Kevin K

Macbruce:  How did you figure your numbers?  When I use the formula in Batson's book, I get 18 HP required for 11 GPM @ 2500 psi.

Thanks, Kevin

$4500 sounds very reasonable and I'd think the demand would be there- from small working shops, if not so much from hobbyists.

Something I think might work in addition to turnkey presses would be to offer a "kit" option, where you could sell the power, hydraulics and controls, and let the buyer fabricate their own frame.    

As far as desirable features... quiet operation would be nice, but I'm not sure its possible... 

Thanks for the info.  Looks like at least a 150HP screw compressor then.  

They had a receiver that looked like it was around 1000 gallons, but it was scrapped...  There were a couple of other hammers plumbed to it, so it may have been sized to allow more than one to run simultaneously.  This hammer is set up for a driver.  

The hammer in question is a Chambersburg steam hammer.  Was converted to air, but the compressor is gone now.  Anyone have a ballpark guess at the size (hp) rotary screw compressor that would be needed to run it?  I'm assuming it would also need to have a large storage tank plumbed in.

Thanks

I got my 860lb bridge anvil from a classified ad in the newspaper.  Also wound up buying a large camelback drill press and a rolling cabinet full of Morse taper 4 drills the guy wanted to get rid of... $750 for everything.

Nice machine, and looks well cared for. As a Myford owner, a couple of books to look out for are "The Amateur's Lathe" and "A Man and His Lathe", both by L.H. Sparey. Out of print, but still findable.

Have fun!

Tumblers do remove scale pretty quickly- which you can do by other means, as has been pointed out; however, I really like the "burnished" finish they leave on the work.

As far as space requirements, I mounted my made from an air compressor tank tumbler underneath a table I already was using, so it doesn't take up any extra room in my small shop.

As far as noise, it seems that the size media used makes a big difference. When I ran it with smaller stuff, mainly little bolts and spring pins, it kind of went "slush-slush"... not super quiet, but you could hold a normal conversation in the same room. Last week, I sorted out the small stuff and now am running mainly 3/4" - 1" punch slugs, and its really, really loud. I suspect that the full-er it is, the quieter it will run, too. Just turn it on when you leave the shop and let it run when you're not there.

Good Luck, Thomas. My wife and I are also moving into that season in life with both sets of our parents. Love and help them, and take care of yourself, too.

Kevin

Larry, I really feel for you- would like to to add my sincere well wishes for you and your family.

Kevin

I don't have personal experience, but I once saw the contents of a big blacksmith shop moved on pallets. They just piled the tongs, dies, tooling, etc. on pallets and stretch-wrapped them. Google "plastic pallet wrap".

This spliter was set up to run off of my tractor.Sold the tractor and I put an axel and towbar on it.Added a 3hp 220 volt single phase mtr and 11gpm 2 stage pump. The mtr is 3000rpm Works pretty good. I can remove the press stuff, put the wedge back on and run it off my generator to split wood.

I did a similar conversion to mine. I put on an electric moter set up and did a bolt on top and bottom plates to change tools.

Notthing new or amazing, but I thought I'd share some pics of my log splitter conversion. This splitter came with a hinge to swing it upright so I don't have to forge sideways. The ram & anvil are pieces of 3X5" mild steel I had. I may weld tool steel faces on them someday. I don't know if I really needed guides on the ram, but the splitter wedge has guides, so I copied them, more or less.

Got my kids involved making hard candy for their mom & grandmother (my wife & mom). Rigged my log splitter as a press to do the squishing. All at the last minute as usual, so we were up late the night before Mothers' Day, however they had a lot of fun. This is one of the bowls.

Thanks, I understand- should have read the post more carefully.

Patrick,

Is that hub clad w/babbitt? Are you talking about the same part shown in Welder Jim's picture in the tailgating section of the straight helve he sold- sitting on the hammer just to the left of the flywheel, with the sort of checkerboard pattern?

Bob,

That's a great deal. If you don't need to sell them together, I'd like to buy The Blacksmiths' Craft and Catalogue of Drawings.

Kevin

830 lb bridge anvil. No maker's name. This is a picture of it in the back of my truck when I brought it home.

Fer cryin out loud, this is a resource, on the internet. I learn lots of good stuff here. When I think I have something to add that might be helpful to others, I do. Isn't that what its all about here?

As Ten Hammers said, design it for material handling & work flow with high ceilings and a roll-up door, and rollers or at least a long table going to the cutoff saw. A 20' long wall with clear access for stock storage (preferably inside, but could be outside if covered). If you have flexibility in siting the shop, have a straight driveway with access for 40' flatbed steel delivery trucks to bring material to the shop door.

A few other things I'll try to incorporate into my next shop are:
- An outside, sound-insulated, attached shed for an air compressor, O2 bottles and hydraulic pump.
- A fixed, outside propane tank (the big kind the propane company comes to fill up)
- Plumbed copper air lines throughout the shop; plumbed steel hydraulic line to the forging press; plumbed copper propane lines with drops at the forge, burning area and work table(s)
- An overhead I-beam running the length of the shop with a trolley-mounted hoist.
- A jib crane outside next to the roll-up door... or possibly build an I-beam into the wall so it sticks out 6' or so to hang a hoist from
- Lots of fluorescent lighting
- A compacted dirt floor for comfort (brings challenges with moving heavy equipment)
- A separate storage area for "stuff", like Stewart said. in my case, that will be a place to set my 20' CONEX box close by
- A separate, clean office/design area for the computer, drafting table, books, etc.

I've had a couple of people give me metal business cards. They weren't metalsmiths and the cards were commercially produced, so I know it's something you can buy. As memory serves, the designs were printed on them, not engraved.

Don't forget good ol' oxy-acetylene. Not that I do it much anymore, but there is something very enjoyable about gas welding.

Corner of a Harley motor stand fabbed from mild steel plate.

Congratulations, and nice work!

Very nice work, Peacock.

Getting some shaper time in here too, this week; recutting dovetails on some beat-up hammer dies and making new keys.

They were being sold new up until a few years ago... I can't find the website anymore, and suspect they stopped making them. As I recall, the retail price was around $250, and the Cole drill was another $250.