Every Planer Needs This | Regular Maintenance for a Dewalt 735

Not only every planer, but every tool needs this!
Maintenance. Something that everyone hates but something that every tool needs. I’ve learned in the last few years that the more consistent my maintenance, the easier and more accurate my projects are. In this video, I go over the maintenance that you should do regularly on your Dewalt 735.
Primary Steps for Maintenance:
- External
- Blow off and vacuum all obvious debris
- Clean table tops and rollers with simple green
- Level the indeed/outfeed to remove snipe
- Paste wax all sliding surfaces
- Lubricate the posts
- Internal
- Vacuum out all obvious debris
- Adjust all blades, replace if necessary, and slip on index pins if dinged
- Inspect impeller for damage
- Reassemble
All in all it’d take about 30-60 minutes to do this entire list which is well worth it to keep the tool in top shape.
Huge thanks to ‪@katzmosestools‬ for all of his excellent content, including a uniquely good video on maintaining the 735.
JKatz Channel: / @katzmosestools
Video on Planer Maintenance: • Thickness Planer Tune ...
Thanks as always, be safe, and happy woodworking!
Josh
Northwest Craftsman
**************
Support:
Website: NorthwestCraftsman.com
Apparel: NorthwestCraftsman.com/shop/apparel/8
My Tools: www.amazon.com/shop/northwest...
Connect
Instagram: / northwestcraftsman
Facebook: / northwestcraftsman
Email: See contact section
**************
Products Used:
Dewalt 735X Planer: amzn.to/2TuaKJ0
Dewalt 735 Planer Stand: amzn.to/3jAmOmP
Simple Green: amzn.to/3cBDFVy
36” Level: amzn.to/3e2n78N
SC Johnson Paste Wax: amzn.to/31NDXU7
Glide Cote: amzn.to/2TkMKLK
Audio Credits:
Talk to Me by Mikey Geiger (Licensed by SoundStripe)
More Audio from Soundstripe**:
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**Link above is an affiliate link which provides you a discount of 20% on your first purchase and Northwest Craftsman a rebate on our subscription.

[@ceeweedsl]

I am already grateful that you are not playing music over your voice. Thank you for allowing us to hear the voice track.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I don’t always execute on my sound engineering but I’m so glad you appreciate this one 😄

[@johnficorilli3133]

Excellent step-by-step video. My DeWalt planer is running like new again!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

So glad to hear it! Happy woodworking! Josh Northwest Craftsman

[@ADR506]

Great info! Thanks for the video.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Of course! Glad you found it useful!

[@texasdiymama]

Thanks for the tutorial! So helpful!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Glad I could help!

[@seanpatterson1609]

Thanks for this helpful video, and great t shirt. I really like Matt's work over on that channel.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Glad you found it helpful and Glad to see someone that also knows about Matt! Love his stuff.

[@gaylewilliams7353]

This will be handy for my new 735. Thanks!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@edselby110]

Great video! Thanks!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Glad you found it helpful Ed! Happy Woodworking! Josh Northwest Craftsman

[@ThierryChamps]

Great video. Thanks a lot

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Glad it was useful!

[@moumnyxt3337]

Nice overall video, with plenty of relevant information - I have promised myself I will go through the steps on my machine soon. Regarding the music, it is best to just avoid it - if you have to put it in, please make sure the volume is compatible with the rest, and that it does not overlap at all with you talking.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Thanks! Glad you found the info useful and agreed, I try to use it sparingly and on this video in particular, I missed the mark on the audio mixing by a wide margin 😂

[@chaseums0967]

Please. Please. Normalize all of your audio. Nothing makes someone turn off a video faster than when music kicks in and blasts your ear drums out. Almost did a couple times myself. I usually do Otherwise, good stuff keep it up!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Thanks for the feedback Chase! That’s never my goal. Glad you enjoy the content though! Even if the audio mixing leaves much to be desired 😂

[@jwilliam1542]

Nice video. Very helpful. I just did the maintenance today, including changing the blades, on my Dewalt 735. Do you have any idea why this planer would frequently stall out during operation? Each pass is set to the narrowest of depths. Can dull blades actually cause these stalls or is there something during maintenance that I need to focus on?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Great questions! When you say it stalls out, does the board just stop? Or does the planer stall and trip your breaker? I’ve had the former happen often when my tables and rollers gets dirty (sticky table and slippery rollers). Dull blades can also feed into that issue because it’s cutting against the direction the rollers are pushing which makes it harder to pull the workpiece through. All of that will be exacerbated by harder woods and wider boards. If your planer itself is stalling, I have not seen that before and would contact Dewalt.

