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Thread: Are the Hammer/Felder JP Table Extensions Worth The Money?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    Punta Gorda, FL
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    Are the Hammer/Felder JP Table Extensions Worth The Money?

    Since purchasing the Hammer A3-31 I've been to the Felder e-shop website many times and loaded up the cart with the necessary parts needed to allow for infeed and outfeed table extensions that can be interchanged between the jointer and planer as needed. One long extension and one short extension, plus (3) mounting rails.

    Then I would see the total price and walk away. It's almost $860. How can this little convenience be worth that kind of money? They are only 6" wide, not helpful if you're feeding several narrow boards into the planer at once. The short one is less than 16" and the long one about double that. That's around $215 per foot. Yikes!

    I don't know if I'm looking for someone to agree with me or someone to talk me into the purchase. But at lease I got it off my chest. Thanks for tolerating me.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
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    I have both of those for my A3-31. The short one stays permanently mounted to the planer out feed and is definitely worth it from my perspective.

    The long one, I use occasionally, mostly on the out feed side of the jointer, but only when I’m doing a board close to 8’ long. This one I would probably not purchase again.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Boston, MA
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    919
    I have the shorter aluminum one on my planer outfeed. I think its around $200. I could also put that on my jointer infeed if needed but I never have. So I dont think the longer one is needed for the jointer infeed. The planer outfeed? Not sure if it improves the cut, but it does offer support if I'm slow getting around to catch the piece. The really nice accessory is the digital thickness scale.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Arlington, TX
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    452
    First, you only need at most two mounting rails for the extension tables. There are only two places to put an additional rail: on the jointer outfeed, and on the planer outfeed.

    The jointer fence shares the same rail as an infeed extension table. Both the fence and an extension table can be mounted at the same time. There is no other place to mount a rail on the infeed of the jointer.

    You cannot mount a rail on the infeed of the planer, because a table there would interfere with the elevation handwheel, and obscure the digital insert if you have it. There are no holes for mounting a rail there either.

    Second, a short extension table, and rail, are VERY useful on the planer outfeed. An extension practically lives there on my A3-41.

    I purchased two rails and one short extension table with my machine. I plan to purchase another short extension table. For the rare times I need a jointer extension table on the A3-41 (you may want one more often on a shorter A3-31), I can move the one from the planer outfeed. The second rail is on the jointer outfeed. So I can move the short table there or to the jointer infeed very quickly and easily if needed.

    The long extension tables have an adjustable support leg that goes to the floor, so it is not useful on the planer outfeed, which constantly changes height. I do not plan on needing any of them.

    -- Andy - Arlington TX

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Julie Moriarty View Post
    ... It's almost $860. ...
    I own neither the J/P or the accessories, but am loosely familiar with the construction. I don't know if the parts are patent protected, but so many companies do something to protect their IP - or in some way force you to play in their 'sandbox' only. And prices reflect this exclusivity.

    For that kind of coin, could you interest a local machine shop in fabricating them..?? A new design modified to your specs? Perhaps a Creeker could provide details and measurements?

    Don't take this wrong :: i support any company's right to a suitable ROI, and I don't mind being part of that ROI, but I hate feeling like I am ALL of it.

  6. #6
    do you have a photo, with out seeing it it should be easy to make something up for cheap that works just as well. Ive done horses or even the welded metal spray stand that is adjustable with Melmine on top. This was outfeed support for 14 - 16 foot boards. I just took a saw horse and some offcuts of Melmine, stuff slides nice on melmine. You dont need a precision table the machine has that, you only need support.


    P1300846A.jpg
    Last edited by Warren Lake; 12-10-2020 at 1:25 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Issaquah, Washington
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    1,320
    Julie,
    I have the A3-41, purchased "used" it came with the short extension and mounting bracket. IMHO, it works quite well cantilevered on the outflow side of the Planer.

    In the last year I have run a ridiculous amount of 8'-14' VG Fir through both the Jointer & Planner with the aid of two $50 roller stands. I have not come up with any better ways, or a need, to support material regardless of cost. I don't need, or want, an additional extension attached to either of the Jointer beds or the infeed of the Planner, as they would add to the "hassle" of switching over.

    And yes, the cost of the Hammer add ons is absurd.

    Just my 2 cents and possibly not worth that - Bill
    Last edited by Bill McNiel; 12-10-2020 at 2:09 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
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    1,033
    The need for these all depends on your projects. If you are doing passage doors then they are helpful. I owned 16" extensions for both the infeed and outfeed at one time, but I found they would deflect some with larger 8/4 pieces. I sold them and replaced them with Aigner extensions (not great cost wise) that work for this, the saw/shaper, and bandsaw. The Aigners are more time consuming to setup since they have legs, but they work well for me. I rarely use them anymore on my J/P since most of my projects are furniture size.

    The casting for the tables have tapers, so the mount mechanism is not a simple chunk of steel. Building the extensions yourself will only be cheaper if you can do it all yourself. The extrusions they use are not cheap and unless you have a good source that will sell small lengths, you may end up buying a full length of the material.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Santa Fe, NM
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    259
    I also have the A3-41 with rails on the jointer outfeed and the planer outfeed. I've never needed my short extension on the jointer, but might if it were the A3-31 The short extension lives on the planer table. I agree that the long extension is not worth it. It requires a support leg that looks like a pain when you switch to planer mode.
    So, put me in the group recommending two rails and one short extension.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Grand Forks, ND
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    Hi Julie, I have 2 of the short extensions and mounting rails that I may consider selling. I sold my A3-31 for a Felder and was hoping to use these on one of my machines. Kinda crappy of them to not make them interchangeable it appears they only work on Hammer machines. Shoot me a good offer and I may just sell them.
    A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Mick Simon View Post
    ...So, put me in the group recommending two rails and one short extension.
    ^^^ My standard recommendation, as well. We sell the short extension tables at a ratio of probably 10:1 over the long ones.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
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    9,467
    Julie, as Brad notes, it depends on the work you do. I rarely, if ever, joint and thickness anything over 2m in length. For the “medium” size furniture pieces I built, the extensions are quite unnecessary. Unless one is regularly building large dining tables, then it is better practice to dock rough sawn boards to a manageable size, or a working length. Jointing and thicknessing full length boards, and then cutting to part length, is uneconomical (wasteful of thickness), and poorer practice.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Tampa Bay, FL
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    3,895
    The short one lives on my Felder D951 planer. Occasionally I put it on my Felder FB-710 bandsaw.

    I never added the extension rails to my jointer. I didn't realize that you could. Oversight on my part.

    When needed, incredibly useful.
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
    - It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
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    Sacramento, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Monson View Post
    Hi Julie, I have 2 of the short extensions and mounting rails that I may consider selling. I sold my A3-31 for a Felder and was hoping to use these on one of my machines. Kinda crappy of them to not make them interchangeable it appears they only work on Hammer machines. Shoot me a good offer and I may just sell them.
    PM sent. I might be interested in those A3-31 rails and extensions depending on condition and price.
    If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!

  15. #15
    julie asked if its worth the money. Lets see what you get for the money. Julie as far as tolerating you, you asked a logical question.
    Last edited by Warren Lake; 12-10-2020 at 8:16 PM.

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