Justifying A Major Tool Purchase

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Julie, get the mobility kit for the wheels and tow bar, then drill 2 holes in the planer infeed end of the cabinet for the new axle location.

I made a base for mine however that wasn't really required, I could have just drilled the cabinet to change the axle orientation.

I have a 1.5HP Oneida cyclone that works great with the A3-31, it has the smaller (35 gallon??) bin and that's as heavy as I want when it's full of sawdust.

Here's a shot of my A3-31 on the mobile base.

Hammer Photo 001.jpgHammer Photo 006.jpg

[Robert Engel]

Julie,

Don't have time to read the thread if you've bought a machine, disregard.

I own a both a 8" Grizzly jointer and 20" planer been in use for ~10 years not one single issue.

Check the Grizzly combo machine $1500.

[Frank Pratt]

I got the OK to buy the A3 31 but now have some concerns.

> I'd be storing the JP with the width parallel to the wall and the 5' length coming out from the wall. With the mobile kit Hammer makes, the axle of the two wheels is perpendicular to the length. No matter how I imagine it, that configuration would complicate storing the machine. I'd probably need a different mobile base. But would it be stable with the turning wheels across the width?

I wonder if a SawStop ICS mobile base could be adapted to work for that. It has 4 swivel casters & a hydraulic lift. Works very well.

[Jim Becker]

Julie, never, never, ever use a "Tee" in a dust collection system. Just provide a port you can use with the J/P as close to the DC as you can for best results. You "should" be fine for now as long as you don't take "big bites" with the machine.

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie, never, never, ever use a "Tee" in a dust collection system.

Right, it should be a Y. And I can do that. But did you see that T at the top in the picture above?

[Julie Moriarty]

Julie, check out this thread:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....-set-up)/page4

I had the same concern as you. I prefer the "great lakes" style casters. They are pretty strong fairly stable. The trick is to get good washers for the top of the stems. Over time, if the nuts loosen, the casters can sag. This will lead to permanent braking. DAMHIKT...

You will have to drill two holes and find a way to elevate the machine will mounting the casters. Unless you have a forklift

If you find your current dc fine with the DW735, then you shouldn't have a problem with the A3-31. For a while I ran mine connected to a 3/4hp portable single stage unit with poor filtration. It worked fine. In fact, i would argue it works better ((for the jp) than my current set up using a 3hp cyclone. The dust collection was fine, and the portable's bag was WAY more convenient to change.

Thanks, Prashun. Those casters you have look pretty heavy duty. I think the heaviest machine I have on wheels is 300 lbs. From what I read, the A3 31 is 700. I was looking at jointer mobile bases as a possibility.

From reading your linked thread, the issue about the DC not picking up all the chips is something I can relate to from the last place. With the Delta 22-540 and 20' or more of duct to the DC, I often found chips laying about the planer. Using that same planer in the new shop, I didn't see that but the distance was much less and all the joints are taped.

Hi Julie, get the mobility kit for the wheels and tow bar, then drill 2 holes in the planer infeed end of the cabinet for the new axle location.

I made a base for mine however that wasn't really required, I could have just drilled the cabinet to change the axle orientation.

I have a 1.5HP Oneida cyclone that works great with the A3-31, it has the smaller (35 gallon??) bin and that's as heavy as I want when it's full of sawdust.

Thanks Rod. I like your mobile base. It looks pretty sturdy. I made a mobile base for my 300 lb bandsaw out of Unistrut. I had everything laying around so I gave it a shot. The biggest problem was, in trying to prevent the base from being too unwieldy, I didn't give the casters enough room to rotate 360. It was still too unwieldy so I dumped it during the move.

I was thinking of using the Hammer mobile kit and drilling holes where needed. My only concern was would the wheel axle being parallel to the width make the whole thing unstable? I'm guessing it's pretty top heavy.

[Rick Potter]

An inexpensive way to make a HD base is to use a chunk of 1 1/8" flooring underlay plywood, and mount four all metal wheels (rotating) from Home Depot. They are 5 or 6 bucks each, and have held up much heavier loads than you have.

The wheels come in 2 and 3" sizes. I just got some 3" to mount under my 37" Woodmaster sander.

To lock the wheels just make some 'C' shaped blocks to hold the wheels when in use. If you want to get fancy, install long bolts in the ply to reach the floor and screw them down to hold it steady.

I know it sounds cheesy, but it works great.

[Rod Sheridan]

Maybe my physics is flawed, but if I am taking the same thickness from the same width board at the same speed, the amount of shavings from any planer should be the same. The max width board on the Delta was 12-1/4", the Dewalt is 13". Since setting up the DC here, I haven't had any problems with clogging. The max width board on the Hammer A3 31 is 12". Unless I start hogging off big chunks from full width boards, physics says there shouldn't be any problems.

Am I missing something here?

Yes you're missing 2 things

1) the Hammer feed speed is 6 metres/minute, a lot faster than your lunchbox planer.

2) The depth of cut on the Hammer is going to be much deeper ( you're going to typically take a couple of millimetres off per pass). You'll make way more chips in the same time period.........Rod.

P.S> That doesn't necessarily mean you'll have clogging issues as the Hammer uses a 120mm port (5").

[David Kumm]

The other issue is size and shape of the chips. Long stringy shavings will tend to clog easier than the chips created by a spiral head. At least that has been my experience. The design of the internal dust chute, the head itself, and the make up air available also impact the cfm under pressure needed. Two collectors that read the same cfm at the machine port might not pick up the chips the same depending on how the additional restriction of the machine itself affects the change in static pressure and the ability of the impeller and system to deliver cfm at that higher pressure. Dave

[Warren Lake]

out of interest one of the reasons I bought my original machines from one dealer was talking to him he told me about being hired by industry to do different tweaks to factory equipment. One of them was devising a way to break up shavings so there was less clogging. Its too long ago now to remember how he did that. He was hired by big veneer companies and others and once we talked it was clear he wasnt a guy in a nice shirt compared to the other dealers. Bonus as well his prices were lower and saved enough to buy one more machine and delivery at the time was free two more bonuses.

[Jim Becker]

Right, it should be a Y. And I can do that. But did you see that T at the top in the picture above?

Um...yea...I did.

[Charles P. Wright]

Julie,

I think you are in a much better position than I was. I had no cyclone, just the hose going straight to a fan before the bags. Also I have straight knives, your helical head shouldn't create the same long shavings that the Tersa head does.

Good luck.

Charles

[Van Huskey]

Another reason the Hammer may create more chip issues is that the Dewalt has a blower built in to help evacuate chips, as Rod noted we can't say you will have issues but there are multiple reasons pointed out here that indicate you MIGHT.

[Martin Wasner]

Congratulations Julie. You will be much happier with that machine than your current setup.

Have fun jamming the appropriate SO cord into the box on it. Every euro machine I've got made my electrician curse.

[Chris Parks]

I put mine on a particle board base with four casters under that.....about 4 years ago and it still works fine and I can push it in any direction. The absolute must have with the Hammer is the in handle height gauge, deadly accurate, saves a heap of time, repeatable and brings a smile to my face every time I use it because it is mechanical and mechanical stuff does not work as well as digital so we are told.