If your other blocks move up and down easily on the rods, it would mean that the hole in the new block isn’t straight or is contaminated with something.
I found that one of my new rods (after upgrading to PP2) would occasionally seem sticky; some blocks would not traverse smoothly during their strokes. (Hey, come to think of it, the ceramic blocks were the worst!) I took the rod out and rolled it on a flat surface (my granite block used for polishing woodworking blades) and found that it was bent. As I rolled it, I could see daylight under the rod at certain positions. I marked the high point with a Sharpie and smacked it a few times with a 1-lb dead-blow hammer until it seemed to roll true on the granite surface. Problem fixed.
Yes, I could have asked for a warranty replacement, but I’m a hard-headed 5th generation German who refuses to accept that any problem exists that couldn’t be fixed by putting me in charge.
I think that Voodoo guy must be German, too. Germans are kinda anal about mechanical things, and his are beautiful.
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