Hammer A3-31 Mobile Base

[Rod Sheridan]

I made this mobile base for my Hammer A3-31 Planer/Thicknesser.

The mobility kit supplied by Hammer required the machine to move along the long dimension (about 55 inches wide), and I needed my machine to move along the short dimension (about 24 inches).

I fabricated the base from 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 3/16 hot rolled steel angle, and the wheels are steel with roller bearings.

I also fabricated a handle with two steel wheels to act as a jack/steering handle for the base.

Regards, Rod.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Nice wheels.

I made my mobility too not wanting to pay the extra.
However, I used the J bar approach which requires you to attack the machine from the long side cause the tables would be in the way.

It was a little creepy the first time I lifted it up but they have the weight distributed nicely and it moves nicely.

[Don Abele]

Rod, that's nice. If the HTC 3000 universal base I have mine on ever fails, I plan on welding my own. I'll keep your design in mind. Excellent idea.

Be well,

Doc

[Steve Perez]

wow Rod,

Was that also made in Austria? Looks like it came off the assembly line with the A3 31. Very sharp! So .. how does it maneuver? Im still thinking of what I'll do for mine.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Steve and Don, the unit is easy to move with the lifting handle, and of course using the handle, you aren't tempted to horse on the jointer tables to move the machine. That's why I rejected swivel casters in favour of the lifting handle.

The lifting handle is the one I made for the base of my 17" bandsaw.

I don't normally move it, however my shop is in the basement of a townhouse, so space is at a premium. I only move it to access stuff stored under the basement stairs.

The wheels were aproximately $15 each, and I spent $40 on steel and paint.

The design isn't as refined as the Hammer design, however it moves in the correct plane, which the Hammer didn't for my application.

Don, thanks for the comments.

Regards, Rod.

[Steve Perez]

Rod,

When you have a moment, can you take a snap shot of the base with the lifting bar attached? Or if you already have pictures in another post can you provide a link to it here? I searched but didn't find any. Thanks.

[Jim Becker]

Nice work, Rod. Very nice!

[Rod Sheridan]

Nice work, Rod. Very nice!

Thanks Jim, although I should have spent more time on paint matching so it looked like a factory base......Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod,

When you have a moment, can you take a snap shot of the base with the lifting bar attached? Or if you already have pictures in another post can you provide a link to it here? I searched but didn't find any. Thanks.


Hi Steve, I will take some photo's however that will be next week as I'm in Salluit Nunavik. (There's a place to Google!)

Regards, Rod.

[Don Abele]

...I'm in Salluit Nunavik. (There's a place to Google!)...

I did :eek:

WOW that place is UP THERE!!!

Whatcha doin' up there? No roads leading into it, only the airport. Sounds like an interesting place.

Be well,

Doc
(someone who loves strange and interesting places)

[Rod Sheridan]

I did :eek:

WOW that place is UP THERE!!!

Whatcha doin' up there? No roads leading into it, only the airport. Sounds like an interesting place.

Be well,

Doc
(someone who loves strange and interesting places)

Hi Don, our earth station had a small electrical fire in the DC powerplant. It needed repairing so............

[Steve Perez]

Hi Steve, I will take some photo's however that will be next week as I'm in Salluit Nunavik. (There's a place to Google!)

Regards, Rod.

Here you go Rod, I bumped the thread to make it easier for you to find :-)

You didnt think Id forget did you? By the way, what kind of welding rig you got hiding back there? Mig or tig?

[Rod Sheridan]

Here you go Rod, I bumped the thread to make it easier for you to find :-)

You didnt think Id forget did you? By the way, what kind of welding rig you got hiding back there? Mig or tig?

Thanks for the reminder Steve. The base was welded with SMAW (stick, DC, electrode negative), although there isn't a welder hiding in the background. The box on the planer with the electrical bolt, and the grey cord, is the box that holds the starter, capacitors, control transformer, starting winding contactor and disconnect switch. The grey cord is the machine power cord.

In Canada, to obtain electrical approval, the above components had to be removed from inside the machine, and placed in an enclosure. What do the US machines do?

In addition the starting sequence is different from North American machines. In North America, single phase motors normally have a centrifugal starting switch to energize the starting winding, and then de-energize it when the motor has accellerated. The Hammer motor doesn't have a centrifugal switch, it has a starting winding contactor that is closed when you push the START button. You have to hold the button until the planer is up to speed, then release it. (That's why I put the red lamacoid on my machine, so I don't forget and trip the breaker (again).

I've included two more photographs showing the jack handle I made years ago for my bandsaw. The wheels are steel with roller bearings, the handle grips are for a bicycle.

