Wheels for a Hammer A3-31

[John Gehrke]

Hi, First let me start by saying thank you to all the posters I have read over the past month. You have lead me to order a Hammer A3-31 Jointer/Planer. By reading the great discussions I have settled on this machine. One of the other things I learned was not to order the wheels with the unit as they run the "wrong" way. However, I do want to make this unit mobile as I have very limited space in a garage that I have to park a car in when not working in the shop (garage). So now the question. Is there anyone who owns this unit who can suggest a good universal mobile base that would work well? Thanks in advance, John

[Lee Weed]

Hi John,

I just took delivery of my Hammer A3-31 with the mobility kit. I have no issues with the wheels, what are your concerns with the wheels?

I would order the appropriate dust collection adapter (http://www.felder-tooling.us/8head-019920/8head-absauga-00120/8020028-head20.html) from Felder

Lee

[Ted Calver]

John,
I put Great Lakes casters on my Hammer and they work just fine. If you search for Great Lakes casters here you will find lots of threads on using them on the Hammer.

[Jeff Monson]

I used to own a A3-31, I used the factory mobility kit, it worked ok but was cumbersome to move. I made my own out of some angle iron, and reused the factory wheels. I liked this option much better. The factory wheels are very nice. I have a Felder J/P now on Great Lakes casters, while they work nice, I don't like how much they raise the height of the machine. I will make my own base for this at sometime in the near future also. I also prefer to use a lifting bar, once the machine is in place its set, much more convenient that stooping over and cranking down the pads.

[Mark Carlson]

Dito on using Great Lake casters. Easy mobility plus the ability to level the machine. I dont like mobile bases because they can get in the way. I've converted most of my machines to leveling casters.

~mark

[David Wong]

I use the Rockler all-terrain mobile base on my A3-31. The 5 inch wheels on the base make it easy to move around over the wide expansion joints on my garage floor. The base adds less than an inch of height to the jointer tables. I have had my A3-31 on the base for 3 years, and I have not detected any discernible flat spot on the wheels.

[Brian Tax]

+1 for the Great Lakes leveling casters, requires drilling some holes in be bottom, and works best for stuff does not have to move that often.

[John Gehrke]

Ted, I found your pictures of your set up with the Great Lakes casters. Thanks for posting those. In looking at the Great Lakes website I saw a number of different casters available. It looks as if you used leveling casters. Do you remember which ones? Here is the website page if you need to refresh your memory http://www.greatlakescaster.com/products.php?cat=262 Having never used this type of caster before I am confused by the difference between "top plate leveling caster" and "threaded stem leveling caster". Thank you

[John Gehrke]

David, thanks for giving me this as an option. It looks as if I either need to go with a higher table and use casters or go with a lower table using the Rockler base but have the Rockler base stick out a bit all the way around the base of the machine. I have a bit of time until delivery so I got some thinking to do.

[David Wong]

Here is a picture of the Rockler base on the A3-31 (when I was installing it). I have the pivoting wheels on the thickness planer outfeed side. They usually are not in the way because I have a 300mm table extension permanently attached to the planer outfeed.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZsFR2iwW1FQ/UVt8kZMYmNI/AAAAAAAAAV4/ChzBcXZj-J0/w755-h616-no/DSCF2940.jpg

[David Hawxhurst]

you would use LV-1710-NYP-S-M12 they are a stem type mounting caster. top plate is the type that has a mount plate and would use 4 bolts/screws to mount it. stem type have a stem the mounts in the the middles and is a single point. typically the come with a thread piece that you screw into the caster then mounts and secure with a nut. the leveling casters you're considering will allow you to spin the machine 360 assuming you have the space for the tables as you spin it. they also allow you to level the machine in the event you floor is not level. ask me how i know. while my garage appears level it is not.

i have zambus casters under my a3-31 which seem to be the same design as the great lakes ones. great lakes ones are cheaper. oh well there is always next time. the added height on the machine doesn't seem to bother me so i'm going to leave it alone. if i where to do it again i would probably use the leveling caster and make a cart/frame similar to david wong's.

