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I have the HP-250-3/400 planer combined with a thicknesser:

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The thicknesser has a feeding mechanism which pulls the board into the machine at a constant speed, much like in this video: https://youtu.be/T4vl2IM1IJw?t=999 (similar machine).

The problem is that with my machine it works only for small planks. When I have a big board, I usually have to push it with all my might into the machine, otherwise it gets stuck and the rotating blade forms a "channel" in its middle.

I tried to vary the delta that is shaved off by the thicknesser, but nothing seems to help. What can be the problem and how can I solve it? My machine is brand new.

EDIT:

The feed rollers are parallel. As far as I know, they are set in a cast iron wall of the machine and they are not adjustable at all. I will do the narrow plank experiment as soon as I am with the machine again.

The feed rollers are a little greasy and when I set the thickness delta too large I see equally spaced (5mm space) grease stripes perpendicular to the piece.

By a big board I mean 150 x 20 x 3 cm or 60 x 8 x 1 inches. I will experiment with different sizes soon.

There is a handle to start the feeding rollers. This is just an on/off switch and I make sure to have it turned on. There is a lever that needs to be released before one adjusts the height of the bed. I tried both with the lever locked back into place and the lever released. It seems that the thicknesser bed is resting on a set of strong springs and that there is some allowance to the movement of the bed - meaning it is not absolutely fixed to the rest of the machine. It can move a couple of millimeters. This allowance is diminished when I lock the lever.

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    Can you get into the mechanism enough to figure out if the feed rollers are parallel? (Alternate test: does a narrow -- ie, 3"/75mm -- board feed equally well on the left side as the right side of the bed?) I'm assuming that the feed rollers are also clean (not oily/greasy).
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Feb 5, 2021 at 0:52
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    Thicknesser, where can I get me one of those I have a bunch of thin boards I’d like to make thicker.;)
    – Alaska Man
    Commented Feb 5, 2021 at 3:23
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    @AlaskaMan -- soak it in water for a while.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Feb 5, 2021 at 4:41
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    When you say "big board" do you mean wide, thick, or both? In addition to @AloysiusDefenestrate's good points, is there a max thickness the machine is built for, and are you machining boards that're at that thickness or close to it? This sounds suspiciously similar to when you try to run card stock that's just a little too thick through a photocopier or printer :-)
    – Graphus
    Commented Feb 5, 2021 at 7:06
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    @AlaskaMan, ROFL, reminded me of the classic "I've cut this board twice and it's still too short."
    – Graphus
    Commented Feb 5, 2021 at 7:08

2 Answers 2

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This isn't unusual - even for reasonably high-end industrial thicknessers costing $5k upwards. I've used a few different makes/models and this has always been an issue with wider boards. The feed rollers only have so much grip. It's typically just friction of the timber against the bed, combined with lack of friction with the feed rollers (you said they are a little greasy - this won't help). If your timber is damp or a species with a lot of sticky resin it will tend to "stick" to the bed more.

Turn the machine off and unplug it (if it has a plug connection), and lock it out if possible so that it can't come on, and clean off the feed rollers with some shop towel or rag and something to remove the grease (rubbing alcohol will work for most things).

You can also lubricate the bed of the machine. You can use candle wax, beeswax, and Wurth (a European company who I believe operate across Europe, the UK, and North America) do a product called "Wood Glide" which is for this purpose. You can also use silicone-based lubricant sprays.

Whatever you use for a lubricant, check that it won't cause any issues with your finish afterwards, or make sure that you've sanded it off thoroughly - some waxes and especially silicone can cause havoc with finishes and there are likely other interactions which are possible too. Silicone spray droplets left on timber will result in little "pin-pricks" in paint finishes (and probably most kinds of stain, oil etc.) because the silicone droplets repel the finish, leaving tiny holes.

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    +1. The most common term for the defects caused by silicone seems to be "fish eye". And you might want to mention that it causes issues with any finish type, not just paint.
    – Graphus
    Commented Feb 7, 2021 at 8:03
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I'm a bit late to this party, but have been experiencing a similar issue with my jointer/planer combo machine. I watched the video and it looks like he's making very shallow cuts. Shallow cuts won't encounter as much resistance from the front feed roller as you insert the material. If you're making a deeper cut, then you'll experience more resistance trying to push the material into and under the roller.

If your roller is out of spec with the cutter head, check for adjusting nuts on the right and left side above the planer table. They might be located behind a small removable cover.

This is a video of a different, albeit similar, machine. It might help you locate the adjustment points (assuming you're still having issues).

https://youtu.be/O-_21RcvKt0?t=57

Good luck!

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