The A3-31 is fairly heavy (about 300 Kg), and the steel wheels are almost frictionless on smooth concrete. I have to remember that when I move it, as you have to remove all that stored energy to stop it in the correct place.

Regards, Rod.

[Steve Perez]

Wow Rod,

I really cant say this enough, you really did an outstanding job! You took a concept and improved on it by permitting mobility along on its longer axis. I may have to copy your copy!

Nice welds too! Stick eh?


The base was welded with SMAW (stick, DC, electrode negative), although there isn't a welder hiding in the background.


Ohh and sorry for the confusion ... I actually meant somewhere out there hiding in your shop as I'm shopping around for a welder to make a few mobile bases and shop aides but thats a different topic for a different forum.

On your questions, unless someone else provides feedback I'll know more in a couple of weeks.

Thanks again!

Steve

[Rod Sheridan]

Ohh and sorry for the confusion ... I actually meant somewhere out there hiding in your shop as I'm shopping around for a welder to make a few mobile bases and shop aides but thats a different topic for a different forum.


Steve

Hi Steve, I have an AC/DC stick welder that has the following ratings;

AC Low 30 to 150A, 150A 45% Duty Cycle

AC High 40 to 225A, 225A 20% Duty Cycle

DC 30 to 150A, 150A at 20% Duty Cycle

It is a continuously variable design (moving magnetic shunt) as opposed to the tap changer switch type.

In my opinion it is well worth purchasing an AC/DC machine as opposed to the less expensive AC only machines.

I have used both MIG and SMAW in industry, however for the occasional user, I much prefer SMAW machines.

Electrodes are available for different materials, as well as different diameters at reasonable cost. Mine are stored on top of the water heater to keep them dry.

Regards, Rod.

[Steve Perez]

Rod,

The Stickmate 235 AC/DC (which i think is what you are running) as well as the HH 187 mig are ones I was considering. Same price bracket. How does your setup perform with this type of work? Happy?

Everyone,
Please pardon me if anyone thinks I am changing the subject matter of this thread. I am not as I am asking on a tool used to make this mobile base.

My frame of thought is, I need a few mobile bases if decent ones cost $100 then the cost of four would equate to a decent welder. The cost of the Hammer mobility kit alone would be about $225. I think its a viable option.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Steve, I've owned my present welder for 15 years, and am very happy with the performance of it.

It is similar to the Stickmate you mentioned, you should be happy with it unless you want to weld auto body material, and then should purchase a MIG unit.

Regards, Rod.

[Lewis Cobb]

Hi Rod - just came across your thread here and wanted to pass along my thumbs up from New Brunswick.

I'm in the same boat as Steve, and have about 8 projects that are stacked up and waiting for me to learn how to weld :) I've got a small inverter unit from Miller - Maxstar 150 - it's DC only but uses either 120 or 240V. I have only tried it once or twice to run a few beads and after about an hour of swearing I did manage to get something that looked half decent. A buddy of mine GAVE me this welder as he went out west to work for a few years and so I have the free use of it for a while. I'm planning to search out a course in the fall before I start to do some serious building.

Cheers,
Lewis

[Etienne Ringuet]

Let's revive this old thread!

Rod, where would one find wheels like yours?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Etienne, you can buy these from any industrial supplier..........Rod.

[ian maybury]

Nice job Rod. I haven't had a welder for a few years, and miss it big time.

It came as a surprise to find when setting up my A3 410 on aftermarket levelling feet that the cabinet flexes quite a lot with minor adjustments to foot heights - as seen when measuring relative height changes between the tables using a Oneway and dial guage resting on one and bridging over the cutter to register on the other. No problem by making small adjustments at one corner/foot to induce enough twist to get relative movements at the diagonally opposite table corner large enough (several thou and lots more) to make a mockery of all that time spent setting the outfeed table height accurately relative to the cutter knives.

Which suggests that minor differences in floor flatness may cause issues if a machine on wheels is moved.

My fix was to locate it exactly where required (my shop is very small too), and to mark around the feet with a felt pen so that if moved it always returns to exactly the same spot.

Here's a low tech take on a wheel kit using parts from the local hardware - this time on an F3 shaper. (the socket is a cast iron bracket for a light gate hinge, the pin a trailer tailgate hinge) I'd rather not move it, but needs must. The cabinet is much stiffer than the A3 410 (structurally stiffer layout), but the plan once a clear location is established is to mark the floor for it too:

298502

PS sorry - missed that it was an old thread….

[David Nelson1]

Nice job Rod. I haven't had a welder for a few years, and miss it big time.

