Hammer A3-31 Woes - HELP PLEASE

[NZrol]

• • • • Hi All,
        
        After ordering a Hammer A3-31 in March it was finally delivered last week after quite a saga.
        
        I assembled it and practiced switching between the planer and thicknesser modes a few times and then noticed that the bracket that holds the planer guard had fractured. You can see the break in the attached photo. I went back and looked at earlier photos and a fracture on one side of the fitting is visible after I had assembled the machine (photo of whole machine). I am not sure when it occurred, the distributer says it is not an engineering fault and it must have happend during transit (doubtful as it is well strapped down) or when I assembled it (doubtful as I was treating it like a baby after the wait to get it and astronomical purchase price in NZ). However they did manage to get me a replacement part very quickly.
        
        After an hour wrangling the various bits apart and then together without any instructions I have come across a problem. The way the washers that sit behind the handle are assembled in the photo below looks different to the exploded diagram that came with the machine. When I assembled it as I think it was I can not get the handle to operate fully. I am not sure if this is because I am not applying enough force (I will be able to apply more force when it is on the machine) or I have something wrong.
        
        I was wondering if one of the A3 owners could help me with the following;
        
        Could you please confirm that the washer order in the photo above is correct?
        
        If possible can you tell me if the two thin black washers are concave side out or in?
        
        Has anyone seen a breakage like this?
        
        Do users extend the guard until it touches the fence before you raise the table (so the guard resting on the fence takes the weight of the arm)? This is not done in the demo videos but would reduce the strain on the fitting when you raise and lower the tables.
        
        On the plus side the few tests I have done show the machine is as good as I’d hoped and much, much quiter than my old dewalt thicknesser…...
        
        Thanks
        
        Roland
        
        [attachimg=1]
        Photo showing fully broken fitting
        
        [attachimg=2]
        Machine after assembly - only one side of fitting seems to be broken

 

[alex946]

This is identical to Jet Cutterhead Guard

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/cutterhead-guard-assembly-complete-p-452358.html

Or any other analogue made ​​in Taiwan

 

[cliffp]

I posted about a similar problem here:

http://festoolownersgroup.com/other-tools-accessories/new-hammer-a3-26-arrived-today-broken!/

 

[stvrowe]

From what you describe, the black washers are Belleville washers and the concave sides need to face each other.  This way they will act together as a very stiff spring.

 

[Phred]

Here is a photo of mine--it only has one of the concave washers and the concave surface faces down in the photo (towards the body of the j/p).

 

[NZrol]

Thanks Phred, I removed one of the washers and the handle now works. Looks like there is some tolerance in the casting, obviously the original one was a little smaller and needed two washers, the replacement just needs one.

Cliffp - interesting to see we both had breakages in the same place and during transport/assembly. Something not quite right. Certainly after I rebuilt it the mechanism to raise and lower the guard is easier to operate so possibly something too tight, or it might be a weakness that just breaks if knocked in the wrong way. Paranoid about it now though!