Tip #34
Planer
Pg. 1-3, Pg. 4-6, Pg. 7-9, Pg. 10-12, Pg. 13-15 (PDF)
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Knife Mounting System

The cutterhead holds three knives. Each knife is held in the cutter-head by two metal wedges with four locking screws through each wedge. In all, eight locking screws hold each knife in place.

In addition, the knives themselves are wedge-shaped. Each knife is slightly thicker at the bottom than it is at the top. When properly seated, the wedges and the knives interlock. Warning: Use only Shopsmith Planer Knives in your planer. Other brands of knives are not wedge-shaped and will not seat properly in the cutterhead. Using off-brands of knives is extremely dangerous. Check the wedge locking screws immediately if an unusual noise, vibration, or uneven cuts develop and after every 10 hours of use.

There are also three knife leveling screws under each end and under the middle of each knife. These screws allow you to adjust all three knives to precisely the same height without the need for costly and time consuming match grinding.

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