A Hammer A3-31 jointer/planer has arrived

[Frank Pellow]

Since mid February, I have not owned either a jointer or a planer. See the thread:
http://festoolownersgroup.com/member-connections/i-said-goodbye-to-my-8-inch-jointer-and-15-inch-planer-yesterday/

While I was working as crew on a small sailboat in the Bahamas for most of April, my long anticipated Hammer A3-31 jointer/planer arrived in Canada from Austria. On Monday, I drove over the Felder/Hammer warehouse in Mississauga to pick it up. My trailer bed is much below the level of the loading dock:

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But, these guys had obviously had to cope with this before and, in short time, they attached the trailer to a fork lift with a pair of straps and lowered it onto the trailer:

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Even though the machine was strapped down to the trailer, I was afraid of it being top heavy, so I drove the 30+ kilometres home over city streets never exceed 60 kilometres per hour.

My friend Rod Sheridan, who also owns an A3-31, is coming over this afternoon and is bringing equipment from work to help me move the jointer/planer from my driveway into my woodworking shed. Right now, the A3-31 is sitting in the trailer in my driveway under a new tarpaulin:

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[upscale]

Right now, the A3-31 is sitting in the trailer in my driveway under a new tarpaulin:

Don't know about you, but I'd be wanting to eliminate the possibility of some miscreant connecting to the trailer and hauling it away.

BTW Frank, I live in Toronto. Where abouts do you live?  [big grin]

 

[Frank Pellow]

Right now, the A3-31 is sitting in the trailer in my driveway under a new tarpaulin:

Don't know about you, but I'd be wanting to eliminate the possibility of some miscreant connecting to the trailer and hauling it away.

I was slightly worried about that happening, so that's why I didn't post anything about what is under the tarp in my driveway until today.  It's now daylight and Rod will be here to help me in about 5 hours.

I live in Scarborough near the Finch/Warden intersection.

 

[RONWEN]

Frank, I was wondering if this excellent machine was going to be installed at you camp -- that would be worth many, many pictures...  [big grin]

I don't have room in my garage shop for one of these but if I keep seeing you guys get these great machines I may have to dedicate a spot in my barn just for sizing lumber.  [unsure]

 

[Frank Pellow]

The machine is now in my woodworking shed:

Rod Sheridan came over this afternoon to help me move the joiner-planer from my trailer and into the woodworking shed in my back yard. Here is a series of pictures showing the move:

(1) We used 2 come-alongs to move the machine to back of the trailer:

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(2) Rod winched the A3-31 down frpom the trailer on a couple of ramp planks:

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(3) Here is a photo of the machine at the bottom of the ramp:

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(4) The machine is now on a dolly and being moved along a series of overlapping plywood panels

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(5) Here is the ramp up to Shed #2:

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(6) We used a come-along screwed to the floor to move the machine up the ramp:

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The machine is now in the shed but still on the dolly:

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I need to attach a power cord (which I have not yet purchased) and to assemble the fence, the extension tables, the digital guage, and the mobility package. Once that has all been done and I have tried out the machine, I will report back here.

 

[Zacharytanner]

Is it safe to assume that at each picture you boys indulged in a frosty beverage?

Congrats,
Frank

 

[upscale]

Is it safe to assume that at each picture you boys indulged in a frosty beverage?

Considering how many pictures they took, if they had been indulging along the way, I doubt they'd have managed to get it into the shed.
[tongue]

 

[andvari]

What's missing is how the heck they got it off the pallet and onto the dolly.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Is it safe to assume that at each picture you boys indulged in a frosty beverage?

Congrats,
Frank

Yes, but the frosty beverage was ice water.  [big grin]

 

[Frank Pellow]

What's missing is how the heck they got it off the pallet and onto the dolly.

We put the dolly beside the pallet, and moved it over in several small steps using a lever.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

You have a great story and a great friend in Rod.

 

[Frank Pellow]

You have a great story and a great friend in Rod.

Right you are!

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Moving large heavy objects is fairly easy if you remember 3rd grade science class.

I have moved 8000 to 10000 pound machines with just a few jacks, johnson bars and pipe. 

I have seen machines that weighed over 10k pounds pushed by two men once they laid down some sheet steel and tossed a little grease on the ground.

Good job on the move Frank.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I have been (mostly) away from Toronto ever since I took delivery in May and I just got around to wiring my A3-31 last weekend.

I set the machine up and got it running yesterday and I didn't encounter any inferior quality (other than the minimalist documentation and set-up instructions). Here is the machine confiured as a planer:

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Notice that machine is still on Rod's dolly. I did purchase the "rolling carriage" add-on but a sub part is missing.

I ran about half a dozen boards of various types through both the planer and jointer and didn't notice any problems.

But, I didn't do any careful checking about allignment and and I do plan to check that soon.

 

[greg mann]

I have been (mostly) away from Toronto ever since I took delivery in May and I just got around to wiring my A3-31 last weekend.

I set the machine up and got it running yesterday and I didn't encounter any inferior quality (other than the minimalist documentation and set-up instructions). Here is the machine confiured as a planer:

[attachthumb=#1]

Notice that machine is still on Rod's dolly. I did purchase the "rolling carriage" add-on but a sub part is missing.

I ran abbout half a dozen boards of various types through both the planer and jointer and didn't notice any problems. But, I didn't do any careful checking about allignment and and I do plan to check that soon.

Roger Savaterri once made a statement that I think is too often overlooked. He wrote something like; "Good set up hygiene requires checking the results of the set up, not just the set up itself." If your machine joints flat and planes parallel, with minimal or no snipe in either case, then it is set up right. There is only one direction you can go from perfection and it isn't good.  ;D

Nice to see a post from my good friend. I hope you had fun away from Toronto.

 

[richard.selwyn]

Hope to see you on the other FOG then?

 

[Frank Pellow]

Hope to see you on the other FOG then?

Hey, I didn't know that there was one.  I will look for it.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I have been (mostly) away from Toronto ever since I took delivery in May and I just got around to wiring my A3-31 last weekend.

I set the machine up and got it running yesterday and I didn't encounter any inferior quality (other than the minimalist documentation and set-up instructions). Here is the machine confiured as a planer:

[attachthumb=#1]

Notice that machine is still on Rod's dolly. I did purchase the "rolling carriage" add-on but a sub part is missing.

I ran abbout half a dozen boards of various types through both the planer and jointer and didn't notice any problems. But, I didn't do any careful checking about allignment and and I do plan to check that soon.

Roger Savaterri once made a statement that I think is too often overlooked. He wrote something like; "Good set up hygiene requires checking the results of the set up, not just the set up itself." If your machine joints flat and planes parallel, with minimal or no snipe in either case, then it is set up right. There is only one direction you can go from perfection and it isn't good.  ;D

Nice to see a post from my good friend. I hope you had fun away from Toronto.

Hi Greg, and thanks for the quote and the advise.  But, I am still going to check the alignment.

 

[richard.selwyn]

Hope to see you on the other FOG then?

Hey, I didn't know that there was one.  I will look for it.

Felder Owners Group on Yahoo. It is very useful. There are both Felder and Hammer owners.
Richard

 

[mattfc]

I have an A3-31 on order at the moment, but with the new silent power spiral cutter head so will let you know how that goes.. plus a Hammer K3 saw.. now its just the long wait!