Hey everyone! I've got a bit of a problem with my Ryobi AP-10 planer that I found on Craigslist a while back. It was older but worked like a charm, giving me a smooth finish without any snipe. After using it for some time, I had to replace the blades myself. I did my homework, got some planer pals for alignment, and thought I did everything right. However, ever since the blade change, I've been dealing with some pesky snipe, which is really bumming me out. I didn't have the time to take it apart right after noticing the issue since I was in the middle of a project, so I managed by sending sacrificial scraps through, which worked at the moment. Now, I'd really like to tackle the issue. I've heard I should check the infeed and outfeed tables, but I'm a bit hesitant to touch other settings since I'm convinced the problem started with the blade replacement. The rollers seem fine, but I did have a hard time unscrewing the old nuts, and I didn't tighten the new ones back as much as they were before. Any advice on what I should check or common mistakes I might have made? Thanks a lot!
2 Answers
Which end of the board is showing snipe? It's pretty common to have some degree of it, but if it's excessive, that's a problem. Start by cleaning your rollers and lubricating the tables. You can also try applying some pressure while feeding or catching the board to see if that helps without adjusting the tables right away.
One way to diagnose the snipe issue is to use a slick, flat piece of melamine over particle board. Cut it to the width of your planer and at least as long as the bed plus infeed/outfeed. Clamp it to the infeed table and run the board through. If the snipe persists, the issue is likely with the blades. If it goes away, then you need to adjust your table alignments.