Platen adjusting?

[Pelagicfun]

Sorry this seems very simple but how proud should my platen sit of a straight edge across my idlers? I have been using my new 2x72 setup for about a week and just noticed that the belt seems to curve a bit in the center down the length of the platen. If I touch the belt in the middle there is an ever so slight amount of play before it hits. It seems to not be making a difference in my grinds. Then again this is my new setup and if it has been running like this the whole time I wouldn't know the difference. Is this normal or maybe the platen needs adjusted forward of the wheels more? Maybe my cheaper belts (blaze and hermes) happens with both. Yes platen is flat.
Thanks!

 

[Kevin McGovern]

Just enough to not have play. Setting the platen too far out will build heat faster and Rob power.

 

[Drew Riley]

Mine sits about 1/16" proud or so.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

In only a very short time, the slight crown in your tracking wheel "stretches" the center of the belt. Really not much we can do about it. Just push against the belt and it's gone.
My platen is just far enough past the idlers to say it is.

 

[jll346]

Lay your platen face down/ on end. Loosen platen and place a penny under each of the idler wheels. Platen will now sit a penny thickness past wheels. Tighten platen and your set. This has always worked perfect for me.

 

[Pelagicfun]

Thanks guys. I guess everything is fine then. The stretch from the tracking wheel makes sense. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong.

 

[AVigil]

I put a flat edge on the platen and move it just a tad forward of the wheels.

I do this so I can grind a blank length wise and it will not touch either wheel top or bottom.

 

[Drew Riley]

Thanks guys. I guess everything is fine then. The stretch from the tracking wheel makes sense. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong.

BTW, what kind of platen do you have? Hardened steel? Mild steel? Ceramic glass?

 

[Pelagicfun]

A2 unhardend