1. Tool quality, sharpness, concentricity and balance are critical. The tool should not be left to dwell in the cut during setup, or overheating of the cutting edges can result. Good concentricity and balance minimize vibration.
2. Pay attention to the machine’s alignment, including the table and fences. Keep them level or surface problems can result.
3. Maintain control of the workpiece at all times, otherwise chatter and/or heavy knife marks can occur.
4. A misaligned shoe can result in a poor finish. The shoe should always be parallel with the bed plate underneath it. The amount of contact the shoe has with the workpiece should also be considered.
5. Quality feed rollers are key to maintaining a continuous, positive feed. Having automatic feed into the machine, instead of feeding the workpieces manually, will eliminate gaps between the pieces and ensure a safe and reliable feeding process.
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