[@toonybrain]

It is a sad thing to think that Johnson’s Paste Wax has been discontinued after having become a sure friend to furniture (and woodworkers) since 1915. 😭 I don’t have a DeWalt planer, but all this information can be translated to my brand. Recently I did a pretty thorough once over, but I’m constantly battling tool corrosion/rust in my garage shop here in Florida (I have my garage door raised while I work). Good video. Thank you.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Oh I know the hurt 😞 I found that out a few months ago and was so disappointed because I would have ordered like 6 tins which could have lasted me and my kids our entire lives 😂 well, if only used for corrosion protection. In Oregon I have the same moisture issues. Still trying to find a good alternative. Also, glad you were able to translate the information over to your model 😊

[@toonybrain]

@@NorthwestCraftsman Indeed! I wish I had known as well. It was inexpensive; I also would’ve stocked up. I noticed that a tin goes for about $65 now. 😡😡😡😡😡🔥🔥 I’m a whittler/carver/turner. I make my own “friendly” finish: 50/50 beeswax pellets and food-grade mineral oil. It’s a very nice finish. I even use it on my workboots. 😆

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Oh I know, it’s wild how much it’s selling for now. That’s a very interesting idea with the beeswax and mineral oil though! I’ll have to do some research on that. Thanks for the lead!

[@ruffoutdoors8987]

thanks for the info, i couldn't find my manual for cleaning. Mine is building up saw dust inside, vacumned all out and did small project and was back full again. Its so bad it's getting inside the corner gears so when you crank to move up/down it's binding and hard to crank it, any idea what might be causing to build up inside?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Great question. I’ve noticed the gasket for the inner shroud is in really bad shape on mine. Wouldn’t be shocked if yours is damaged or missing, allowing dust and debris to get inside.

[@jackmorgan1052]

Great video and very informative! The music was Horrid!!!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

😂 couldn’t agree more. I try not to do music like this anymore 😂

[@markkoukl8804]

Thanks for the helpful video. On another note I've just moved to the Pacific Northwest (Shelton, WA) and I noticed that your shop is similar to mine. Do you have a any advice about a dehumidifier? What do you use? I have a wood stove for heat but my humidity is in the 70-80 percentile.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Great question and welcome to the PNW!Moisture is a perennial issue. I find my wood stove is enough to drive humidity down to about 40-60% which is fine for pretty much everything. If you need a full blown dehumidifier, be prepared to spend a few hundred dollars a year on electric and to protect it from dust. We have one in our basement and it costs about $300 a year. Also, I’m sure this is obvious but make sure you have any leaks and water sources patched because that drives it up like crazy. Also also make sure you have good drainage around your shop, I’m not sure what your flooring is but concrete is very porous and if you have a roofline dripping right next to it, you’ll get some very wet concrete. Is your shop detached? Or is it more like a garage?

[@markkoukl8804]

@@NorthwestCraftsman Thanks so much for the quick reply and Happy New Year. My shop is a stand alone corrugated metal building. I know I'm going to need a industrial dehumidifier running pretty much continuously during the rainy season. I'm looking into an Alorair HD55 industrial humidifier hoping that will do the trick. I just going to have to anti-up for the electricity costs if I want to keep my wood dry. Mark

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Yea, if you can seal up your shop pretty well, that’ll go a long ways towards helping. I’d also make sure to check for how it filters the air to prevent it from clogging up with dust. And heck, maybe only run it while you’re not in the shop to prevent it from pulling to much dust in. Sorry I don’t have more experience with the large scale dehumidifiers. Good luck though!

[@markkoukl8804]

@@NorthwestCraftsman Again, thanks for your reply. It's helpful to get advice from others that have similar shops. I look forward to watching future posthings from your site and the helpful information you will be sharing. When I find a solution to my problem I will post it to you. It might be helpful to others as well. Have a prosperous 2023

[@user-tm8np5in3f]

FYI... The single plank of melamine really works! No more messing around with slightly raising the infeed and outfeed extensions. Also no need for a before and after sacrificial board.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I’ve seen this before! Is the only down side that it reduces the overall thickness capacity by the melamine sheet?

