Hi,
I've got a Weinig Unimate 6-head moulder. Sometimes I have trouble with the wood not feeding through. The steel feed rollers will just spin on the wood and dig a hole in the wood. Ive got fairly new steel rollers from Weinig on the front of the machine and then I've got rubber rollers toward the middle and at the end of the machine. I have cleaned the bed really good and have sprayed Waxilit on the bed. I'm pretty sure that I've got the chip breakers and/or pressure shoe set too low. I think that may be my problem, but not sure. Any ideas or any tips on how to set the chip breakers and pressure shoe? I would appreciate the help. Thank you.
From contributor La
Oops. I meant to type Weinig Unimat. Thanks
From contributor Ma
Larry,
I by passed the the hood safety switch and set the pressure shoe while the machine is feeding.
Lower it until the wood stalls, then back it off a little.
Do close the hood when done with that procedure.
Mark
From contributor La
Thanks, Mark.
What about the chip breakers? How do I know how low to set them and how do I know how much pressure to have them set for? Also, is it a "pressure shoe" that is located behind the first top head? And, how do I know how low to set it? Thanks again.
From contributor Ma
Larry,
Yes, the pressure shoe is behind the top head. It should have a readout that indicates the height above the table. You need to know the major diameter of the tooling in the top head and you should be able to set it pretty close.
As for the chip breaker, mine moves in tandem with the top head and because it's spring loaded I've never needed to adjust it.
Hope this helps,
Mark
From contributor La
Thank you for your help, Mark.
I backed off of the tension on the pressure shoes and chip breakers and ran a test piece through the machine. It went through like it's suppose to. On the second top head, I've got the pressure shoe set to the same numeric value as the tool radial dimension for that head. Thanks again for your help!
Larry
From contributor Ru
Larry
First let me start by stating altering safety devices is not recommended, they are in place to protect you as a operator.
The proper setting of chip breakers and pressure elements are as follows.
Use your 10" straight edge and set the chip breaker and pressure element even with the lowest part of you knife on top spindle. After setting these even turn the star knob on pressure element 1/4 more down toward the lumber.
Theory , the wood is thicker before it reaches the top head cutting generally 1/16" - 1/8" this should give you enough pressure on the chipbreakers without hindering the feed system.
If you need any further help feel free to contact me, info on website.
Good Luck!
From contributor La
Thank you, Russ.
I will definitely set the chip breakers and pressure shoes the way that you described. I apparently had the pressure shoe on my first top head set too low. I was thinking that it would flex more than it does. After realizing that it doesn't flex much, I adjusted it up more and didn't have a problem. But, I will use my straight edge to set them both from now on. Thanks again!
Larry
From contributor Ru
Larry
That's a 1/4 turn of the knob downward NOT a 1/4" on the downward movement, my bad for not clearly explaining.
From contributor La
Thanks, Russ.
From contributor Ru
Larry I have a bunch of articles about moulders and grinders that might help you calibrate and gain a better understanding on how thinks work together on our website
Be safe
Russ
From contributor La
Thank you, Russ.
I will check out the articles on your website.
From contributor Dr
Larry,
There are many things that cause jamming of the wood. If your machine is 5-7 years old, these little things begin to add up and show themselves.
A combination of slightly misaligned fences, improperly set table rollers, wear on the tables, loose top and bottom dovetails, worn feed pendulums and several other issues can easily buildup and cause what you are having.
I would suggest that you contact a qualified technician to come in and go through the machine. This normally will cost less than the cost of the wasted material.
There are several trained techs available today and many are very cost effective.
Be Safe,
Dr. David Rankin
From contributor La
Thank you, Dr. Rankin. I will look into having a tech come and check everything out to make sure everything is within tolerance.
From contributor Da
More importantly than having a tech check out the machine, I would suggest getting "proper" training on the use of the moulder. Weinig has courses in NC on a regular basis that cover all these basic things. A moulder is not something you just jump into and figure out, unless you want to spend (waste) a lot of time and material. Yes, airfare, hotels, the class and missing work costs money too, but IMO it's cheap compared to the alternative.
From contributor Ja
Sometimes crap builds up under your outside fences. When you tighten down the kip handled the fence can push forward a bit and pinch your stock.
Just something to check
