Planer Feed Roller Bushing Lubrication

[stephen_a._draper]

The planer manual says to "periodically lubricate the roller arm bushings at either end of the rollers with graphite". The feed rollers go through those bushings. I do not see how sprinkling some graphite there will penetrate and actually get inside those bushings without completely removing the feed rollers. Does anyone have any experience or advice in this regard? I have the Mark V/7 mounted planer

[edma194]

Are they graphite plugged bronze bushings? It doesn't make sense to me to use graphite to lube an oil lubed bushing. Doesn't make sense to me to sprinkle graphite on the end of any bushing either.

[stephen_a._draper]

The manual says "We recommend lubricating the roller arm bushings, mounting post bushings, the threads of the mounting posts with powdered graphite rather than oil. On these parts, oil will mix with sawdust and form a gummy substance that prevents the planer from operating smoothly." Nick Engler says in his planer maintenance video to use graphite or spray silicone. I have sent an inquiry to Shopsmith to get some advice.

[jsburger]

The Pro Planer manual says to lubricate the roller arm bushings, mounting post bushings and the threads of the mounting posts with powdered graphite OR silicon.

Then it says... "If powdered graphite or silicon is unavailable, you can apply 10-wt. machine oil sparingly (1-2 drops only) to these parts."

[jsburger]

The manual says "We recommend lubricating the roller arm bushings, mounting post bushings, the threads of the mounting posts with powdered graphite rather than oil. On these parts, oil will mix with sawdust and form a gummy substance that prevents the planer from operating smoothly." Nick Engler says in his planer maintenance video to use graphite or spray silicone. I have sent an inquiry to Shopsmith to get some advice.

I believe the Mark mount planer predates the pro planer. Naturally Nick is going to say what the manual says. Apparently they changed the instructions for the pro planer and never updated the Mark mount manual. See my post above on the Pro Planer.

[stephen_a._draper]

I received this response from Jim McCann at Shopsmith:

"Normally the answer is yes, you must remove the feed roller to lubricate with graphite. Recently, I have found a product that is called “Chain Lube”. This is a graphite-based, dry-lube product, in an aerosol can, that I can squirt through a tube directly on both sides of this bronze bushing on either end of the feed roller. The liquid base lets the graphite penetrate in the bushing and then the carrier liquid quickly evaporates, leaving the graphite as a lubricant.

Jim McCann
Engineering, Quality & Customer Repair
Shopsmith LP"

 

[stephen_a._draper]

Jim McCann sent me this picture with directions.

"Here is the photo of the dry lube I use on all moving parts of the Planer.
Looking at the can, it is not a graphite product, but it works very well.
The spray tube was included to easily control where this product is applied.
I highly recommend it for the table elevating screws (top, bottom, and threads), the feed roller ends and bushings, the connector nuts, the chain, and the chain tension sprocket axel.

I do not recommend using it on the table. I only use paste wax on the Planer Table 

Jim McCann
Engineering, Quality & Customer Repair
Shopsmith LP"

 

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