splitting combi machine

[Kevin Jenness]

What is involved in separating the jointer/planer from the saw/shaper unit on a Felder CF741?

[Jim Becker]

What is involved in separating the jointer/planer from the saw/shaper unit on a Felder CF741?

Probably a whole bunch of Harry Potter style magic. There's a lot of shared stuff in combos because they can and it keeps the cost down.

[Jim OConnor]

Splitting permanently or temporarily? Radically different questions….

[Erik Loza]

The answer is, “It depends”. There is actually a factory option for a quick-disconnect wire harness, specifically so owners can easily split and re-join their machines. Primarily for getting through doorways, etc. Otherwise, it will be a LOT of work to rewire. Like Jim asked, what is the goal? Just transport or do you want two independent units?

Erik

[Kevin Jenness]

Independent units. I found a likely looking combination machine but it would work only if split and located on opposite sides of the shop.

[Jim Becker]

I think that the extensive sharing of components employed in combos...the reason that so many functions can be included in a single machine...would negate being able to physically split them permanently. While it's machine specific, that sharing includes motors, electronics, fences and even weight balance. This is the primary reason I opted for a J/P combo with a separate slider in the old shop setting as, like you, I needed to deal with physical constraints put in place by the actual shop space. I danced around a saw/shaper combo, but opted just for the slider at that point and it was a great "heart of the shop" complimentary setup for doing the major milling and cutting that projects required.

[Bill Dufour]

You will definitely have to buy a new motor and at least one pulley with belt. New switches, new base etc.
Bill D

[Erik Loza]

You will definitely have to buy a new motor and at least one pulley with belt. New switches, new base etc.
Bill D

That’s not accurate. On a Felder CF, each function has its own motor (jointer/planer sharing one motor) and function is determined by a main selector switch. No belts or pulleys connect the halves of this machine. The wiring harness is the only challenge.

OP, I don’t have photos to share but am aware of one Felder owner who split his CF and bridged the gap with a melamine tabletop or something. He seemed satisfied with the result but obviously, lots of cutting/spicing/lengthening of wire harness. Hope this helps clarify.

Erik

[Kevin Jenness]

Thanks for the responses. I simple-mindedly thought the motors could be independently powered. Academic any way since the machine was sold before I contacted the owner.

I hate to give up the convenience of a separate jointer and planer but I can't see any way other than switching to a combi of shoehorning the lathe bed extension into the shop.

[Jim Becker]

I think you will find like many of us have, if we are honest, that a J/P combo really doesn't kill our productivity since switching over takes about a minute or less and we also learn quickly to "work smart" and do our flattening/straightening in a batch up front so we don't need to return to jointer mode very often, outside of a mental error. And with a slider, too, you'll rarely need to edge joint either if you straight line and rip parallel using the wagon with the material clamped. You work a little slower that way, but overall you spend less time fixing what happens when you move material through a cut with just your hands.

There absolutely are some folks who due to the nature of their work have to constantly flip back and forth between jointing and thicknessing, so a combo isn't likely the best choice in that case.

[Carl Beckett]

I have a CU300 MM Combo. I like it - it fits my space.

Switchover of the J/P isnt toooooo long. But the biggest nuisance (for me) is the tablesaw function when the planer is used. The tables flip up and are in the way of tablesaw clearance - and the TS fence needs to come off to use the planer.

Believe it or not I bought a benchtop planer and now leave the J/P in jointer mode - which is just one fence that needs to come off to use the TS. The benchtop planer I can just set beside the bench its on when not in use.

My space doesnt allow separate stand alones or I would have kept the Jet 4 post, was a beast.

[Rod Sheridan]

What is involved in separating the jointer/planer from the saw/shaper unit on a Felder CF741?

I have done two.

The J/P will need a starter, brake module. the DC power supply for table elevation will need to moved to the J/P, a forward/reverse switch for the motor and a start/stop push button assembly.

Both machines will also lose their electrical approval and need to be inspected.

Regards, Rod

[Curt Harms]

I think you will find like many of us have, if we are honest, that a J/P combo really doesn't kill our productivity since switching over takes about a minute or less and we also learn quickly to "work smart" and do our flattening/straightening in a batch up front so we don't need to return to jointer mode very often, outside of a mental error. And with a slider, too, you'll rarely need to edge joint either if you straight line and rip parallel using the wagon with the material clamped. You work a little slower that way, but overall you spend less time fixing what happens when you move material through a cut with just your hands.

There absolutely are some folks who due to the nature of their work have to constantly flip back and forth between jointing and thicknessing, so a combo isn't likely the best choice in that case.

A digital readout helps with the "Oh crap, I should have made one more piece" problem. A DRO makes it easy to return to a prior setting. But yeah, learning to work in batches is certainly helpful.

[Jim Becker]

A digital readout helps with the "Oh crap, I should have made one more piece" problem. A DRO makes it easy to return to a prior setting. But yeah, learning to work in batches is certainly helpful.
True. But I don't have those. :) So I just try to plan carefully to avoid the issue.

[Greg Quenneville]

For general information, the CF series of Felder machines (post 2000 ~) can be split as already mentioned here, but the earlier BF series cannot.

Felder combos make use of the rip fence on the jointer, so another complete fence unit (extrusion plus mounting shoe) would be needed, plus some kind of mounting rail extension on the infeed side of the jointer table.