Grizzly G0550, Instruction Manual

Page: 34 / 56

-32- G0550/G0551 15" Planer
Figure 32. Proper knife setting jig placement.
For the best results, it is best to have planer
knives sharpened by a professional sharpening
service which has the grinding and measurement
equipment to assure that the knife cutting geom-
etry is maintained at optimum levels. Knife sharp-
ening is a procedure that requires some care and
precision, otherwise, a set of blades can be easi-
ly ruined. Knives should always be ground as a
set so they can be properly matched. Unequal
material removal can result in an unbalanced cut-
terhead which can affect not only planing surface
quality but ultimately the life of the cutterhead
bearings.
Your planer knives can be sharpened by a blade
hone. See the “Aftermarket Accessories” sub-
section at the back of this manual for more infor-
mation.
The process of setting the knives in the cutter-
head will come into play whenever you sharpen
or replace, or after determining that setting is nec-
essary during the initial setup.
The knives lock into the cutterhead with wedge
type gibs. Springs under each knife provide an
upward pressure to help ease the setting
process. Jack screws under the knives allow fine
tuning to help in the setting process.
To set the knives:
1. Disconnect the machine from the power
source!
2. Remove the upper cover to expose the cut-
terhead.
3. Choose a knife to begin with and loosen the
gib bolts just enough until the springs push
the knife upward.
Figure 32 illustrates the features of the cutter-
head that are mentioned in this section.
Knife Setting Knife Sharpening