[Jim Neeley]

Do the factory casters permit "front-to-back" or "side-to-side" mobility?

I've eyeds the A3-41's but once it's in place would be looking to pull it out from the wall, not move it left-to-right.

Jim

[Ted Calver]

John,
I'll double check tomorrow, but IIRC I used the threaded stem casters. There are existing holes in the corner of the A3-31 base and I think the casters I ordered fit into those holes but I don't want to give you bad info, so you better let me check.

[John Gehrke]

Hi Jim, From what I have been able to gather from reading other posts the factory mobility kit allows "front to back" and not "side to side". Here is an example of a quote from Jeff Monson "The mobile base is nice, but it moves the machine on the long axis. I used it this way for awhile, but opted to make my own as it took a lot of maneuvering to get it around my shop. Now I can move it any direction I want." In a very small shop like mine and sometimes needing to roll it through a door way I am looking for all the mobility I can get. But browse around the site here and see what the actual owners have to say. There are some very helpful posts. John

[John Gehrke]

Hi Lee, I swear I answered you yesterday but the reply isn't here today so I apologize if this somehow gets double posted. I was lead to believe by reading other posts on the factory mobility kit that I would be able to roll the machine "front to back" and not "side to side". I need a lot of mobility in my small work area which would include having to roll it through a door way. Since you have the machine with the mobility base please let me know if my information is correct. Also, thank you for reminding me about the Dust Collection issue. I had read that somewhere once upon a time but had totally forgotten about it when I ordered the machine. I better get back on the phone with the rep and add that. Thanks, John

[Ted Calver]

John,
It's hard to tell from looking at the casters on my machine, since they are not clearly marked, but I think they are the GD-60s M12 threaded stem. Hope this helps. It's been such a while since I installed them, I can't remember if I had to drill out the existing holes or if the M12 screwed right in. I did need a nut and there was barely enough stem to attach the nut completely.

[johnny means]

I've got a Felder AD-751 with the factory mobility kit. I think it's about the most useless thing ever, right between the auto hammer and those robot vacuums. It's really only useful if your only movement is away from the wall then back towards the wall. need to move down the shop a little start crab walking. and whose bright idea was it to have it move with the wide view forward.

[Derek Stockley]

I have my A3-26 on a shop fox heavy duty mobile base. Grizzly D2057A. This has worked well, but it's a little tougher to push than I figured it would be. I have it mounted so I can pull it straight out from the wall for use and push it straight back when I'm done. I do not like the european style lifting bar mobile bases - I got such a setup free with my band saw and it made me really, really glad I didn't get it for the A3-26.

I don't like fussing with the lifting bar and it makes moving around in tight quarters difficult because you need to tilt the lifting bar down so it sticks out a good 3 feet in front of the machine being moved, and turning a corner obviously requires you to be able to swing around the bar first. I'm actually planning to get rid of the lifting bar mobile base on my band saw and replace it with another D2057A because it bugs me that much.

The price difference between the european style lifting bar kits and the shop fox universal base just adds insult to injury - the kit with my band saw is literally a steel round bar with a hole drilled in each end for a pin and plastic wheels, and a couple of bolts and washers, with an angle bracket for the front of the machine. The lifting bar alone, not including the wheels, is considerably more expensive than the universal mobile base.

[Rod Sheridan]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?88687-Hammer-A3-31-Mobile-Base&highlight=hammer+a3-31+mobile+base

Hi John. please have a look at the base I made for mine.

You don't need a base, just drill two 1/2 inch holes for the axles in the cabinet and put the wheels on. Bolt a small piece of angle on the other end for the tow bar.
264603 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?88687-Hammer-A3-31-Mobile-Base&highlight=hammer+a3-31+mobile+base)

I've included a photo of my B3 for illustration..........Rod.

[Jim Neeley]

FWIW, I watched a video on the Hammer / Felder site showing the installation of the wheel kit and it gave me some ideas I thought I'd share.

