Beaudry clutch

[Ed Thomas]

Does anyone know whether the internal clutch is supposed to be wet or dry?

[HWooldridge]

Ed,

Dry - so far as I know. I believe they have metal lining running against the clutch. I looked in all my literature and of course, there is nothing about lube but the design does not look like a wet clutch. The shoes are not made from wood so oil may be a hindrance to the operation.

[Ed Thomas]

Hollis, I can't tell by the condition of the parts while disassembling because the hammer has been idle and out in the weather so long that all lubricants everywhere are dried or gone or both. But there seems to be a larger amount of grease residue inside the clutch housing than I'd expect for a dry clutch. On the other hand, there is no obvious way to apply lubricant once it is reassembled.

The clutch system, like everything else on a Beaudry, is simple and elegant. And like MOST every other moving part on a Beaudry, has little in the way of lubrication opportunity. A friend of mine said that watching me go through a lubrication routine looked like I was getting ready to start a steam engine.

Sure wish there was a useful manual on these.

If it would help get me information, I can post pictures of the parts in various stages of assembly/dissassembly.

[HWooldridge]

Ed,

Someone on the Guru's site might know so you could post the question there. It's hard to read the "stream of consciousness" writing but sometimes you find a gem. I also once knew a smith from New Hampshire named Lance Cloutier who had a Beaudry utility with the clutch style linkage but I'm not sure how to contact him anymore.

Can you tell if normal external greasing will also push grease into the clutch? Maybe they killed two birds with one stone.

[Ed Thomas]

Hollis,

I just got off the phone with another 300# hammer owner who rebuilt his, and he runs his dry. He said it was dry when he took it apart to clean and repair, and runs appropriately without lube.

I also have an email off to Bruce Wallace and will see what he has to say about it. I need some parts anyway, so it was a good time to contact him.

A fairly exhaustive search of Anvilfire didn't yield anything on this subject.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. It looks like you got it.

[Ed Thomas]

Hollis:

I forgot to update you on the disassembly. The hammer is completely apart except for minor things like the ram guides. The frame is laying on its side in the shop and things are getting stripped, brushed, smoothed, lubed and painted as they come off. When the ram came out, I thought it felt rather light for 400 pounds, and verified that it was actually just barely over 300 pounds on the bathroom scale. Exactly the size I wanted all along! It will be awhile before it is all together, in place and running, but it is better shape than I could have hoped for given its history.

[HWooldridge]

Ed,

That's is outstanding! I can't wait to see pics.

On the clutch thing, I just guessed based on what I had seen in the past on flywheel driven punch presses. Wood clutches against metal spiders must be oiled for two reasons - one is that the wood will deteriorate in short order if run dry and the other is that it grabs and won't let go. Metal on metal with oil in-between just slips (axles, lathe spindles, crankshafts and a host of other things designed to do so) so these combinations are run dry. The manufacturer just had to figure out a self releasing taper so the parts would not wedge together. I can't remember that number off the top of my head but it is in Machinery's Handbook if anyone cares.

[Lamey Knives]

Ed- another member here, Steve Gropp, has a factory clutch type #7 and runs his clutch dry. Both you and Hollis know alot more than me about these hammers (as im just starting to learn about the Beaudry's), but if there is no external means to get lubrication into the clutch assembly thats a huge clue to how it should be run (dry). I cant see a company like Beaudry not allowing for proper maintanance (lubrication of clutch) in there initial design of the clutch (if they meant it to run wet, seems they would have an easy way to apply oil).

I will ask the current owner of the #7 im buying if he knows, or if its in the literature he has on the hammer.

[SGropp]

My #7 Beaudry does not have a specific place to oil the clutch surfaces that I know of. The main bearing is chambered for oil. I have a drip oiler on that bearing which flows at about 3 oz. per 8 hour day. A little bit of oil seeps out of the front of the bearing. The rest flows out the back where the 2 parts of the flywheel and big drive wheel nest together. I squirt some oil on the roller arm assembly located behind the clutch twice a day and put a shot of grease in the zirk on the outboard end of the big drive pulley.
I'm still not positive if the clutch runs wet or dry as I have not actually taken that part of the hammer apart.
As well built as these machines are, I can't imagine that the designers left out such an essential detail. I suspect that the clutch gets what lubrication it needs through the main bearing.
The cone clutch on my 100# Little Giant is metal on metal and I keep it wet with a mix of 30# oil thinned 60 % with diesel.
Whatever the answer is, the way mine is set up is working very well, My 200# hammer has excellent control. I have been forging long hollow tapers in pipe , freehand on a set of flat dies , something that is only possible on a hammer with very good manners.
I have never run any other hammers than my own, so I don't know how other machines behave.

[Ed Thomas]

Thanks for all the responses. I did get an email answer from someone convinced it should be run with lubrication, and I'm hoping to hear from Bruce Wallace soon since he owns the Beaudry name and literature. The flywheel/clutch parts are nearly ready for reassembly but will have to wait until I get some more free time in a few days. I really appreciate the thoughtful help from everyone.