Strength required to convert a Hammer A3-31 Planer/Jointer???

[Elle Sands]

Hi all,

I am looking at getting a combo Jointer/Planer and have it pretty much narrowed down to the offerings from Mini-Max and the Hammer. The one thing that I am unsure of is the difficulty of raising the one-piece jointer table on the Hammer (the Mini-Max is a two piece). I'm a fairly petite 5-3 and I was wondering if anyone has experience with someone my size doing this conversion. This is a home/hobby shop, so it isn't critical that the changeover is fast, but it needs to be at least possible :)

Thanks in advance,

Elle

[Bernie May]

The Hammer A3-31 is well balanced. I can't imagine anyone having an issue lifting or closing the tables.

[Jim Becker]

There is usually spring assistance so I don't anticipate you having issue in making the changeover. Choose the machine you feel best meets your needs for features, capacity and budget. I'm all MiniMax, but wouldn't be unhappy with Felder/Hammer I suspect.

[Dan Friedrichs]

The Hammer is spring-assisted. You'll have no difficulty, at all.

[Van Huskey]

There is also a major benefit of being shorter when using a jointer/planer, less bending while planning!

[John TenEyck]

Good question and good reason to only consider a new or recent vintage machine, the ones with lift assist. I have a 198X MiniMax FS35. It has no lift assist and the tables are pretty heavy to lift. I can see the day when I'm going to have to engineer some assist to be able to continue using it.

John

[ChrisA Edwards]

I got mine two months ago, as other have said, it's spring assisted in raising and lowering, equivalent to lifting a 2lb bag of sugar, if that

[Rod Sheridan]

Elle, as others have said you'll have no problem converting from one function to another as the tables have springs to help with the operation.

You'll love the A3, I'm on my second one.

Regards, Rod.

[Phil Mueller]

Hello Elle, I know nothing about jointer/planers, but noticed this is your first post. Welcome to SMC!

[Patrick Kane]

Hopefully the table assist is easier than the Felder feeder tilt bracket. I spent the extra for the gas assist strut, and even then is a bit of a chore to lift and lower the comatic. To the point where i dont know if that will be a solo mission in another 30 years.

I havent touched a hammer J/P, but i would say contact felder and see if they can put you in contact with a local owner to go lift their tables.

[Jim Becker]

I havent touched a hammer J/P, but i would say contact felder and see if they can put you in contact with a local owner to go lift their tables.

This is good advise, regardless of the Felder/Hammer or MiniMax decision. Both companies cheerfully provide referrals to local owners to prospective customers...I've had many folks visit to see quality, etc., even when the specific machine they were considering was a different model.

[Julie Moriarty]

Hi all,

I am looking at getting a combo Jointer/Planer and have it pretty much narrowed down to the offerings from Mini-Max and the Hammer. The one thing that I am unsure of is the difficulty of raising the one-piece jointer table on the Hammer (the Mini-Max is a two piece). I'm a fairly petite 5-3 and I was wondering if anyone has experience with someone my size doing this conversion. This is a home/hobby shop, so it isn't critical that the changeover is fast, but it needs to be at least possible :)

Thanks in advance,

Elle

Hi Elle,

I have the Hammer A3-31 and it's no problem raising the jointer table when converting to planing. Raising the planer table up into position takes a minute or so but the handwheel turns easily. About the only thing that requires any strength is positioning the Gear Lever handle when switching between planing and jointing. You have to put a little muscle into it. FWIW, I'm 5'7" and 67 years old.

EDIT: It's also worth mentioning JPs like the A3-31 are very heavy so you if it needs to be moved at all, you'll want a good mobile base. I have the Portamate 3500 and it works perfectly for my needs and makes moving the 700 lb JP a breeze. Another thing to consider is getting the JP off the shipping pallet(s). Some here have had the factory pallet stacked on two other pallets, which makes getting that machine down to the ground a challenge. I requested no additional pallets. Still, the factory pallet was sitting on another larger pallet. It's only a one time operation but it's an important one to consider.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have the Hammer A3-41 and it is no problem at all. Spring-assisted lifting helps.

[Elle Sands]

Wow ... this is so much great information. Thanks so much!

A good mobile base is in the plans, so it sounds like my only issue now is getting one of these into my shop ... which, unfortunately has a perfectly sharp 12" drop between it and the driveway. I'm thinking that there may be some piano movers in my future. :)

Thanks again,

Elle

[Tim Derr]

Hey Elle,

Though the tables are dual lifting, the table as a whole is easy to lift because of the high tension within the springs. These spring are there to assist the user with lifting the tables and helping them stay calibrated.
You will not have any discomfort lifting the jointer tables and you're height won't play a factor in it. My wife is 5'1 and at one of the woodworking shows this past year that Chuck Bender was doing she was easily able to switch from the jointer to the planer and back to the jointer.