The video shows the use of a pallet jack for de-palletizing the unit and installing the wheels. They built a shallow plywood-topped ramp to pallet height, wide enough to reach one leg of the jack under the body of the hammer and lifted there (in the void between the legs). Walking it sideways a few inches made the side overhang the pallet, giving easy install room. Then walk it back, switch jack lifting legs and repeat for the other side.

My "everyday" need for a wheel kit will be front-to-back, to push it back some when not in use but at least initially I'll need to move it lengthwise. The pallet jack would work great for the lengthwise move. As long as it's relatively stationary (lengthwise) in normal use, I could borrow or rent the jack for the rare lengthwise move.

Another approach..

Just my $0.02, YMMV.

Jim in Alaska

[John Gehrke]

Ted, Thanks for checking. In looking at Great Lakes website the GD-60 M12 seem to be the best option (other than maybe the same caster with 1/2" threaded stem). I appreciate the effort. I was comparing this option to the Rockler universal mobile base. When I went to the Rockler site to look at the base in more detail they are backordered into August and I am taking delivery of the Hammer in July so casters it is... and thanks to your info I knew which ones to order.

[John Gehrke]

I wanted to thank everyone who offered their opinions on all the ways I could go. Some of you had some very nice ideas on custom making a mobile base but because of the fact that the Hammer will be delivered the same week as I get all my tools and equipment back. (I had the floor and foundation of my garage/workshop repoured and all my stuff needed to go into a container offsite for a month.) I wanted something on the quick and simple side for now. So it was between the Great Lakes Casters and Rockler base. I went to both websites to check into both options further and found the Rockler backordered at least until mid August and since the Hammer is arriving in mid July I have gone with the casters since I will need the unit rolling as soon as possible. With all the information I got from all of you I have placed an order for the casters with confidence. Thanks all, John

[Wakahisa Shinta]

This is a useful thread that helped me to find solution to level and mobilize the Hammer A3 31. I went with the Foot Master GDR-60S caster, which has the ratcheting mechanism. These casters allow mobility and leveling capability to combat a slanted garage floor.

The A3 31 has two 12mm holes pre-drilled at the bottom of the chassis's front. They were drilled out to 1/2" to accommodate the 1/2" stem of the caster. Two additional 1/2" holes need to be drilled at the back of the chassis's bottom. I drilled the holes while the machine was still on its pallet.

I can move the A3 31 with one hand and level it at each corner. $200 well spent IMO.

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[Jim Andrew]

When I bought my K3 Winner last winter, I ordered the mobility kit, and used it to move the saw off the pallet. Just made a ramp, and rolled it right off and into place. I like the wheels and the tow bar to move the saw around. Although you could make your own like Rod did. The holes for the axle were already there, and for the bracket on the other end.

[Prashun Patel]

resurrecting this thread. Just got my Hammer A3-31 and bought a set of the GD-60 Footmasters for it.

I was SO tempted to get the Woodriver casters which are half price and (nominally) greater capacity. However, they don't come with the 1/2" stem. I use similar casters on my Bandsaw and like others, I'm a huge fan. Glad to know they'll work with the Hammer.

[Wakahisa Shinta]

Update. After almost 2 yrs, the Foot Master casters have been working well without any problem. They roll right over control joints in the concrete. I can move the A3-31 with one hand. The ability to level the machine is excellent for a slightly slanted garage floor. One thing that I found out when I moved the shop recently was that a forklift can lift the machine using the long dimension of the cabinet with the casters installed. This was not planned! :)

[Ben Rivel]

Update. After almost 2 yrs, the Foot Master casters have been working well without any problem. They roll right over control joints in the concrete. I can move the A3-31 with one hand. The ability to level the machine is excellent for a slightly slanted garage floor. One thing that I found out when I moved the shop recently was that a forklift can lift the machine using the long dimension of the cabinet with the casters installed. This was not planned! :)
Nice! Thats all good to know.

