Power Hammers

[Chris Pook]

Originally Posted by ThomasPowers

Sigh, had a "friend" call me up over lunch saying he had something he thought could be made into a blacksmith's triphammer. Sure enough it was a small punch press as I expected. He did offer to sell me something I had expressed interest on at the tech auction but had not bid on as I didn't need it and it was lumped into a group with a couple of things he did need---wanted about as much as the whole lot went for IIRC and as that was about 5 times what I paid for similiar stuff previously I was not too enthused.

Thomas

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with those kind of "friends"

[JPH]

Thomas:

Thankfully I don't have any "friends" like you describe..I like to scrounge as much as the next guy but I tell you these auctions are cutting into our ability to get decent used equipment, especially E-bay..man the things that sell for astronomical amounts is mind numbing...junked pieces..boat anchor typoe of shot, worn out and otherwise not worth more than scrap iron prices go for more than new!!

Now I like a good deal, who doesn't?? I do NOT mind paying a fair price for an item but some of the prices obtained in these auctions are rediculous!!

I dunno..guess the days of getting post vises for $25.00 to $50.00 and anvils for a dollar or so a pound are coming to an end...sigh....I bought my 25# LG for $550.00 and the guy even drove it down from Utah (well it was just over an hour trip..so...but still...) to get it to me...and that was just a few years back....sigh

JPH

[Dodge]

Couple pics of my hammer. Its a clone of the one the late Jim Wilson aka Paw Paw owned

[henerythe8th]

Howdy Dodge!
I am VERY interested in building one of these "tire hammers"!
I have attempted to find plans/details of the machine (to no avail)...
The basics of the machine are, well, pretty basic. I can figure out the anvil, motor, support, etc. pretty easily. What I don't have access to is decent information relative to the portion that attaches to the wheel and the hammer.

Did you build this machine? Would you be willing to share info?

Thanks,
Henry

[Dodge]

yes on both points Email me ( scheersc@cox.net) and I will send you some dimensions. will be posting more pics soon

[Ellen]

I am a firm believer in that most folks with a degree of metalworking talent can make real nice power hammers. Only thing I would like to see in any discussion of these shop built hammers are that the safety issues are well covered. Ptree's modified "Rusty" on Anvilfire's Power Hammer page is the best example I have seen of safety in action. His homemade hammer would pass an OSHA inspection!

I was watching the Dave Manzer DVD over the weekend (#2 on power hammer tooling), and he pointing out his missing "trigger finger" and showed the glove he was wearing at the time, now stapled to the wall. Must have been incredibly painful, bloody and scary, and he was darned lucky not to lose the whole hand.

There aren't enough of us to lose one to a dreadful accident, so Thank You in advance!

[frogvalley]

Here is a rant that is sure to stir up trouble.

While safety is a concern for all of us, some of the concerns raised are overkill. OSHA leans toward the extreme side of safety, to the point of being a hinderance and a hazard in some of the safety cages that it requires. OSHA's job is to protect the powerless and unitiated workers of the larger corporations where the dangers are different than a small forge with competent machine operators and few power hammers. I won't put safety cages over any of the parts of my machines.

Many safety systems will bite you worse than the piece that would be flying off and can't protect you from all things anyway. The most dangerous part of the power hammer, in my opinion, is the ram while you are working. SMACK on your fingers is bad. Next would be actually getting caught in the moving parts while the hammer is operating, but if you are working, your hands should be on the workpiece and not the moving parts of the machine anyway. And the instructions say don't where loose clothing, etc.

Ptree's machine has a common design difference or flaw in that the ram can exit through the top of the guides. Thats a major problem if there is any trouble with the spring or the roller guides at the top of the ram. Other designs cannot have this happen. There are several ways to design around that. A keeper at the top of the guides or a die set up that does not allow the ram to go all the way up and out. Take a look at mine at http://www.frogvalleyforge.com or at "superrusty".

Another problem I see is the tendency to make these machine have a small, compact profile, hence the motor being inboard of the center column and near the operator. Remounting the motor outside of the column puts those moving part associated with it away from you. I would have to move 2-3 feet to the left of my normal operating position to get bitten by the pulley. Plus these should be made tall enough that the spring is way up from you, and I am 6'2". Mine tops at 7'6". I would not build a "rusty" type with the spring in my face like the original.

Can something go wrong with my machine? Yes. Is it more dangerous than my 1905 Fairbanks? No. Are both of them good machines and safe enough? Yes and neither one has any significant safety devices only safely designed.

The best safety is a competent, aware operator. No drink, no drugs- but even more important is a check of all operating parts daily before use. AND during the day if you use it all day. You should be oiling or greasing every time you use it. I don't have many grease fittings on my hammers, I much prefer oil holes as it MAKES you look at all the parts when you oil them.

Your mileage may vary.

[irnsrgn]

I agree with Mark about OSHA.

Cages and add on so called safety things can make a machine absolutely DANGEROUS, besides LIMITING VISION to the point of not being able to see what you are doing or what is happening with the machine.

I don't need someone to tell me a machine is dangerous and equip it with all kinds of expensive supposed safety stuff that makes it extremely dangerous and almost impossible to use. With some of the supposedly Safety Cages, FLYING SHRAPNEL from the light duty cage material will do far more damage than the machine if it fails for some reason.

COMMON SENSE tells me all power machinery is dangerous, and to be careful when operating it.

The Most Dangerous thing you can own is an Oxy-Acet set up in the hands of some one who has no instruction in how to use it.

[Ellen]

I have no problem with any adult building or operating any of the older machines, and agree that some OSHA stuff adds to the danger. Some of their requirements on new farm tractors verge on being deadly to the operator.

There is no subsitute for knowledge and common sense. I just think full disclose of known hazards is the proper route to take. Someone reading about home built power hammers or an old Little Giant, etc, without any knowledge of the hazards they can pose is not receiving all of the knowledge they are entitled to. Oxy-acetylene torches are a great example of multiple hazards if operated by a non-knowledgable person.

My Grizzly belt grinder is a potentially deadly tool; operating it is my choice, I am aware it can fling a sharp knife at high velocity for a goodly distance.

Just know what you are getting into is my whole, and only point. Heck. life is dangerous. It is a proven fact. No one has ever gotten out of it alive. Grin!

[sandpile]

Hammers and presses, drills and torches are all dangerous.

The quickest way to get hurt bad in my shop is a buffing machine. When I start to buff out and polish a blade, I like to be by myself or if someone is in my shop. I ask them to refrain from breaking my concentration until I am through with the buffer.

It is the same with several of the machines in our shop. We try to keep our concentration while operating all of the power equiptment.

We have had some scarey things happen with a large hand held grinder/wire wheel.

NONE will get you any quicker than the buffer.

Just some thoughts on biters.

Chuck