It came as a surprise to find when setting up my A3 410 on aftermarket levelling feet that the cabinet flexes quite a lot with minor adjustments to foot heights - as seen when measuring relative height changes between the tables using a Oneway and dial guage resting on one and bridging over the cutter to register on the other. No problem by making small adjustments at one corner/foot to induce enough twist to get relative movements at the diagonally opposite table corner large enough (several thou and lots more) to make a mockery of all that time spent setting the outfeed table height accurately relative to the cutter knives.

Which suggests that minor differences in floor flatness may cause issues if a machine on wheels is moved.

My fix was to locate it exactly where required (my shop is very small too), and to mark around the feet with a felt pen so that if moved it always returns to exactly the same spot.

Here's a low tech take on a wheel kit using parts from the local hardware - this time on an F3 shaper. (the socket is a cast iron bracket for a light gate hinge, the pin a trailer tailgate hinge) I'd rather not move it, but needs must. The cabinet is much stiffer than the A3 410 (structurally stiffer layout), but the plan once a clear location is established is to mark the floor for it too:

298502

PS sorry - missed that it was an old thread….

Dag dabit Ian, I just got done putzing around with my A3 31. New set of blades and kinda half way double checked the in and out feeds. The real test was running some scrap through it. all seems good in that spot. I have casters on mine as well so I guess I need to devote a bit more time to make sure everything is correct in different places. Maybe I won't have that problem.

BTW Rod nice base. I had to pile on as well :rolleyes:

[ian maybury]

The A3 31 may be a bit stiffer than the 410 David - but either way it may not matter so much. Depends on what you need of it.

Bear in mind too that I was measuring the height variation between the tables as a result of varying the height of diagonally opposite corners/twisting the cabinet. i.e. worst case. Depending on what's going on it might not much affect the height of the outfeed table above the cutter - and for sure the cabinet is very stiff end to end. There will be minimal movement unless it's twisted. i.e. it's essentially a very short length of a very deep H section beam - incredibly stiff in bending, but quite flexible in torsion/when twisted.

It's still probably worth marking a preferred location on a flat section of floor where the machine is to normally be set up and run. What's clear is that an out of flat floor has at times the potential to significantly move stuff about.

My 410 had a roughly 0.005in dip in the middle of the infeed table just in front of the cutter as well (which lots would tell you is no problem/within spec) that meant it jointed significantly differently depending on where the work was placed on the table - so there are potentially other factors about in the case of individual machines that might mask/swamp levelling effects too. I posted the saga of trying to get it jointing reliably straight or as posted here ages ago - and eventually ended up going away to bite the bullet and hand scrape the tables accurately flat. That got it jointing straight and responding precisely and predictably to adjustments - but it's not recommended (high risk of terminally messing up) unless you are very confident of your skills and prepared to put a lot of time in....

The great news for me is that the drop in knife system (while it may or may not be dead accurate if used that way) has proved to deliver amazingly precise adjustment of the knife heights...


ian

[David Nelson1]

Glad you where able to resolve the issues. Myself I will move it around to see if I have the same issues, but I think you might be right that the smaller machine may not have this trouble.

[Randy Hermann]

Back from the dead, this thread!

My A3-31 is shipping soon and I did not order the mobility kit, thinking I can do as well for a lot less money. Can someone provide measurements for the axle diameter for the wheel kit or the hole diameter? Those wheels look like they are about 4" by 1"?

Thanks!

[Dan Friedrichs]

Randy, the axle is 15mm diameter.

[Randy Hermann]

Reviving an old thread to add some info for anyone making their own mobility kit. I can't find the nice looking socket used by Mr. Maybury but have found an alternative at the blue box store. There are several versions of the sliding bolt hardware that may work or there is the "Gatehouse Nickel Gate Hardware" which is what I may end up using. I think something with 4 bolt holes on the receiver is important...

I also got lucky on finding wheels. There aren't a lot of easily available U.S. made casters/wheels but RVM has some (not all- maybe just some of the grey wheels) as well as Sheridan(?). My lucky find was on Amazon- they had several different wheels/casters at ridiculously low prices because it was the last item in stock, literally indicated 1 in stock, so I was able to get them for <$20 per wheel/caster rather than the regular >>$60/each. I actually bought a wheel and then bought a caster with the same size wheel to have a matched set, even though I didn't need the caster assembly it was still far cheaper. Yeah, I know, who buys a machine of this price and then goes cheap on wheels? Me, because the pricing on "accessories" is often ridiculous and I love to make things.

[ChrisA Edwards]

PortaMate 3500 ($130) from Amazon.com


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

[Randy Hermann]

Those are definitely an affordable option but I am doing my best to avoid buying Chinese made stuff these days. My solution is still less expensive and is all made in the USA. :-)