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Thread: A3-41 arrived

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Winterville, NC (eastern NC)
    Posts
    2,360
    You are going to love that machine. Had mine for about 2 years now. Went from a 12" 4 knife J/P, Asian made to the Hammer with the Silent Power segmented head. Boards come out ready for 120 grit random orbit sanding.
    Plenty of power for anything from Pine to hard exotics. The Felder/Hammer folks make some fine toys.
    s

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Cedar Park, TX - Boulder Creek, CA
    Posts
    832
    Quote Originally Posted by Andy D Jones View Post

    I had to jack up the pallet base on blocks to get the engine lift's legs underneath it.

    -- Andy - Arlington TX
    Yeah, they're a royal pain in that regard.

    safe-lift.jpg

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
    Posts
    589
    Quote Originally Posted by Andy D Jones View Post
    Mine was plenty strong...

    I used a 20' tow strapped looped under the cabinet (outfeed-infeed) to lift mine, since that gives you more clearance to get the strap out once it is in the mobile base. The infeed and outfeed sides of the cabinet do not go to the floor like the front and back sides do.

    For the rigging, I put the midpoint of the strap over the outfeed table, with the ends passing in front of and behind the outfeed table, down and under the cabinet to the infeed end, up and around (front and back) the infeed table. Used a large shackle to join the midpoint of the strap and the two end loops of the strap over the top of the cutter head, adjusting for center/level (with test lifts not far off the ground.)

    I removed anything that was aluminum, plastic, or thin sheet metal, where the strap hit. The electrical box is plastic, and the strap would have put significant side load on it as it came up & around that back corner, so I unscrewed it from the cabinet so it could slide out of the way, without having to undo any wires.

    I had to jack up the pallet base on blocks to get the engine lift's legs underneath it. The OP's casters afixed to the skids may give him enough clearance to avoid this.

    Be very careful lowering the machine with the engine lift, the release valve to lower the load is very fast, and can drop your machine quickly. I practiced that during the test lifting when the drop was only an inch or two. Glad I did!

    Hope this helps...
    -- Andy - Arlington TX
    Thanks, that is very helpful and pretty much what I was thinking.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Crawford View Post
    There's a gap underneath so I should be able to lay 2x6 there without having to pick up the tool, trying to not have to pick it up twice.
    Yes, you can do that and if you have access to put in fasteners, it will add some stiffness. But it will not be as strong as getting the 2x stock also under the machines's contact points with the pallet. The weight of the machine on those points has some level of benefit.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Newtown, ct
    Posts
    52
    T
    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Crawford View Post
    So here's the plan:

    Rent a knock-down engine hoist to raise one side at a time.
    Install (6) heavy duty casters on the 4x4 cross beams under the pallet
    Wheel it into the shop
    Build a platform to go under the base and use the hoist to lift it off the pallet and onto the porta-mate

    The J/P is 900 lbs. I'm thinking (6) 250 lb casters are ok (4") - or do I need to go to 330 lb (5")?
    I unbolted my A3-31 from the pallet, used an engine hoist with the straps going under the machine. lifted it a few inches, slid the pallet out and positioned the portamate 3500 underneath and let it down slowly. Worked like a charm. my J/P was only 600 lbs. but the same procedure should work on the larger machine.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Millstone, NJ
    Posts
    1,590
    Do not lift by the jointer bed they are pretty adamant about that.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
    Posts
    589
    Had to chop off the ends of the 4x4's to get it through my gate, then installed 4 casters. Added some cross bars at the top where the ratchet strap was pinching.

    IMG_5930.jpg

    IMG_5931.jpg

    Then 3 of us rolled it into the shop. Used a 2x6 to lever it over the threshold while 2 guys pushed.

    IMG_5932.jpg

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
    Posts
    589
    Took the casters off, removed the cage on the pallet.

    IMG_5934.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
    Posts
    589
    This looks precarious, but we went up and down several times to make sure it was balanced and it wasn't pulling on the tables. Lifted it, pulled the pallet out and set it down gently on the mobile base. This hoist had a nice control for feathering the release to go very slowly.

    IMG_5936.jpg

    IMG_5937.jpg

    IMG_5938.jpg

    Went ahead and waxed the jointer tables before I went in. Looking forward to getting this fully set up this weekend.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Bella Vista, AR
    Posts
    48
    I just installed the same base (Bora Portamate PM-3550) under my MiniMax FS30 (~600 lb). Very happy, so far.
    Loran Galey
    Do good and be good and you will be happy.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    That process went well!!! Congrats on your new J/P...you're going to enjoy what it can do for you and your work.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Bucks County, PA
    Posts
    971
    Good job. Congrats on the machine. You'll love it.

    And every time I see an A3-41 I question why I didn't buy one of those instead of my A3-31. But then I remember that the 41 would have been an even tighter fit in my shop!
    And there was trouble, taking place...

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Ellsworth, Maine
    Posts
    1,805
    I recently just received and installed the A3-31 and almost wish I would have gone with the 41. But as Steve just said I would not be able to fit it in my shop, especially considering I'm in a basement with a Bilco door opening. I had to lower the machine down with my stairs removed and the pallet literally just fit with an inch of space on each side of the bulkhead.

    Having said this the extra width and length looks very appealing. As others have said you're going to love this machine! I've used mine for a few smaller projects and have been blown away by the performance.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Bucks County, PA
    Posts
    971
    My shop is also in my basement, and the best access for large machines is also via a Bilco door opening. I can't remove the stairs however, so my A3-31 went down a ramp as shown in this picture from 2016. We hooked the other end of those straps to a chain hooked to the front of my Dad's truck, and he slowly lowered the unit down the ramp. If you notice, the ramp changes near the bottom (the pallet is on the "second" ramp in the picture). That's due to the fact that the Bilco stairs are very steep, so that second ramp helps to level the unit out as it comes into the house. The metal channels on the bottom of the pallet dug into that second ramp, so we had to effectively walk the pallet onto the second ramp using a pry bar. Good times.

    down.jpg

    But if you think that's crazy or a tight fit, you should have seen what we had to do when we brought my K3 down those stairs about 2 years later. I had to remove that entire door you see at the bottom there, jamb and all, and even then it barely fit through the door. I had to actually shove the power pigtail inside the cabinet and remove the little plastic grommet that was around it in order to make the entire unit that much narrower. We had millimeters of clearance. We used the same double-ramp and truck process as with the A3, although starting this one was a little more precarious due to its size. Then we made the mistake of putting the wheels onto the unit before it went into my shop, meaning it wouldn't go through the shop door (the area at the bottom of the stairs is a finished section). So we had to jack it back up, remove the wheels, and then carefully navigate it into the shop before putting the wheels back on. Then I had the pleasure of attaching the extension tables, etc. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the ramp-based work.

    I have no idea how I'm going to get these pieces out whenever I move. I might have to hire some professionals for that!
    And there was trouble, taking place...

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Ellsworth, Maine
    Posts
    1,805
    Steve, that's impressive. I've never seen a bilco opening with concrete steps. That would be a nightmare at my house. The bulkhead opening is on a very wooded side of the house and the tractor I used to lower the machine in barely fit over there. I can't believe you fit a K3 down that opening!! I plan on upgrading my tablesaw at some point and plan on getting a Sawstop PCS. I'm really worried how that machine will fit but I'm sure there is a way. The things we do for woodworking! We do plan on building an attached garage to the house some day and will make it large enough to house a machine shop. That will make my life so much easier but getting the existing machines out will be a nightmare!

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