[@user-tm8np5in3f]

Yes, that is the only down side. However, for the projects I do, I am not planing any that requires the full thickness capacity of the planer.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I’ll definitely check this out when I move to my new shop. Thanks for the tip!

[@bpatters69]

Thanks for the video. I have the same planer its about 1 to 2 years old. I have a question if you do not mind. When I feed stock into the machine, it grabs the stock and jerks it slightly. Its almost as if its trying to straighten out the board. It then plains the wood but I notice that the wood is warm to the touch when I pick it up from the outfeed table. As a guess, I ran Iroku wood through it and most rececently a piece of teak. Do you think I need to change the blades?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Hey Bill! Great question. I can get a small jerk as well on mine as the feed in roller grabs the work piece but not a ton. It does sound like a blade change is in order though. If you haven't already rotated your blades, do that since most of the Dewalt blades are double sided. Below is a link to my video on the blade replacement. DW735 Blade Replacement kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXbYkIqihqd8h9E Happy Woodworking! Josh Northwest Craftsman

[@bpatters69]

@@NorthwestCraftsman Thank you!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Not a problem Bill! If you’re replacing your blades, now is also a good time to think about if you’d like to upgrade to a helical planer head. They’re not cheap but I’ve heard they make a massive difference with tool noise, tear out on figured wood, and longevity of a high quality cut. If you’re doing a lot of hardwoods, it may be worth it.

[@cdawg9149]

Did your clean up process. Was stopped when I realized the wood Ive been planer for the past two years has been extremely sappy. The sap is like a mild glue that gets everywhere including the blades. Strangely enough the Planer worked great. Anyone out there know how to clean the sap off ?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

If the simple green doesn’t take it off, rubbing alcohol will break down the sap more quickly. I keep some on hand to get it off my hands 😂

[@koryaube5154]

Great Information ... What are you using for the exhaust port?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Thanks! Funny you should ask, that was a bear of a time finding exactly what fittings I needed. Please find my setup linked below. Coupler, 2.5": amzn.to/3mqT1Pe Elbow, 90deg: amzn.to/35Et5c9 Reducer, 2.5"-2.25": amzn.to/3e4lrvq Hose, 2.5”: amzn.to/37MqhMN Hose, 2.5” Adapters: amzn.to/2HJGO9z

[@mitchkalish]

I just received my planar and have been using it quite a bit and am enjoying the smooth surface. I have 2 questions I was hoping you could answer for me if you have the time. I use a Dust Right bag and it seems to catch almost all the material. The first shavings removal was a bit of a bear. They barely come out of the bag and they attach themselves to everything particularly the outside of the bag. Is there anything I could do to address that. Also, I notice that when I feed in a long board, specifically on its side, the back pops up for a second. It seems that’s the way it the rollers grab the piece. Is that normal? It doesn’t appear to be producing any snipe. I’m guessing it straightens out before reaching the cutters.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Great questions! The sticking is likely from static. Only way to kill that is with time or by running it through something that grounds it out. Most dust collection systems are grounded so it dissipates this effect. That pop up is somewhat normal. I think it’s the torque from the roller hitting the front top corner and pivoting around the bottom. Since the roller aren’t passive, they are actively pulling the board in. Ive never had it be an issue like you’ve noted but have found it helps to guide them in with a little more downward pressure. Also, long boards will exacerbate this because a small angular change at the front looks like a lot of kick at the back.

[@mitchkalish]

Thanks Josh for responding. Means a lot. I didn’t realize I never subscribed, so now I’m your newest sub. Re your answers, Kinda what I thought. It’s likely the leverage in the long board is causing the pop up as you better articulated. Just wasn’t 100% sure. Re the shavings, your3 right again. It seems like static is holding them to the bag. I noticed a few complaints on this. Certainly not a big issue although does get messy when cleaning up. Does your cyclonic setup push them into a can that has a bag in it to easily toss out?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Hey Mitch! No worries on the delay, notice mine too 😂 and thanks for joining! Glad you have guys like you around and participating. My cyclone currently just dumps it into the blue bin but it’d be super easy to add a bag that you can pull and dump. Honestly I love the dust deputy (cyclone) and if you just want a stand alone for the planer, it doesn’t even need the shop vac because the blower in the 735 is strong enough to drive the cyclone. I’ll leave a comment with links to my setup for this guy.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Links to the Dust Collection setup on my 735: Coupler, 2.5": amzn.to/3mqT1Pe Elbow, 90deg: amzn.to/35Et5c9 Reducer, 2.5"-2.25": amzn.to/3e4lrvq Dust Deputy: amzn.to/3jBu6H0 Hose, 2.5”: amzn.to/37MqhMN Hose, 2.5” Adapters: amzn.to/2HJGO9z Blue Barrel: amzn.to/2HDpGlI