Tim

Edit: Went out and measured the weight, you're at 36 pounds total for the two tables around 10-15 inches from rest. In total you're coming up 35 inches.
With the height you're at, you'll be at an advantage and with the springs, you can't even tell you're lifting the poundage mentioned.

[Van Huskey]

Hopefully the table assist is easier than the Felder feeder tilt bracket. I spent the extra for the gas assist strut, and even then is a bit of a chore to lift and lower the comatic. To the point where i dont know if that will be a solo mission in another 30 years.

Get one of the new(er) DC VS feeders Comatic makes (and paints in different colors too) not only will you fall in love with the feeder itself flipping it up and down will be MUCH easier. Most people that get one want to replace every feeder they have with one.

https://www.shopgearinc.com/products/co-matic-power-feeders/dc-variable-speed-feeders/

[Rod Sheridan]

Wow ... this is so much great information. Thanks so much!

A good mobile base is in the plans, so it sounds like my only issue now is getting one of these into my shop ... which, unfortunately has a perfectly sharp 12" drop between it and the driveway. I'm thinking that there may be some piano movers in my future. :)

Thanks again,

Elle

Hi Elle, unless you have a reason to otherwise I really like the semi-live skid design of the Euro machines.

I suggest you buy their mobility kit and tow bar, it makes moving the machine easy, and the machine doesn't move once it's in place..............Regards, Rod.

[ChrisA Edwards]

If you need to move the machine for storage or even for use, i.e. to access your dust collection hose as it's one location for planing and the opposite side for jointing, think about whether it would be easy to do broadside.

I initially opted for the Hammer mobility kit about $210 with the kit and handle. Then I realized that it would be hard to store the machine in my shop as I like to wheel it in end first.

I went with a PortaMate 3500 ($140). I can wheel the machine around, through tight spaces and park it either end in or broadside. The machine is not heavy to move on a smooth floor.

Just a thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhJdhiH71JA

[ChrisA Edwards]

This was my A3-31 arriving and unpacking and putting it on the portamate base.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1psOo6Te98

[James Baker SD]

I have the equivalent machine in 16" from Felder. Don't have a problem converting between jointer and planer modes as tables move easily. Recent health problems have caused me to lose weight (no it is not a blessing) and I have the mobility kit Rod mentions. Unfortunately I no longer weight enough to tilt the machine back on its wheels. I can do "push ups" on the tow bar handle, but the machine doesn't tilt. I am around 100 pounds now, could tilt it with a little effort when I was 115.

[Jamie Buxton]

Get one of the new(er) DC VS feeders Comatic makes (and paints in different colors too) not only will you fall in love with the feeder itself flipping it up and down will be MUCH easier. Most people that get one want to replace every feeder they have with one.

https://www.shopgearinc.com/products/co-matic-power-feeders/dc-variable-speed-feeders/

Hunh? You're putting a power feeder on a combo jointer-planer? What are you doing with it? Face-jointing? Edge-jointing?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hunh? You're putting a power feeder on a combo jointer-planer? What are you doing with it? Face-jointing? Edge-jointing?

I use a feeder on the jointer if I have a lot of material to face joint. I turn my saw/shaper around and use the feeder mounted on it..........Regards, Rod.
397149

[Jamie Buxton]

I use a feeder on the jointer if I have a lot of material to face joint. I turn my saw/shaper around and use the feeder mounted on it..........Regards, Rod.


I'm trying to visualize how that works. Say I'm face jointing a board that has bow. That is, for the first few passes, I'll be removing material at the front and the rear of the face. I don't want to be pressing down on the middle of the board with a feeder, because it will be bending the board.

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm trying to visualize how that works. Say I'm face jointing a board that has bow. That is, for the first few passes, I'll be removing material at the front and the rear of the face. I don't want to be pressing down on the middle of the board with a feeder, because it will be bending the board.

Hi Jamie, excellent question.

I simply set the downfeed pressure light enough that it will provide most, or all of the tractive force. When you have a hundred boards to run across the jointer it saves time and work.

