Planner Question

walt300 · Post by **walt300** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:10 pm

I was looking at a used Shopsmith 12" stand mounted planner. The assemble instructions for the stand had a 1982 date for its printing. The planner has a large round handle for adjusting the thickness rather than the handle currently used. My question concerns the table top. It is cast aluminum and has a piece of sheet steel attached to it. I guess this is to give a smooth surface. At the out feed corner of the table the sheet steel has come loose. It appears to have originally been glues to the aluminum casting.

My question is can this be reglued and if so what glue would you recommend. I have attached two pictures of the planner. Any info on this model would be helpful.

Thanks[ATTACH]8617[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]8618[/ATTACH]

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:25 pm

The planer is a Mark V mount planer that has been mounted to a stand. The Mark V mount used the lighter table whereas the Pro Planer uses a cast iron table. There is a serial number tag on the right side of the planer. That serial number and this webpage http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/faq/planer.htm (at the bottom is the serial number table) will give you an idea how old the planer is. Don't know about the repair, but I would probably try some sort of epoxy. Lately some Ebay sellers have been parting out planers so you also might be able to get a used table. If you haven't bought the tool yet make sure the feed motor and control work properly as they are very expensive to replace.

doug45601 · Post by **doug45601** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 6:37 pm

It's glued on with contact cement.. The yellow stuff by 3-M is the best... The same glue that is used to glue the tires on the bandsaw wheels will also work.

Most hardware stores carry the stuff.. Strong smelling so use plenty of good sence and open a door or window.. the water base stuff is not as toxic but also not as good.

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 8:56 pm

It looks like the steel sheet is rusty, if this is the case it will likely make it hard to get a good bond with your adhesive. Contact cement only develops full strength when both surfaces are coated and allowed to dry before assembly. In my experience, spraying some between the two surfaces and then clamping never works.

My suggestion would be to clean both surfaces with some fairly coarse sandpaper (80 grit or so) then carefully remove any residue. The paper will remove the rust and old adhesive while leaving a rough surface for the new adhesive to bond to. Throughout all this process it is important to not lift the steel sheet too high or you will create a crease. Then slip some JB Weld into the gap as far in as you can without creasing the sheet. Bonding of the interior portion is much less important than the outside edge. Clamp firmly to hold flat.

Troy

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:50 am

horologist wrote:It looks like the steel sheet is rusty, if this is the case it will likely make it hard to get a good bond with your adhesive. Contact cement only develops full strength when both surfaces are coated and allowed to dry before assembly. In my experience, spraying some between the two surfaces and then clamping never works.

My suggestion would be to clean both surfaces with some fairly coarse sandpaper (80 grit or so) then carefully remove any residue. The paper will remove the rust and old adhesive while leaving a rough surface for the new adhesive to bond to. Throughout all this process it is important to not lift the steel sheet too high or you will create a crease. Then slip some JB Weld into the gap as far in as you can without creasing the sheet. Bonding of the interior portion is much less important than the outside edge. Clamp firmly to hold flat.

Troy

A potential problem would be creating an non-flat surface while doing this. A little bit too much adhesive and then you can't press it flat.

Is it possible (and advisable) to pull the plate completely off so that it can be cleaned and reapplied?

However, before attempting that - are replacement parts available if the "really bad" happens.

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:12 pm

dusty wrote:A potential problem would be creating an non-flat surface while doing this. A little bit too much adhesive and then you can't press it flat.

Is it possible (and advisable) to pull the plate completely off so that it can be cleaned and reapplied?

However, before attempting that - are replacement parts available if the "really bad" happens.

Dusty,

I thought about that as well, hence the clamp firmly. If removing the sheet completely Murphy's law would dictate that there will be portions of adhesive that will be 100 times stronger than the manufacturers specifications call for. My thought was that if he abraded away the old adhesive and rust there should be enough room for a thin layer of JB. But no guarantees here.

I suppose he could try baking the entire table in an oven to break down the adhesive but then you risk warping the table and suffer the hassle of removing and replacing the table.

A good point on the replacement table, it would be sensible to verify that one is available before attempting anything.

Troy