Five-Head Moulder Setup

Detailed advice on calibrating and aligning the chipbreaker, pressure shoe, and other key components of a five-head moulder. April 21, 2011

Question
I just recently purchased and installed a used Weinig Profimat P22 5 head machine. I am mainly going to use this to run S4S for face frames. I am running only the first four heads (rebuilt the fifth and haven't put it back in yet). I notice that when a board comes out after the fouth head (top cut) it takes about a 3 1/2" long snipe. Is this common to molding machines? Or do I have the pressure rolls set wrong?

Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor T:
You should probably start from scratch if you are new to this machine. If you’re not using the last head lower the back bed so the machine table is flush, check with straight edge. Place about a 2" spacer under top head, rotate until you can just feel it touch, you want it perfect. Set front chipbreaker to same height. Now take two spacers of same height under shoe, one under front edge and one under rear edge. Loosen bolts on back to level front to back to it doesn't heal or toe. You want it perfectly flush with the bed. Now set height so shoe is flush with knife with no more than .020" down pressure. This is a good time to set any indicators to a tool diameter if you have any. That should take care of most of the snipe however I would recommend using the last bottom head for a better finish when you get it back working.



From contributor J:
There is a .020" shim underneath the bedplate after your last bottom. If you’re not using that head, remove the shim and try a few pieces.


From contributor N:
Contributor T - that was the problem. I had the pressure shoe about 0.100" gap. I changed it to 0.000 and the problem went away. I removed that shim to get the plates to line up.I wondered why that shim was there when I removed the spindle to rebuilt it. I just thought Weinig missed the grind of the bed and used that to make up for a mistake. It all makes sense now.


From contributor O:
It would be a good idea to double check chipbreaker and hold down settings in this manner on every set up, you can't always trust what the dials say.

1. Use a straight edge to scale the top head to the hold down, if it is a profile scale to the lowest point on the knife. You should just barely be able to feel the knife rub the scale.

2) Set the chipreaker 1/8 inch below the hold down to insure proper pressure on the infeed side. Once a piece is in the machine fine tune it to preference. I am not sure if this machine’s chipbreaker and hold down positions are tied in to the radial setting dial. If they are, and it doesn't line up, you should get it realigned.