[leanneb]

hello I bought a used dewalt planer and have had nothing but problems. I needed to turn the blades and the screws were so tight but the first blade worked but once I got to the second there was one screw that stripped so I went to the second and yet again another screw got stripped. how on earth do I fix this? please help I have an order for a large custom built rustic table made from 2 x 8 and I cannot get the top flat with the boards I am using as I only build from reclaimed wood. perhaps another solution to a flat top would help. thanks

 

[Dave Paine]

Not much infoirmation.

Are these hex headed screws?

Did you round off the hole in the hex head?

You may need to use a screw extractor. One example.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020952/23423/Pro-Grabit-Screw-and-Bolt-Remover-3-Piece-Kit.aspx

 

[FrankC]

First thing I would do is to try an impact wrench and maybe a little heat, you may just jar it loose. If that doesn't work, since the head was soft enough to strip you may be able to drill the bolt and use a screw extractor, or just drill the head off first and then use extractor if necessary, depends if it is tight in the threads or tight against the head.

When you get the screw out replace all the screws with new Allen bolts.

 

[Paarker]

As your finding out this is the biggest pain with dewalt planers but once you learn how to deal with it you'll wonder what took so long to learn a few new tricks.

Here is what I would try first. With an impact driver get all the bolts out you can. Then you could try A screw extractor with some left handed drill bits but be careful not to break the drill bit. There are a couple of different kinds get a couple and try them all. If all else fails you could always grind the head of with a Dremel tool and the stud should twist out once the pressure is released.

These little tricks worked for me and now that I learned them it's no longer a worry come blade changing time.