| TROUBLESHOOTING FEED PROBLEMS ON THE THROUGH FEED MOULDER - CAUSED BY MATERIAL | |
Wet lumber. | With some exceptions most lumber produces a better finish at 7% to 9% moisture content. |
Warped twisted or bowed stock. | As much as possible keep the bow (concave side) of the board down and to the right guide. |
Wax tar or chemical on stock. | Trim ends of material. |
Un-square stock. | Mostly effects short material. Adjust the chop saw to cut square ends. |
Stock dimensions vary more than 1/4". | Variations in material greater than 1/4" can create jams in the machine. Look into stock preparation. |
Pitch build-up on guides or bed plates. | When running soft woods it may be necessary to clean the machine more often. Increasing the bed lubrication can help. |
Soft spot or dry rotted area of the material. | Look into stock preparation. |
Case hardened Material. | Check the material drying process. |
Dry lumber. | Moisture contents below 6% become harder to machine. Check the material drying process. |
Knots or slivers of wood jammed in the machine. | Clean the machine. Look into stock preparation. |
Length shorter than the self-feed length. | Keep the material butt fed into the machine. Try hopper or conveyor feed systems. |
To view the other articles in this series, see:
Moulder Feed Problems 1: Caused by Machine
Moulder Feed Problems 3: Caused by Tooling
Reprinted with permission from Diehl Machines, www.diehlmachines.com.
