HL850 Planer is worse than I suspected, need some help!

S

stairman

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Sep 29, 2011
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I recently rescued an HL850 planer, which someone had used with the rustic head without first reading the instructions...
a $30 part + a new seal should be here on Thursday,  but in the meantime, I noticed the dust chute selector is only going to one side (Left) or sort of "in the middle"
is there something else potentially wrong with this tool, or does the divider plate that diverts wood chips to the left OR the right end up taking a center stopped location,  or an all diverted to the left side position?
this doesn't make sense, but I can't find anything that appears damaged, and based on the design (from what I can see) it looks like it was designed to stop there ?

any advice appreciated
 
Srairman

Your correct in thinking the dust chute should swing left or right with no centre stop position, must be shaving clogging it.
 
Nice catch if you can get it fixed up and working -- the 850 is a great tool.

(Of course, it is a Festool, so I guess that's to be expected...  [laughing])
 
I'm a bit worried...  the new front plate arrived today, and I set it in place,  new neoprene gasket as well,  and tightened the hex screw,  immediately I can see that even at "0" setting, it is ready to make a DEEP cut,  and that's when I noticed the rear plate is banged out of alignment.

there's nothing inside wedging the flapper,  hardly...  this thing has been knocked way out ,  and I am just not sure how to go about realigning it.  Can anyone help?  I see quite a few T15 screws that hold the clamshell assembly together,  and two on the right side of the machine (as one is holding it in use)  -these two look like they may have something to do with setting the rear plate flat,  -but the rear plate is quite a large part, and surely there will be more holding it than just two screws.
any advice will be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
Kyle
 
With nothing to really "go by" I set the front adjustment on "0"  and installed the CUTTING DEPTH LIMITER which was supplied with the Rustic cutterhead,  and as you might suspect, was never opened/used...  I installed this piece and then tightened the single hex screw that fastens the front plate to the tool.  with this limiter removed, I can tighten the hex screw a bit more,  but hypothetically, the planer should be set to Zero and this bit installed which should hold it at Zero,  -am I sound in my line of thinking?

So,  at this hypothetical  ZERO setting, I place a straightedge across the bottom.
and find the front plate is not at ZERO, but it is actually ready to take slightly more than 1/8"!
the rear bed is aligned with the straight cutternead,  -almost,  a little heavier on the tool's right side,  but close.
now,  with a Jointer, I like to use the plate glass method for setting blade height,  however I am unaware of how the "tables" would adjust on this tool, -if they adjust?

If anyone can lend a hand tonight I would surely appreciate it,  otherwise, I suppose I will put the tool away until I can reach someone at Festool tomorrow.

Don't you just wonder what kind of person BUYS a tool like this,  and then blatantly disregards the instructions, forces the planer to eat a 3/4" chunk off it's own front plate,  yet continues to use the tool anyway  [scared]
you can't tell me that booze wasn't involved with a scene like that! -no way!

I sure hope I can get this fixed and tuned in... this looks like a worthy replacement for my trusted Porta-Plane  [wink]
 
Stairman,

It sounds like this planer might have some real problems? I would put it to bed for the night and give Festool a call 800-554-8741. Maybe they can help out?

Seth
 
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