Decisions decisions: Jet 12 inch or Hammer 10 inch

[Chris Padilla]

No - just another wise-guy show-off.

Hey! I resemble that remark....

On that note and not to derail this thread, consider an upgrade to a helical or Byrd shelix head if possible. The cut is amazing as is the sound level.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Late to this game, but my vote is for the Hammer.

I have a 10" Laguna combo machine. Every time I can recall when I needed to mill lumber that was too big for my 10" machine, it was also too large for a 12" machine. It will be a rare occasion when a 12" machine is enough and a 10" machine isn't. Of course it can happen, but in my experience, it's a fairly narrow use case.

So personally, assuming your budget is fixed, I would choose the 10" Hammer over the 12" Jet because I place more of a premium on quality than on the extra 2"...

[Adam Levitt]

Well, I managed to rationalize myself into going for the 12 inch Hammer.
I should be receiving my new A3 31 J/P and N4400 Bandsaw in January. Very exciting.

This leaves me around 45 days to build my workshop from scratch. I'm going for a fully soundproof garden shed, 10' x 20' gross, 8' x 18' net. I'm going for a room in a room build using a double stud wall with two layers of gypsum. Should be able to reduce sound levels by 70 db and hopefully allow me to work in the middle of the night without waking the neighbors or the babies

[John Coloccia]

Well, I managed to rationalize myself into going for the 12 inch Hammer

Attaboy!

[Jim Becker]

Congratulations. Honestly, going with the wider machine will likely pay back well in the long term in many ways. I think it was a good decision and I say that as a happy J/P owner and user.

[Jamie Buxton]

....This leaves me around 45 days to build my workshop from scratch. I'm going for a fully soundproof garden shed, 10' x 20' gross, 8' x 18' net. I'm going for a room in a room build using a double stud wall with two layers of gypsum. Should be able to reduce sound levels by 70 db and hopefully allow me to work in the middle of the night without waking the neighbors or the babies

That will be quite an interesting project. Do post about it -- the whys and wherefores of the design, what you do about soundproofing windows and doors, etc.

[Adam Levitt]

I'll make an effort to document it. Started clearing the old tree trunks in order to pour the concrete base. Definitely going to be exciting.

Regarding windows, I'm not planning on having any, initially, and the door will be two doors with one opening in and one out with an automatic dropping door stop and sealed all around.

The surprising thing to me is that the cost should be around $4000, not including work, which will be mostly me and a friend or two. If I manage to pull this off and build a soundproof workshop I'll be in heaven. Imagine being able to work when ever you want, and with three kids there aren't many opportunities.

I keep procrastinating doing a sketch up model, but after yesterday's purchase having a deadline has put me into a different mode.

That will be quite an interesting project. Do post about it -- the whys and wherefores of the design, what you do about soundproofing windows and doors, etc.

[Rod Sheridan]

Glad to hear that Adam, please keep us posted on your shop build........Rod.

[Keith Weber]

Well, I managed to rationalize myself into going for the 12 inch Hammer.

That's what SHE said!

[Adam Levitt]

Hehehe Completely

[Jim Andrew]

I was poking around on the Hammer Felder site, and saw where you can add a slot mortiser to your planer surfacer combo. Anybody done that?

[Jim Becker]

I was poking around on the Hammer Felder site, and saw where you can add a slot mortiser to your planer surfacer combo. Anybody done that?

That's a popular option with many J/P setups. The only reason I don't have it for my particular J/P is that for that specific machine vintage, the mortiser goes on the back side of the unit which isn't a usable combination in my shop. Newer versions have the mortiser on the front. I got to play with one at a friend's shop a number of years ago and it was a great addition to the machine.