jason0012

Yikes that alstate rod is expensive! Still, might be worth a look. Despite a lot of experience with nickle rod, I really hate the stuff...

The guides are Vs in four corners. The blocks are all independantly adjustable. A tad different from what I thought these early hammers used. I was pretty sure I had seen a serial number on it before, but can't seem to find it now. Any idea where it might be?

We close in mid december. Assuming all goes as planned with the bank.

So forming a corporate entity is a big part of this legal protection? I have run circles with insurance companies and never gotten anywhere.

I have chewed through a lot of 5/8 inch plate with a worm drive saw and a metal blade. It sucks big time. Wear a welding jacket and gloves and neck, face head protection. Those chips are hot and sharp and go everywhere, in big piles.... I don't know about 1 3/8 plate. That might be a bit too much for the saw. It would be cheaper and easier to use a torch.

I am working on floorplans/ layouts for the new building, and am kind of leaning twords wanting a separate room for grinding. While I only have 3 at the moment I will likely have a half dozen, possibly more belt grinders shortly. All my scribbling on graph paper it looks like a 14x18 would be about right. With two buffers and 4-6 grinders and a bench or two. Anybody who has gone this route have any advice?

I have tripped over things in my 400 sq ft shop since 1992. I outgrew it by 96. Tomorrow I am meeting the realtor banker ect to purchase a new place. The shop is kind of overkill. 53x84 with heat and air. Two air compressors with a dryer and a dust collector, and three cranes, oh and 480 volt 3 phase....now I have to figure out how best to arrange the place. Plenty of room for fabricating, forging, grinding and machining. The building is divided in half. I suppose one side should be forging with everything else on the other side. Any suggestions?

I have a grizzly 2x72. I bought it about two years ago an wish I had bought it 20 yrs ago. I have done a fair bit of grinding on a craftsman 2x42 which was a nice option for just under $150 new, but did leave a lot to be desired. I have ground countless knives, dozens of axes and three swords on a delta 1x30 that I bought back in the late 80s. The 1x30 was ok( well no, it really wasnt..)but the bigger grinders make a big difference and belt cost on a smaller machine, like the 1x30 adds up quick to make the more expensive machine really attractive. I have parts for about three home builds for the new shop. The grizzly is a good basic machine at a really attractive price, but it does have its shortcomings.

A fellow in Michigan made mine in the early 90s. I have no idea if the contact info is any good or not.

True enough about the rabbit hole. I wouldn't discourage anyone from adding a small hammer. Perhaps if I thought they were getting in over their head, paying stupid money for a trashed machine, buying way too big ( like a 3000 pound steamer) or just not competant around machines. In general, anyone who can handle hand forging will find a power hammer a great asset. The tire hammers are a good affordable entry point. I think that is exactly what Clay had in mind with the design.

Clifton would make coat hooks on his 250 pound Murray just to prove a point. As long as the hammer has decent control and runs predictably you should be able to work as delicate as need be. I haven't used a tire hammer but from what I see, this level of control looks pretty common on them.

A 2x72 is very much worthwhile. I bought a grizzly about two years ago and am kicking myself for not buying one 15 years ago. With these machines you get what you pay for and the uber expensive machines are actually better. Unless you are a professional full time blade grinder spending 10 hrs a day with the machine, you won't really need the top shelf machine. These are really simple machines and easy enough to build yourself as well. There are numerous good designs online.

ROI used to have a masonry bin behind the shop that held about a ton and a half. In the mid 90s I got away from burning coal and the coal pit got torn down and its bricks comited to flowerbeds or something. Now I am back to burning coal. I have a trash can I am currently keeping it in, but would like to get a ton or two. I would like to find some sort of container for it. Billy Merrit used an old oil tank. I am curious what everyone uses. I will be moving the shop soon so may just build a cinder block bin at the new place...

the brake is laying under my welding table, i have about 50 pounds of nickle rod, and amazingly, there is still green paint under the oil and grease

It sounds awful small. That said, The House brothers built many amazing rifles in a chicken coup, and Billy Merrit's shop was probably smaller than that- so I guess you just have to use what you got.

It doesnt take much equipment, just some know how. With timbers, levers and rollers just about anything can be moved. The longer you are involved in this trade, the more likely you will need to move big stuff, and it keeps getting bigger.

There is a wonderful book on the subject called " How to move heavey things". It used to be published by Lindsy. I am sure you can find a copy cheap on line. It is a basic intro to rigging. The number one rule is go slow, and number two is never get any part of you under or in the path of a load. You might want to hire a rollback truck and let a pro do it. Since you are asking I doubt you are dealing with weight that will be requiring anything like a crane or crew of riggers. I don't know the cost of the tow but should be under $500.

The guides seem complicated, composed of several movable components. Basicly it is a double V guide though like a steamer would have used. It looks like a pretty solid design, but with lots of opportunity for collisions.

I went to visit the beast today. I am clearing a spot at the shop for the old girl and caught a few photos. I thought I took more? Oh well, it will be home soon enough... It does have a crack in the frame, with a repair. That doesn't look bad. It looks like the dies are a tad short, but obviously have been used quite a lot. The whole thing is caked in grease, which bodes well for the bearings.

Urethane. They are apparently the same material as " super balls" were made from. A guy in Michigan made them for me in the 90s. They work well, I was just curious as I may track down another Bradley some day.

The new ones I have are noticeably harder as well. It has been quite a long time since I had them made so I don't recall the specifics. It looks like 50-60 is the standard in industry, but all my references are somewhat lacking in details. Machineries Handbook has even failed me.

I was just looking for any technical info on rubber for casting springs for a Bradley type hammer , and I have to admit , I am more baffled than before. It almost looks like industry gave up on elastomer springs. I was curious if anyone knows the original durometer of Bradley cushions? If I had a gage I would run out to the shop and check. Perhaps a tire shop could gage them for me???

Your link arms are the problem. Originaly it would have had an adjustable arm on one side. The adjustable arms help balance the hammer and make installing the spring a lot easier. I would recomend making replacements for both. They are easy to fabricate and make a big difference.

I once watched Clifton forge a thread on a hammer arm. I think he did it on a dare, but it worked.

Well, it's done now. The fabricated fire pot works really well. Oddly, this is the first time in 20 yrs or so that I have used a modern commercial style firepot.