# Planer Problem



## Seldonman (Jul 30, 2013)

As many may know I was given a garage full of wood working tool by my Father-in-Law. I am in the process of cleaning up the tools and tuning them up. Everything is going very well but I have run into a little problem with a 10 inch Bench Planer. It is a Ryobi Model AP-10 and is about 30 years old but never used! I cleaned it up, started it up and it fed the wood perfectly. Problem is, the blades never touched the wood. I made sure the blades were turning, removed the blades, put in a new set of blades that my Father-in-Law gave me and set them using the Ryobi gauge. Again, the same thing happens, the wood feeds right through the planer but the blades are not biting, no matter how low I set the elevation. This is my first experience using a planner, any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jim McCarthy AKA Seldonman


----------



## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

If you don't have the manual it is here 

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...ADrx6oeH1AzxbHg&bvm=bv.54934254,d.dmg&cad=rjt


----------



## Seldonman (Jul 30, 2013)

Thanks Dennis, I have the manual but doesn't seem to address this problem. It seems like I have to bring the blades lower than the feed roller.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Or adjust the feed rollers up. As I recall my planer has that adjustment. If the planer has never been used, don't assume that it is set up properly. My planer head was lower on one corner than the other.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I checked the manual and I didn't see an adjustment procedure for the feed rollers or the planer head. You can check to see if the rollers are too low by placing a board across the the rollers and rotate the head and see if it makes contact. Adjusting the knives out farther would be my last choice for fixing the problem. First, you may be putting too much torque on the blade clamp bar and second, you would have no simple method of extending them all equally.


----------



## Seldonman (Jul 30, 2013)

I agree I do not w,ant to extend the blade too far for the very reason you stated.


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Jim, What I have seen is most the time the simplest things are most often overlooked. with the unit unplugged raise the cutter to an opening to be able to see the feed rollers inside. They have coil suspension springs pushing the rollers downward so the feed roller can keep contact pressure while pulling a rough board thru. Kinda like your car springs keep your tires in contact with the pavement. I would think that sitting for 30 years may have made that suspension sticky or corroded/rusty and what may be happening is the rollers are stuck and the suspension springs are not compressing when you crank the cutter head downward, and by not compressing it doesn't expose the cutter. In Dennis's Diagrahm look at parts 58 thru 60.


----------



## tooler2 (Aug 11, 2012)

Are you certain the planer knives are spinning? I would not expect a 30 year old rubber band to be reliable. I do not know this particular machine.
Rob


----------



## Seldonman (Jul 30, 2013)

Ok, the problem is solved. I tore the planer apart but still could not get to the rollers. So I bit the bullet and extended the knives a silly millimeter longer.


----------



## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Jim
Doesn't that planer have guides for installing the blades for height 

Ryobi Part # 6072883 blade adj gauge ap10


----------



## Seldonman (Jul 30, 2013)

Yes, but when I used it the screw was at the bottom or lowest height setting. I just moved it up about a 16th of an inch and it started shaving. I plan on using the planer and a jointer on some 2 X 4 Vertical Grain Fir. I will then use a band saw to re-saw it to 3/4 inch thick and make a box to hold my sand paper. The picture shows the before and after shots.

Jim


----------



## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Ok Jim glad that you have it working


----------

