estesbubba Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 So I was cleaning up the shop this evening getting ready for “woodworking season” and when I fired up my planer it made a rattling sound. It does it 3 out of 4 starts and goes away after a bit but I’m not feeling good about it. The planer probably hasn’t been ran in 4-6 months. Any ideas on what it is and how to remedy it? https://youtu.be/T_bOfkqULqo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 Almost sounds like the drive belt slapping slapping against a guard or cover or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 Open it up and look for something loose. I take pictures frequently as I disassemble machines to aid in getting it back together correctly. Watch out for fasteners of different lengths. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 There's the rattle sound, but after it settles down something else starts that sounds like bearing noise. The rattle will probably be an easy fix... once you find it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 I'd try removing the belt and checking the pulley at the motor end. It maybe loose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 8 hours ago, wdwerker said: Open it up and look for something loose. I take pictures frequently as I disassemble machines to aid in getting it back together correctly. Watch out for fasteners of different lengths. That's a great tip. Also during teardowns it's very helpful to have a piece of cardboard next to you and a Sharpie marker. As you take Hardware out I usually draw a very simple diagram on the cardboard and stick the screws or bolts through the cardboard at the location of the diagram where they go back. Makes reassembly very easy. Especially when you've got bolts of slightly different lengths by necessity, if you screw those up you could screw up a lot. The noise to me sounds like belt slap in the cover. I would start just poking around and shaking things by hand. Also look for black lines around the belt travel on anything within an inch or two. When those belts hit metal they usually leave a little line where it's either clean or dark colored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Brendon_t said: That's a great tip. Also during teardowns it's very helpful to have a piece of cardboard next to you and a Sharpie marker. As you take Hardware out I usually draw a very simple diagram on the cardboard and stick the screws or bolts through the cardboard at the location of the diagram where they go back. Makes reassembly very easy. Especially when you've got bolts of slightly different lengths by necessity, if you screw those up you could screw up a lot. The noise to me sounds like belt slap in the cover. I would start just poking around and shaking things by hand. Also look for black lines around the belt travel on anything within an inch or two. When those belts hit metal they usually leave a little line where it's either clean or dark colored. The cardboard trick is what i use for vehicles. 5-6 bolts i can generally remember but when you get over 20 organization needs to be done. I'm shocked fewer people have picked it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 4 hours ago, Immortan D said: I'd try removing the belt and checking the pulley at the motor end. It maybe loose. Yep this is where I would start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 It sounds like metal hitting metal to me. The only problem I had with my planer was when one of the fan blades came loose. It made a similar sound before it completely broke loose. Then it really made some noise! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted September 6, 2018 Report Share Posted September 6, 2018 4 hours ago, Chestnut said: The cardboard trick is what i use for vehicles. 5-6 bolts i can generally remember but when you get over 20 organization needs to be done. I'm shocked fewer people have picked it up. I learned it when I worked in the rnd lab at BMW. I've had 20/30 cardboards all stacked up and marked on full engine tear outs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted September 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 Thanks for the tips I’ll try them this weekend. Would there be any problems running the motor without a load with the belts removed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 5 minutes ago, estesbubba said: Thanks for the tips I’ll try them this weekend. Would there be any problems running the motor without a load with the belts removed? No 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 So, it was the fan under the end housing, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted September 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 Plastic motor fan - WTF? Inside and outer ends are both rounded so it’s been wobbling for a while and finally broke loose. I’ll have to check if the Shop Fox or Grizzly replacements are plastic - I might even check locally to see if they have metal fans. Ran the planer without feeding wood for 5 minutes and fan barely changed temperature. Belts were a lot warmer. You guys think it will be ok to run short periods without fan until I get replacement? I could leave the back cabinet cover off to get air in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted September 8, 2018 Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 Under load, I think that thing still warm up fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted September 8, 2018 Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 Can you blow another fan across it? I bought a Baldor motor cheap because the fan enclosure had been smashed, and even bent the end of the shaft. It was to replace a 42" Heat Buster fan in the barn that had a burned up AO motor. I figured since the motor would be in the enclosure with the big fan pulling air across it that it might be okay. I sawed the end of the shaft off with a Sawzall, and tossed the fan assembly. It's run continuously in the barn for two Summers now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted September 8, 2018 Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 18 hours ago, gee-dub said: So, it was the fan under the end housing, right? Running without this fan for short bursts may be OK but, just aim some other fan at it till you get a replacement. My Griz fans are metal but, not very substantial metal. The fan being plastic is moot as it doesn't come under much strain and is protected by the bell cover. I have never had one come loose but, am familiar with the sound from changing out a centrifugal clutch once upon a time. Funny how some things stick with you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 9, 2018 Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 Put a decent fan in front & go for it. Just monitor the temp & go easy. I bet a motor repair shop could get you a metal fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted September 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 I put a fan in front of it and did a test run and it will be fine until I get a replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted September 9, 2018 Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 If the shaft is not bent, an electric motor repair shop will probably have enough junk motors, for spare parts laying around that they could pull a fan, and housing off of. If that's all it needs, I wouldn't buy a complete replacement motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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