# W&H Chatter...



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

For years I have owned and used a W&H molder. As I have acquired more cutters, they have become larger and more complex. With the larger cutters there is more chatter, [not mill marks]. I have come to realize the problem. It is so simple that I have overlooked it for years. 


It is an open ended machine. It has support only on one side of the machine, the other is only supported by the strength of the castings and vertical rails. By using the larger cutters I have started to overwhelm the machine. 


I got the electronic variable speed motor for the W&H and expected to get a very smooth finish while using it on a very slow feed. However, I still got a lot of chatter. For months now I couldn't figure out what it was, I tried to make the feed rollers exert more pressure by putting shims under the spring pads, this helped but not enough, still way to much sanding of large moldings. So as I was making a 5" cove crown a few days ago I decided to try something. I always do this molding in two passes. The first pass hogs 90% of the wood and the second pass I lower the unit 1/16". When I did this I also put a block between the feed motor and the table, I clamped it so that it would lock the open end and keep it stable. Well that little act made all the difference in the world. I went from a very chatter filled molding that required 10 minutes of intense sanding with 120 grit, to a relatively chatter free molding that I could sand with 150 grit in about 2 minutes without a lot of pressure. Made a difference in priming (Poplar, paint grade). The 1st coat of primer was pretty smooth and only required a quick, light sanding instead of the more aggressive sanding that I would usually have to do because of the use of 120 grit paper. So I let my secret out. 


I hope someone else can give me a heads up after they try it and tell me what they think.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Here is a picture of the jig I used to lock down the open end of the W&H



















And here is the jig I made this morning.









And here it is on the W&H


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Why is it that woodworkers always make things out of wood and metal workers always make things out of metal. I have this problem when it comes to my dad. He's an auto mechanic by trade but whenever were working on something together I'm coming up with ideas out of wood and he's figuring how to make it out of metal. Drives me nuts.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I have wood in the shop Dave. This was a pc of scrap that would eventually get thrown out. Now it has a useful purpose instead of turning into mulch. If I had the tooling it would have been nice to be made out of metal, no chance of it breaking. But truly, it would be big time overkill.

By the time your Dad has made it in metal you would have made it in wood, applied it to the application and would have been done with the job at hand. Then your Dad will show up with his metal version and you can say to him, Thanks Dad, but I finished an hour ago, I don't need it anymore.:blink:


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## Steve Clardy (Oct 20, 2007)

Looks great. Nice fix :thumbsup:


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## coolpete234 (Aug 13, 2008)

Good work there Leo


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