[@jfklein13]

What's the recommended alternative to Johnson's paste wax now that it's discontinued?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone, it’s discontinued?!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Holy cow! No kidding. Well, if you can grab a tin, I would, I’ve only gone through about 25% of mine in 3 years. I’ll need to do more research though. Thanks for the heads up. As a surface lubricant/protectant, Glide Coat or T-9 is an alternative a lot of folks have used for cast iron tops. Can’t work everywhere but some places it will.

[@jeremyjjet4909]

What is the silver knob on the left-hand side when you’re facing the on off switch that has dimensions from an eighth to an inch on it and what does it do

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Phenomenal question! That's an adjustable hard stop. Essentially you can rotate it from 1/8in to 1-1/2in (I think), and when you move the planer body down, it'll touch off on the hard stop for more consistent cuts. I rarely use it since I've found it to be off by 1/16-1/32 of an inch and I usually measure my parts before calling it good anyways. Pretty sure you can calibrate it but I don't find much use in it from my workflow.

[@jeremyjjet4909]

@@NorthwestCraftsman I havnt found any difference no matter where I have mine.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Interesting, so if you set it to 1-1/2” or similar and try to lower down to 1/8” it’ll let you?

[@stephaneleblanc3615]

Is it the type 1 or the 12. It seems that since it is made in China instead of Taiwan several users have experienced problems with the engine of this new version made in China. You can see the type right next to the serial number. I'm asking you this because it's on a big discount here in Canada (-$220 off the regular price $899 canadian dollar). The demonstrator in store was Type 1 but the one I just bought is Type 12 so I wonder if I will return it. Has anyone experienced any issues with type 12 vs type 1? THANKS !

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Just to make sure you saw it, I responded to your other comment as well. I have a type 1 but didn’t know about that difference in models until you brought it up. Hopefully you were able to find the info you needed!

[@BobHolster-om8rf]

DID THIS TODAY. PLANED ABOUT 12 5/4X 8 ROUGH SAWN CYPRESS SMOOTH. BY THE TIME I WAS DONE. HAD TO STRUGGLE PUSHING THEM THROUGH. ALSO CHECKED THE SHEAR PINS ON THE GEAR AND THEY WERE FINE, DID THIS ONCE BEFORE AND LEFT THE ROLLERS A LITTLE ROUGH. ONLY TOOK OFF ABOUT 1/32 PER PASS. ANY IDEAS?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

That’s really strange, I wouldn’t expect it to go down hill so fast. Was the wood sappy or dirty at all? I’ve found when working with “dirty” woods that my tables get gummed up pretty fast causing a lot of friction. On big planing days I’ve needed to clean and wax my tables a few times. Other than that, how wide are the boards? It’s possible your blades were getting dull. Quick test for this would be rotating your blades 180°. Most straight knives are double sided. If you try either of those two, do them one at a time and run a board through to see which caused it to improve. If neither do, we can go deeper down the rabbit hole.

[@BobHolster-om8rf]

@@NorthwestCraftsman THANKS FOR THE REPLY. BLEW IT OFF REALLY E WELL, CLEANED ROLLERS, CLEANED AND WAXED TABLE. ROTATED BLADES- NEW SHARP DEWALT EDGES. BRUSHED 5/4 X8 ROUGH-SAWN CYPRESS TWICE AND BLEW OFF PRIOR TO PLANNING, NO SAP, SIMILAR TO CEDAR. CEDAR FAMILY. ROLLERS ARE A LITTLE ROUGH FROM ANOTHER PLANNING CYPRESS SESSION BUT CLEAN. VERY LITTLE KNOTS OR NO KNOTS, LOTS OF FEATHER GRAIN-LOOKING BOARDS. THATS IT. GOING AFTER IT AGAIN TODAY.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

How’d it go?

