Yes, call Diehl. I was trained on maintenance and operations of the Diehl 89 by a technician from Diehl back in 1989 and have used that knowledge many times over since. Once you know how to overhaul it, it gives you a much greater insight into how they work too.

They are not difficult machines to operate, but each truly has a "personality" of its own. I have told every splicer (Diehl or otherwise) operator that I have trained that it takes at least six months to figure out a splicer's tendencies and how to set it for maximum efficiency across difference species (the settings can be very different for Maple versus Red Oak for instance). Once you "understand" the machine, things will come much easier.

I think veneer is a combination of art and science. Not sure I agree with the splicing machinery having a personality. I would be more inclined to say every veneer has a personality even within the same species.

There are tricks that I have learned from some old timers who ran Diehl's for many years. Some are real simple and inexpensive and some require machine changes and can be expensive.

Still can't beat them for splicing thick veneer.

Kyle:
I share your pain. I lost track of how many I have owned, I think 7. We ran 3 for a while, 2 were only being used at a time but we never knew which 2 were running on a daily basis. The 2 we have now were re manufactured by Eric Lozer of Lozer machine. They have composite chains, electronic thermostats, and a VFD inverter rather than the big gear reducer. We rarely have problems these days, even when we were running the older original machines. When we do, we usually go thru a basic check of the lower heater/chain adjustment, the upper bar pressure, make sure the Stainless steel heat strips are clean. you also need to be sure your edge is cut clean and absolutely straight, especially with narrow riff cut material, to avoid hour glass edges that rarely splice well. Also. the mixing of the adhesive, the quality of the spray, the amount you are putting on (less is best), and the moisture of the veneer are key factors for quality splicing. And of course, offering a Goat or some Chickens to the Veneer Gods is always prudent. Keeping these machines 'dialed in' ideally is something your workers can do. Many of the adjustments are very small and calling a Tech is just not practical. Hope that helps.

I believe Paul Downs, who is not far from you, has a similar machine. You might try contacting him for advice. Also, check out the linked discussion.

Troubleshooting a Veneer Splicer