Lubricating Moulder Cutterheads for Easy Removal
For easy on, easy off, a little dab (or spritz) of the right stuff will do you when installing and removing cutterheads. January 11, 2007
Question
Our 9" last bottom hasn't been off the spindle in probably a month... Had to go at it with a puller. Any suggestions to prevent this from happening again?
Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor S:
Yeah, sometimes my first bottom stays on for a long time between sharpenings, as well as the first top. I squirt a stream of PB Blaster on the spindles before replacing the sharpened heads. It is a good penetrating oil, used normally on rusted/corroded bolt assemblies, available at your FLAPs. I think putting on a coat of just about anything, grease or oil-wise, would help you avoid this problem. The Blaster is just my preference since it works so well on my other German machine.
From contributor T:
I would use Woodworker's Dry Lube. It is a product that is sprayed on and dries to a very thin wax-like lubricant. The advantage of this product is that if it gets on your wood it won't mess up your finish later. It doesn't soak into wood like penetrating oils. You can get it from us (Lemmon & Snoap Co., Inc.).
From contributor R:
Lemon Pledge furniture polish works great. In my travels, I have left behind hundreds of cans at installations just to eliminate the problem described. Moisture left behind from the grinder in the bore of cutterhead causes the problem. If you spray a rag and clean each cutterhead and spindle before installing a cutterhead, I doubt you ever see the problem again. It also cuts the grime left on the spindle from the lubricant in the grinding coolant, which will make a cutterhead just slide on instead of being sticky. (I am sure all you moulder operators know just what I mean.)
P.S. Keep those bottom cutterheads real sharp - they will eliminate a lot of problems in the finish. Poorly sharpened bottom heads can transfer chatter into the top finish head because the wood is trying to roll over the bottom cutter instead of cutting through it. Good luck. Try a can - inexpensive and it works well.
From contributor J:
I use WD-40 and the only time I've ever had to use a puller is when I forgot to snug my top cutter nut. When I started the run, it tightened itself, of course, really snug. Now I double check before I turn the machine on. Hey, I also use WD 40 as my bed lube. Works better than some of the table lubes and much less expensive. No complaints from the finishing department. Good stuff - I buy it 5 gallons at a time.
