Gear Down Jet / Powermatic Woodworking Planer to Solve Tearout - Easy Sprocket and Chain Swap

Tired of tearout on your industrial woodworking planer? If you have a Jet 208HH (AKA JP20 ) or Powermatic 209 or 209HH this sprocket and chain swap is the mod for you. Change the lower gear / sprocket and lower chain in the gearbox area to decrease feed rate to 16 or 20 FPM. This is slower than the 24 or 31FPM of the factory setup. The idea is to plane most boards at a reasonable speed, then slow down for the final couple passes.
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[@jeffjackson3356]

Thank you so much for doing this. I am planning on changing mine out and couldn’t make any sense of the manual.

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

No problem, hope you get a chance to make the gear swap.

[@ronh9384]

Nicely done. Just found your channel yesterday and subbed. Great information on your channel. Thank you.
Ron

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

Thanks Ron! Welcome and thanks for subscribing. Best to you.

[@garyvaiskauckas8463]

Thanks Willie! Documenting this procedure is a great help. I've saved this video for future reference if I decide to change the feed rate on my 209HH. I'm looking forward to your results on the "wide panel update". Cheers, Gary

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

Thanks Gary, I will post an update soon. So far I've seen no tearout at either 16 or 20 FPM. Have a good one.

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

Works great to increase CPI and eliminate tearout on industrial planers.

[@MosquitoMade]

Those two brackets on the back side of the cover are annoying, but they help keep chips out of the chains. I actually added them to my TotalShop which didn't have them initially. Pretty much the identical machine to this though (all various clones of the Delta DC-380). I'll have to remember this, in case I ever feel a need to slow mine down (it's single speed only though)

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

Yes I agree with you. They keep chips (and fingers) out of that area. Just funny how they mount. Best to you.

[@MosquitoMade]

@@TheThoughtfulWoodworker since my cover wasn't drilled or tapped for those plates, I thought about just using magnets, but with my luck I'd have some how managed to have the chain eat one of them and screw something up :D

[@micahwitham]

curious if you have links to that new sprocket and chain and where you bought them from?

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

The sprocket and chain were purchased directly from Jet. Thanks.

[@micahwitham]

any chance you have links for those or part numbers? @@TheThoughtfulWoodworker

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

​@@micahwithamSorry, Jet doesn't list them online, so no links. If you just call them, they'll know what you're after. Thanks.

[@owend7212]

This looks exactly like my bosses 20 inch delta planer

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

Yes, many of the planers built in Taiwan are very similar. The cutterhead is one thing that sets them apart. Best to you

[@owend7212]

@@TheThoughtfulWoodworker yeah a small correction it's not a delta but a craftex his other machines are deltas (table saw and dust collector), thing is when he got it the manual wasn't read and no oil was added to the front or rear roller i wasn't there and the rear roller seized up after 2 hours exploded the small cast iron gear bent the end of the roller and the output shaft from the gearbox, getting the parts in November 28-30, how would i set the rollers if all i had was a set of digital calipers if possible

[@TheThoughtfulWoodworker]

​@@owend7212 The Jet manual shows a way to set things with a wooden block. You might try that.