[Chris Parks]

I have always wondered where the lift in this video can be bought..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Pe_fLMY0s

[Mike King]

some simple searching finds that it was designed and fabricated by the guy in the video. https://plus.google.com/110498613717023443219

Mike

[Chris Parks]

some simple searching finds that it was designed and fabricated by the guy in the video. https://plus.google.com/110498613717023443219

Mike

Thanks Mike. my simple searching is not as good as yours. What is the point of making a video and not explaining that simple fact and possibly showing it more fully with some construction detail.

[John Gornall]

My A3 31 is on a Shop Fox heavy duty with cast iron wheels. Raises machine less than an inch. Base can be configured with swivel casters on front or either end. Fixed casters can be placed at either axis - bolt holes at 90 degrees. Set it up to function on long axis to move down the driveway and thru the shop. Then switched it to short axis to move in and out from wall. Just moved to larger shop and reversed direction for move. Don't really need mobility any more but leaving it on the base. Base works very well. Rated at 1300 pounds I think.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

My A3 31 was originally on the mobile base but it was too difficult to position it where I wanted it to go. So I put it on the Shop Fox heavy duty base with metal wheels and ordered another pair of the swivel casters from Amazon so I have swivel casters on all 4 corners. This way there was no drilling on the Hammer to fit post casters which would have been difficult. It did require drilling on the Shop Fox base to mount the extra swivel casters out farther so they'd swivel 360 degrees. But now I can move the Hammer in any direction. While the base has posts to screw down to immobilize the machine it has enough mass that I haven't found the need to use them.

Cliff

[Chris Parks]

I put mine on a base board made from flooring and that sits on four no name casters. It takes a bit to initially start it rolling but it works and also raises the working height a bit.

[Joshua Bass]

This is a useful thread that helped me to find solution to level and mobilize the Hammer A3 31. I went with the Foot Master GDR-60S caster, which has the ratcheting mechanism. These casters allow mobility and leveling capability to combat a slanted garage floor.

The A3 31 has two 12mm holes pre-drilled at the bottom of the chassis's front. They were drilled out to 1/2" to accommodate the 1/2" stem of the caster. Two additional 1/2" holes need to be drilled at the back of the chassis's bottom. I drilled the holes while the machine was still on its pallet.

I can move the A3 31 with one hand and level it at each corner. $200 well spent IMO.

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Here is my experience. I found this thread when I ordered my A3-41 and decided on the Foot Master casters. After installing them I found the 2 on the front side actually bent the bottom flange of the Hammer (maybe because the -41 is heavier than the -31). This makes it impossible to move around the shop in a straight line as the front 2 casters are tilted and force the entire thing to steer in one direction. I am going to take them off and try something else.

[Rod Sheridan]

Joshua, go with the tow bar/semi-live skid design.

It works great, that's why Felder use it..........I've done that with all my machines.........Rod.

[Derek Cohen]

I obtained the mobility kit along with the A3-31 when I purchased the combination 5 years ago. It was a little clumsy to move, but no big deal as it only needs to go back-and-forth a few feet when necessary. Most of the time it lives in one spot.

A few months ago I purchased the K3. This also came with a mobility kit, which is an updated design. The front hook section is now longer, and this makes the turning circle wider and easier to navigate.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Richard Cooledge]

This is a useful thread that helped me to find solution to level and mobilize the Hammer A3 31. I went with the Foot Master GDR-60S caster, which has the ratcheting mechanism. These casters allow mobility and leveling capability to combat a slanted garage floor.

The A3 31 has two 12mm holes pre-drilled at the bottom of the chassis's front. They were drilled out to 1/2" to accommodate the 1/2" stem of the caster. Two additional 1/2" holes need to be drilled at the back of the chassis's bottom. I drilled the holes while the machine was still on its pallet.

I can move the A3 31 with one hand and level it at each corner. $200 well spent IMO.

301754 301755 301756 301757 301758

How were you able to drill the holes while the machine was on the pallet. Did you accomplish alone? Thanks in advance for sharing the "secret.":)

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, when I do it I use the right angle chuck on my drill and a step bit.

Put the machine on 1/2" rollers, roll it so the end of the machine is off the pallet and drill the holes..........Rod.