Hammer A3-26/31/41 power raising/lowering - CHEAP!

[Mick S]

I took delivery and set up my new Hammer A3-41 over the weekend. I’m loving it. 

I’d had other jointer planer combination machines in the past, so I was well aware that raising and lowering the planer table while changing from jointer to planer and back can be a pain. While it’s not unique to this machine, it is one of the few frequent knocks I read about before I purchased it.

There are a few videos on YouTube showing very sophisticated fixes. They involve stepper motors, digital electronic readouts, time and expense that I’m not interested in attempting. I’ve come up with a cheap, low-tech but effective workaround. It doesn’t have the +/- .005” micro adjustment that the others have, but I can crank it 3 or 4 times once I’m close.

YouTube: 

 

Materials needed are a 6” x 6” x ¾” piece of scrap plywood, a 5/16” x 2” carriage bolt, washer and nut and two ⅜” studs. I used a piece of ⅜” aluminum rod left over from a previous build. A hardwood dowel would work, but I doubt it would hold up long.

Here are the steps:

Remove the hand wheel from the machine. In my case, I have the aluminum wheel with the digital gauge. I then removed the knob and gauge from the wheel so they wouldn’t be damaged.

Use the wheel to lay out the circle on the plywood, then rough cut it to just outside the line.

Double face tape the wheel to the plywood, centering it as best you can. 

Use a flush trim bit in a router table to trim the plywood to the wheel.

At this point, I switched to a roundover to ease the edge on the plywood.

With the plywood still attached, layout two points on the backside of the wheel approximately 120 degrees apart and 120 degrees from the hole used for the wheel knob. Center them on the flat area on the backside of the wheel.

Drill the holes through the aluminum and to a depth of ⅜” into the plywood.

Use a pencil to mark the center of the knob hole.

Remove the wheel from the plywood.

Find the center point of the plywood and drill a ¾” hole with a Forstner bit to a depth of ¼”.

Switch to a 5/16” bit and drill through the center.

For the knob notch I drilled a ⅞” hole, then opened the slot with my bandsaw.

Cut the ⅜” rods or dowels to ⅝” length and ease the edges. I epoxied them into place.

Assemble the bolt through the center hole with a washer and lock nut.

Reassemble the hand wheel, calibrate the gauge and you’re ready to go.

 

I bought a VSR drill for $9.95 at HF. I leave it all beside the planer for quick, rough adjustments. Pull it off and fine tune like you normally would!

 

[pkinneb]

That is slick may have to steal this one!

[bglenden]

Awesome, I'll have to steal this idea for when mine comes in next month!

[mat60]

I like the shop made stuff like this.  Very cool Mick.

[RichardA]

Excellent response to simple problem.  Good on ya Micks.

[CHRO]

cool... time to copy it

[CHRO]

 I just got this machine last week. Can you tell me what you did with the electrical stuff? links to plugs, outlet, cable, etc..? also, Dust collection adapter. Thanks in advance

[Mick S]

8 hours ago, CHRO said:

 I just got this machine last week. Can you tell me what you did with the electrical stuff? links to plugs, outlet, cable, etc..? also, Dust collection adapter. Thanks in advance

I replied on the youtube channel.

[CHRO]

thanks

 

[SeventyFix]

On 8/14/2019 at 8:52 AM, Mick S said:

I replied on the youtube channel.

How can we find the YouTube channel?  I have the same machine and would like to see what you've done with it.

Thank you.

[Mick S]

SeventyFix! Haven't seen you around lately. Hopefully it's just because it's just been too hot to work in your shop in Big D!

1 hour ago, SeventyFix said:

How can we find the YouTube channel?  I have the same machine and would like to see what you've done with it.

 

Kev shot the video above when he was here last month. My reply to the CHRO's question about electrical connection is in the comments section of this short video I did when I first got the Hammer.