[@BobHolster-om8rf]

@@NorthwestCraftsman HI. WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AGAIN WITH CLEAN WHITE CLOTHES. DID NOT SEEM TO COLLECT ANY MORE DIRT. SOMEWHAT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION WITH THE SAME TYPE OF WOOD. SO FAR IT SEEMS TO BE CUTTING BETTER WITH LESS STRAIN. THANKS.

[@cowboyssawmillandwoodlot6343]

Hey buddy. My 735 which ive taken apart a few times now because the shavings fill up the inside compartment. The blower works fine and i get good discharge but still shavings get caught up inside the unit. I checked for cracks or holes in the blower shroud but i dont see anything. You know what else i should check?

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Hey! Thanks for the question. That’s really strange. To eliminate the issue of back pressure from where ever you’re collecting the dust, have you tried running it with no hose attached? It’ll make a mess but isolate whether it’s in the planer or not. The other question is whether you’re feeding green wood or dried wood through? I’ve had issues like yours with wet wood in the past. Let me know your thoughts and we can keep going down the rabbit hole!

[@cowboyssawmillandwoodlot6343]

@@NorthwestCraftsman i have a video showing whats going on but i dont think i can send it on this platform

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

That’d be super helpful! I have an email on my “About” page and you should be able to send it there.

[@cowboyssawmillandwoodlot6343]

@@NorthwestCraftsman hi. Yes i tried it without the dust collector attached. No difference

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Interesting. How green is the wood? And what do the shavings look like? Are they small like sawdust/chips or long and stringy?

[@ndeleonn]

Fine video and useful information. However lose the background noise (music?) - it is annoying as heck.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Thanks for the feedback! I’ve toned it back quite a bit because of feedback like this. Glad you found the info useful!

[@garlandburton6977]

Great instructions for maintenance. The extra music could be turned down or eliminated.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Thanks for the feedback! Glad you found the content useful, will work on the music selection 😊

[@jeremyjjet4909]

The music didn’t bother me as much as it bothered these guys

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I figure it's hit or miss with music selection but it's good to know what people are looking for on the channel haha

[@StuartChudy]

OK, I’m not saying this to be critical or snarky, but at 3:15, did actually say the words “you can go ahead and plug it in, flip it on real fast and wipe down the rest of the rollers” …now I’m guessing 99% of the people watching realize that they should probably turn it off and unplug it again before putting their hands anywhere near the rollers, I’d just feel really really bad for anyone falling in that 1%.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

That’s totally fine!! Please call that stuff out. Being safe is way way more important. Thank you for calling this out, yes, always unplug before working in or near the tool innards.

[@rogerpilon7672]

Un plug it. Plug it back in to clean the feeder rollers then UNPLUG it once more.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I hear you, you can always do it in a different order, this was just what I chose with a preference of having it unplugged anytime I didn’t want it to be able to turn on.

[@merchantbankers]

Please lose the music.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Trust me, I'm moving away from this style. I've received more feedback on that than the content haha. Thank you for helping to make my videos better.

[@tag329PhD]

@@NorthwestCraftsmanthe content is first class-

[@oclost]

wonderful video. terrible music. couldn't even finish the video

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Haha, sorry about that 😂 glad you appreciated the video, it’s always an experiment with the music. And this experiment got plenty of “please don’t do that again” feedback 😂

[@berniewolf6740]

Thanks. Helpful tips, but oh dear, that "music"!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I know 😂 I’m sorry 😂 my music choice and mixing was way way off this video

[@ozguzzi]

Great video, but the music sucks.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Thanks 😂 if KZbin would allow me to, I’d redo it

[@rglrtxdudehearnow9812]

The music is annoying!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

I hear you and appreciate the feedback. I was experimenting and it failed 😂 hopefully the content was better than my music choice 😂

[@rickstetser8557]

Music is annoying!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

You’re totally right 😂 I wrecked the mixing on this one.

[@fastlap2]

Music is annoying

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Yea 😂 went through a bad phase with a couple of videos in this time period.

[@iancrossley6637]

Drop the annoying music.

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Yes 😂 I’m sorry, I went through a bad phase of terrible music 😂 unfortunately KZbin won’t let me replace it.

[@Zamboni-0805]

Video good, music SUCKS!

[@NorthwestCraftsman]

Oh I know 😂 I went through a bad phase 😂