There are jointer feeders built specifically for this function

Regards, Rod

[Elle Sands]

Thanks again for all the great info. My shop is pretty small, so I think that I will end up having to move this unit every time I use it. That 3500 sure looks nice ... I'll be looking into it as a possibility.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all,
Elle

[Curt Harms]

I'm in the same situation, I have to move my my J/P every time I use it. Maybe I'm silly but I didn't care for the idea of pushing and pulling on the jointer tables so I came up with this. It works quite well. I can't spin it in a circle but mine comes straight out and goes straight back in so not an issue for me. If my machine sat flat against a wall the factory mobility kit would be better.

[Brian Glendenning]

I find the tables to be much heavier than I expected on my A3 41, to the extent that I wondered if something wasn't installed correctly. The 36 pounds someone references above sounds about right to me, definitely not the two pound bag of sugar someone else mentions. (I didn't measure it). Not heavy enough to be a problem, just found it a bit surprising.

[Victor Jarrett]

I agree with Brian — the tables on my A3/41 are heavier than I expected. There is a definite spring assist when lowering the tables, but I don’t notice any spring action during lifting. I’m 5’7” and 66 and sometimes worry about lifting the tables as I get older. Might need to head to the gym!

[Jeff Ramsey]

If you're close enough to a Felder office, I'd suggest taking a drive over and try it. I'm 1 1/2 hrs from their Wilmington, DE office and that's what I did when considering an FB510 bandsaw. All their popular tools are on the floor and can be demo'ed. I believe I saw an A3-31. If you're not close enough, they have a list of owners who agree to show the tools they own, and provide feedback. Good luck.

[John Sayen]

I use a feeder on the jointer if I have a lot of material to face joint. I turn my saw/shaper around and use the feeder mounted on it..........Regards, Rod.
397149

Wow Rod how much are you taking off on each pass? That looks set for a really deep cut?

[Mo Ghotbi]

Hi Elle, I have the Hammer A3-31 and it requires very little strength to move the table. It takes a while, as the table moves very little with each rotation, but it is smooth and nearly effortless.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi John, probably 1.5 or 2mm deep cut..........Rod.

[Randy Hermann]

Getting it off of the pallets, etc. is definitely a bit of work and if you don't have a couple of strong friends to come help it will take some time. I was able to do mine by myself without too much straining by using lots of the wood from the packing to build "cribs" and slide the machine onto the cribbed 2x4's, remove the pallet and replace with a slightly lower cribbed 2x4, slide, repeat. Lots of time...

I built my own mobility kit simply because I wanted to keep it as non-Chinese as I could, for less than the Felder kit. In this case everything was made in the USA, I think except for maybe the first item:

$7 Qty 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IL8300/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s02?ie=UTF8&th=1
$12 Qty 1: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IL8300/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s02?ie=UTF8&th=1
$24 Qty 2: https://www.amazon.com/RWM-Casters-UPR-0520-08-Diameter-Polypropylene/dp/B004071T0Y/ref=pd_day0_hl_328_5/145-8611780-0632062?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004071T0Y&pd_rd_r=1770d6c1-1789-11e9-b24d-05ff6573df22&pd_rd_w=CAzGx&pd_rd_wg=QhSU0&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=GQK987WWB7BNFTK2ZJZT&psc=1&refRID=GQK987WWB7BNFTK2ZJZT
These are not the wheels I used and are not made in USA. The USA ones are out of stock.
$5.30 Qty 1 pkg (includes 3! bushings, need 2): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G8XBHNG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06__o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
$90 Qty 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I2JH6XU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Total ~$140

You will need a 1/2" tap to clear the holes at the front of the base of the machine for the Footmaster bolts to fit through or some way to get at them with a 1/2" drill bit from the bottom- maybe doable while still on the pallet? Tapping can be done later if need be. If you want to go that route let me know and I will check which tap you need. Alternatively you could take the castor to a hardware store and match it or ask the manufacturer. I think it was a 1/2" coarse thread: https://www.amazon.com/Century-Drill-Tool-95111-Coarse/dp/B004UUAMFO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1547422761&sr=8-3&keywords=1%2F2+tap+coarse
No need to get the special wrench but it is handy. A mechanic friend may have one you can borrow.

You can save quite a bit by using the knock-off FootMaster casters.
The 8" wheels make the machine very close to level with the footmaster casters and they really help it roll around. I can literally move mine with one finger on a basement concrete floor that is about as smooth/rough as a concrete driveway.

I built a wood storage rack using some cheap casters (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HN0IA42/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and I can barely get it moving/change direction when it is sitting still. There may be 500 pounds on that rack. The nice casters are absolutely worth the money.