set, just laid on the pins and the holder attached. Since they are sharp on both sides, they do last a bit longer but it is a heartbreaker when you nick one just after installing on some unseen obstacle. Glue will be a little hard on them for sure if you are planing something which was a glue up.

I'm still sticking with the HSS knives (or possibly going for the carbide). No matter what anyone says, I feel the helical head installation video makes it seem a little bit of a risk for at least me to install the head.

That sounds logical but, when you think about it, it's impossible.  The chip/nick would have to be in all three blades for it to cause that result.  I agree with moving one blade sideways to eliminate the problem though.

 

[iamnothim]

I'm thinking about trying a leaf blower bag attached directly to the exhaust port.
Might work?

 

[jbasen]

I watched the 3 part video as well and had the same feeling.  Working with wrenches usually doesn't bother me, but that install went deep into the bowels.  Springs, retainer rings, and mallet blows to the cutting shaft.

There is a company named Infinity, mentioned in the video, that makes carbide knives for half as much.  Anyway, I'll follow your advice and see what the results are with the HSS knives.

Do you hook up your CT to the planer?

Thanks

No, I doubt the CT vacs would handle a planer's large volume of chips, although the Dewalt has an "impeller" inside which drives the chips out so I suppose it's possible it would work. The other problem with using the CT is the quick fill-up of the bag. You would be replacing or emptying the filter bag frequently and they are too expensive for that frequent a replacement. I'd suggest a larger dust collector. I have an older Oneida, but these days there are a lot to choose from and many would handle the planer output.

I have not tried the carbide tipped blades as I still have a couple of extra pair of steel I got at a good price. I used my annual Woodcraft birthday discount one year and bought a couple of pair (as I didn't need a big item that year). I've found other good pricing online also (not recently though). I'm sure the Shelix heads work great, but I decided that you can buy a lot of steel replacement blades for that price and I'm completely satisfied with them for now. I felt that, if I wanted to go that way, I may just sell the planer and purchase one with the helical heads installed. I still say the installation on the Dewalt seems complicated and potentially risky to get back together like it was when you started.

I was nervous about putting the Shelix cutter head into my Dewalt.  It really wasn't that bad.  The Shelix head comes with a one page document and the most important thing on the page is a link to their web site where the full instructions are located.  Their instructions include lots of photos.  There is also the phone number for tech support  [smile]

The hints I can offer are

1) Be very methodical.  As you pull parts off the machine lay them out in a very orderly manner that makes sense with related parts next to each other

2) Do the job in one sitting.  if you get half way through and put it all aside it will be easy to forget exactly how you took things apart.  It took me an hour or two (time fly's when you are having fun)

3) Do it on a weekday when, if you need help, you can call Shelix tech support.  There was one point where I needed some assistance and they were very knowledgeable and helpful.  They were very familiar with the Dewalt planer and the details of the installation.

4) The one tool I was lucky enough to have on hand that may not be the norm is a set of snap ring pliers. 

Personally I think the stress of digging into the Dewalt to replace the cutter head is well worth it.

 

[grbmds]

In searching for carbide tipped blades for the 735 I found a set on Amazon for $140 from Titan. Has anyone ordered these for the Dewalt planer. Since they are about $100 cheaper a set than Infinnity's price for carbide tipped blades, it's tempting.

 

[iamnothim]

I spent some quality time with the DW735 today.

Blades:
I sent back the Shelix and ordered the Powertec Two Pack HSS for $70  I'll pay a premium for great Festool equipment, but I couldn't get myself to pay $430 for a cutter head.  So.
Today I flipped the stock blades.  The second side was unused and performed great on 5/4 quarter sawn white oak and hard maple.

Much to my chagrin the bottom of the stock was inflicted with two large scratches along the length.  I don't know what the guy I bought it from did to get them.  In short he gouged both the blades and the surface of the bed.  I sanded down the scratches and waxed the bed.  All is good.

Accessories:
I installed and calibrated the Wixey digital gauge.  It's spot on.
I installed the in/out trays.  These are mandatory.  I'm about to go to Fastcap and get a couple 3rd hand roller stands..... if the have short poles.

Chip catcher proto type.
I am still working on the chip catcher.  I installed a dryer vent fitting and flex hose into a contractor size garbage bag.  This did not work.  The exhaust is too powerful for the garbage bag.  Plus it is sealed tight.

I will now order a leaf vacuum bag and work out the fitting.  The bag must be pourous so the air flows out and the chips stay in.  That's why a trash bag doesn't work.  It inflates like a blimp.

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3]

 

[glass1]

I actually find this machine to be ridiculous. It's 30 lbs overweight built like a tank. But it's achilles heal is the the 3 skinny knives that heat up up and dull instantly. Personally I find no cut quality benefit to 3 versus 2 knives at this power output of 15 amps at 120 volts. My old Hitachi p12ra with 2 beefy resharpenable knives ($8 )(that I can change just as fast with the magnet set tools), kicks the dewalts ass even with 2 pretty worn rollers even after 20 years of use. Made in China overdesigned crap.

 

[grbmds]

I actually find this machine to be ridiculous. It's 30 lbs overweight built like a tank. But it's achilles heal is the the 3 skinny knives that heat up up and dull instantly. Personally I find no cut quality benefit to 3 versus 2 knives at this power output of 15 amps at 120 volts. My old Hitachi p12ra with 2 beefy resharpenable knives ($8 )(that I can change just as fast with the magnet set tools), kicks the dewalts  even with 2 pretty worn rollers even after 20 years of use. Made in China overdesigned crap.

Must be a different Dewalt 735 than I have. Mine works perfect and the blades perform well. I don't find that it is ever overtaxed but then I don't believe in taking off big chunks of wood all in one pass. Planers and jointers, unless industrial quality generally do a much better job if you take 1/16" or less off each pass even though the manuals say they can do more.

You just must have gotten a bad one. It happens no matter what company. I read the same reviews about my Jet 8" helical head jointer. Nothing but great results from it.

 

[thedude306]

I really like that wixey gauge.  I am going to pick one of those up.