888captain

thanks for the pic and information jwill. funny how no one has posted until now. makes me feel like i opened a can of worms.If I have crossed a line by mentioning that other site maybe someone could let me know.

a horton clutch is an air operated clutch that provides a positive drive. I have deleted the air operation and will provide drive via a variable tredle action as per most power hammers. I think from what i have read that LG hammers use a cone clutch arrangement. I most likely will have to play with clutch plate surface areas or materials. The flywheel effect of the tyre is one thing I have not concidered. Can anyone tell me more about this? Cheers Ian

Hello to all. I am a fair way into my hammer build but cannot lock myself into the type of spring system to fit to the tup. The hammer at this stage is approx 30kgs plus other reciprocating parts. It will have what is known here as a Horton clutch setup for the drive instead of the tyre type only because it was available. My anvil is 260mm 4140 shaft material with home made dies of heavy rail line. I have built and discarded leaf spring and dupont type set ups and was wondering if anyone with experience would pass their oppinion on the type on jock dempsey x1 power hammer. At this stage i am leaning towards this set up because of its simplicity and the fact that it takes away reciprocating mass from the drive and puts it on the tup. I dont know how to attach the website to this so hopefully those in the know won't mind having a look on the anvilfire site and watching the video. Cheers Ian

Due to see an external investigator next week. All this carry on is due i think to the company recently taking on self insurance and putting unreasonable targets in place for middle management. Workers compensation in this part of the world is an ugly business at the moment. Probably due to years of fraudulent conduct from a minority and too many pay outs. Laws are being changed to put responsibility back on the blokes at the coal face which is fair enough I suppose but a bit harsh when it happens once in 20 years in my case. Anyhow my only concern is to get well enough to finish building my power hammer and play in my workshop. Thanks for your concern and advice and enjoy what you do. Cheers Ian

Funny how you say that Frosty. Last year the company i work for sent me 1000klms away for 5 months without notice to do major repairs to another plant which was fire damaged. All good, money was great and i was no1 boy while there. Since my injury i am up to the fourth investigation and feeling quite the outcast. Maybe next time they need me to travel for them i might think twice.

I think you blokes call us metal fabricators, over here we are boilermakers. Some say we are a bit backward but we think of ourselves as setting the standard. We have regular visits from the owner of a mid west american supplier of brickmaking tooling and it took him a while to get his head around our cultural habits and querks. All is good now and he is a good bloke. Cheers Ian

reread my thread and start to poke fun as you wish. I have been a boily for 37 years and then i go and cut the extensor tendon in my left thumb in two with a slitting disc. i think my brain is starting to fade.

Got your message AndrewOC and thank you for taking the time to reply. As of Tuesday am out of action for 6 weeks due to poor judgement with a 5" grinder and a slitting disc. Looks like I will be again tied to the computer instead of putting my power hammer together. Very frustrating to say the least. Hope to make it to Ironfest this year to have a look around and talk to a few people. Thanks again. Cheers Ian

Thank you for that. I will touch base with AndrewOC and see what pans out Cheers.

Hi to all in this part of Aus. My name is Ian and I live in south west Sydney. Have gathered most basic equipment to start forging in my spare time and built a shed to house it. I am about 60% in to my power hammer build , I have built a coal forge and a gas forge. My problem is that I need to spend time with people in the know so I can learn. I don't mind a bit of travel but don't have a destination. I am a boilermaker by trade so am not clueless with metal but I struggle with going into my shed and not having a plan. I have made some basic tools and a couple of nic nacs but need to increase my confidence with this endevour. If there are any groups around that can be watched I would be thankful to be informed. Cheers Ian

when i worked at appin colliery they used to cart coal to newcastle continuously by way of 2 semi trailers. steel making is a science and a big part is blending coal to obtain the required result. i have phoned bhp to try to get hold of coal from appin and the best i could get out of them was see the loader driver but don't say i sent you. apparently in the old days the miners were allowed 1 ton per week for free.

I have just read that Illawarra coke shuts down its corrimal site mid next year and coalcliff is already shut.Looks like a source for coke near Sydney has gone. Does anybody know of another source that I am unaware of? Also is coal for forging available at any of the mines in the Sydney basin?