Justifying A Major Tool Purchase

[Warren Lake]

you are talking about

-design aspects the fence falling off or changing whatever you said so manufacturing aspects
-tolerances things being true or not true and how much the tables, you have measured some, not in a way that I would measure stuff and my machines are not adjustable that way if I had scanned read correctly
-things out of whack maybe from shipping or likely, then having proper info to be able to set it up to some specs a range of what is correct.

The less info they give you the easier life is for them. From the machines I have older the machines were likely to have more info but then not always about set up, some next to nothing. Until we have a machine in front of us and can run it and do some measures this is just guessing.

I dont see how a manufacturer would set a machine up to give hollow edge, rear table height is one setting for face jointing and one setting for edge jointing and those change a small amount as knives wear.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, if I remember correctly I set mine up for about 2 thou in 3 feet.

If I remember correctly the spec was 0.00 to 0.005 inch concavity in a 5 foot length..............Rod.

[Julie Moriarty]

I dont see how a manufacturer would set a machine up to give hollow edge

Come on over and I'll show you.

[Julie Moriarty]

Hi, if I remember correctly I set mine up for about 2 thou in 3 feet.

If I remember correctly the spec was 0.00 to 0.005 inch concavity in a 5 foot length..............Rod.

The gap is .76mm over 40". I looked through the manual that came with it but saw nothing about making that adjustment.

[Warren Lake]

okay you heard that wrong or i typed wrong I didnt say yours is not cutting a hollow, someone here said a manufacturer sets them up to cut hollow and I dont see that why they would. If Felder told me we set are machines up to cut hollow id say why? Most dont even do or know or many do dont care, like anyone using a straight line rip saw or a slider. Yes you could get out a hand plane. Julie if it wasnt towards 3,000 miles whatever id show up with the my straightedge. Drove to LA once and that was my best trip ever, points from there and the way home as well.

[Chris Parks]

Respectfully, I disagree that it's reasonable to expect machinery to arrive "ready to go", if your definition of "ready to go" implies perfect alignment. Ultimately, if that's the expectation that people get, then the manufacturer should more clearly articulate their position. But to my set of norms, expecting any machine to immediately work perfectly is about as absurd as buying a bookshelf at IKEA and being confused that it's not assembled for you.



Derek, if you were anywhere other than Perth, I'd laugh and ask if you understood how big the US is

As an American, what you describe is such an odd concept, as well - although I'm envious.

I'm really curious about how things work, there (especially given your remote location). Is the local agent an employee of Felder, or a dealer of multiple lines? In a place as remote as you are, do you have any understanding of how that agent is able to keep a technician sufficiently trained and busy? Or how the economics of it work? How many pieces of equipment could be sold in a given day in a geography within driving distance of Perth (which would encompass, what, 2M people?).

Is the cost of machinery very different than the (relative) cost we pay in the US? As some basis of comparison, an A3-31 costs ~$5k USD, delivered, which is about 1/10th the median US household income. The cost of flying a technician to a customer's location (in the US), putting the technician up in a hotel for a night, paying his meals, wages , etc, would mean that it would probably cost over $1k to have the type of service you describe. That's almost certainly more than Felder's profit margin on the machine. I don't think it's any surprise that they don't do this. Besides, this is squarely "consumer" (or "pro-sumer") level equipment, and no other vendors do anything even remotely similar...

Dan, if the machine is being delivered to a remote area the delivery and set up will cost the customer but in Australia I would say most machines are delivered in a metro area or close to one. Personally I collected all my machines from Felder and had no issues with machine set up in that I cut wood and the results were excellent so I looked no further. I know my slider has issues with table heights but I can't be bothered fixing it because the results off the saw are excellent. I have never checked the A3, I joint boards for gluing and the joined edges disappear into the board in most cases so that works for me.

[Mike King]

Julie, the technician manuals are on the Felder Owners Group site. Join and you can access them.

Mike

[Warren Lake]

Julie ive always done it with two boards then looked. Thats lots though, lower your outfeed on an edge till it snipes, then bring it back up till it stops. Do two boards see how they are. If they are crowned in the middle come up a bit a bit more, this is all very fine amounts I have magic marker lines on my handle so I can see how much I rotate usually two points and they change as stuff wears you will not have that happen much with carbide cutters.

[Rod Sheridan]

The gap is .76mm over 40". I looked through the manual that came with it but saw nothing about making that adjustment.

yes, that's too large, the outfeed table will have to be raised.......Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

okay you heard that wrong or i typed wrong I didnt say yours is not cutting a hollow, someone here said a manufacturer sets them up to cut hollow and I dont see that why they would. If Felder told me we set are machines up to cut hollow id say why? Most dont even do or know or many do dont care, like anyone using a straight line rip saw or a slider. Yes you could get out a hand plane. Julie if it wasnt towards 3,000 miles whatever id show up with the my straightedge. Drove to LA once and that was my best trip ever, points from there and the way home as well.

Hi Warren, Felder specify the output as flat, to a slight concavity.

The machines are normally set to produce a couple of thou concavity for a spring joint when edge glueing.

Obviously the customer can set them to whatever they prefer..............Regards, Rod.

[Warren Lake]

makes no sense to be set for a hollow, its not wanted or needed on a rail or style or on face material you are machining. I realize its a small amount, do they think everyone is gluing up table tops? Most people dont pay attention to it or know. A few thou over what distance? even technique would change that. Raise her table you mean lower it, its too high now unless the machine has other issues. Still say lower the table till snipe bring it back up, if go past the two boards will show you that.

[Julie Moriarty]

yes, that's too large, the outfeed table will have to be raised.......Rod.

I know. But how? I don't want to just start fiddling with it. I want to know the proper steps.

"Hey Julie! All your JP needs is adjusting and it will work like a charm."

This is what's so frustrating. It's like Felder has this impenetrable fortress in which they keep the secrets to making their machines work as intended. Just send us the $&#^%@! manual!

[brent stanley]

I know. But how? I don't want to just start fiddling with it. I want to know the proper steps.

"Hey Julie! All your JP needs is adjusting and it will work like a charm."

This is what's so frustrating. It's like Felder has this impenetrable fortress in which they keep the secrets to making their machines work as intended. Just send us the $&#^%@! manual!

It seems to me that making and providing a good, comprehensive, clear manual is the cheapest and easiest part of being an equipment supplier/manufacturer. I've made the mistake of buying a couple of Chinese machines in the past and they actually came with decent manuals that covered all the bases.

[Ben Rivel]

Julie, the technician manuals are on the Felder Owners Group site. Join and you can access them.

Mike

I am a member there. Where are the technician manuals exactly? It's so hard to find anything with that archaic platform they refuse to abandon. Are the files mixed in with the bunch of other disorganized attachments/files? Or are they in a thread somewhere?

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie, the technician manuals are on the Felder Owners Group site. Join and you can access them.

Mike

I went there and, like everything Felder, you need to know the secret handshake and special code to get what the company should have provided in the first place. I not saying this is you, Mike. This is all on Felder. At the very least they should have a download page where owners can get whatever documentation they need. Or maybe there should be a service guy who comes to your door after the machine arrives to get it up to company specs.