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Thread: Hammer self-setting planer blades

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Romania, Eastern Europe
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    83

    Hammer self-setting planer blades

    Seems to be the worst deal I could make when buying my hammer c3 31 but it was a good overall price. Is there a way to switch to the classic blades that can be sharpened multiple times?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
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    11,248
    Andrei, I can't get 3 blades sharpened twice for the cost of 3 new double edged blades...............regards, Rod.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
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    Romania, Eastern Europe
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    It costs me USD 3.50 for resharpening 3 HSS blades.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrei Georgescu View Post
    It costs me USD 3.50 for resharpening 3 HSS blades.
    Oh, much different than what it costs me in Canada.........Now I understand why you want the standard knives............Rod.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,685
    The downside to resharpening is that you then have to deal with setting the knives when you reinstall them...one of the primary benefits of Tersa and other replaceable knife systems is that they eliminate the knife setting dance.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Shoreline, CT
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    2,923
    If time is worth anything, the self setting blades are a joy.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
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    Romania, Eastern Europe
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    Well I still have two sets of self setting blades and a lot of limewood so I guess I'll try that route for a while.

  8. #8
    which one deal? can you add some details?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Central WI
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    Are the Hammer blades the ESTA system? That system works well and the knives are pretty well made. Straight knives might outperform them in a high production environment as they dissipate heat but the time involved setting them more than offsets the slight benefit. For a smaller jointer, I prefer the ESTA to an insert head. Dave

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
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    11,248
    David, the Hammer knives have holes in them which lock onto a heavy knife carrier.

    The carrier has jack screws which set the knife height. The blades are changed without any adjustment.

    I believe the carriers on the ESTA system index off the outer circle of the cutterhead and are not adjustable. If so, your cutterhead alignment has to be perfect, not so on the Felder/Hammer system..............Regards, Rod.

    P.S. I love the quick change knives, I use the Cobalt knives, they last a long time between replacement.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Central WI
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    The old Felder quick change system was ESTA and i think the first machines to use it here in US in 90s. There were two types, one indexed off the head and the other slipped inside and was leveled using the jack screws. As you noted, using the head as reference is not ideal. I have an old Porter jointer where the head has a yoke so it can be adjusted to the tables but that is pretty rare and I suspect too expensive to produce any more. I'm with you though, for my usage, the quick change systems are hard to beat. Dave

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    (GTA) Greater Toronto Area
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    201
    The cobalt knives cost me CA$200(incl tax) for two sets for A3-31. Im still using the first of 4 sides after 6 months of low to medium usage, and the initial sharpeness appears to have not changed, but, curious what results I would obtain with sharpened steel blades. Note on the quick change system: The two center jack screws appear to have no purpose as the two outside screws set the height and angle, then two inside screws should only just touch the bottom and not raise the knives. When I changed the knives I found a few of the center screws backed well away from the bottom, the 4 locking srews securely lock the knive holder in place. Maybe the center screws will help resist downward flex but the holder is securely held in place anyway?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Romania, Eastern Europe
    Posts
    83
    I am very pleased with how these thin blades perform out of the box. I might have changed my mind.

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