jason0012

have you checked with Bob Bergman?

I can identify the problem as being the 10 inch wheel. I see no visible damage. There are no tears, bumps or holes in the rubber. The bore looks ok and there isnt any build up on the hub anymore, but still it vibrates terribly. The dial indicator shows no out of round or wobble. Could the rubber have embedded with metal shavings I cant see? It does look somewhat worn, after less than 2 months, but not to a point where it looks ragged. From the begining both wheels seemed very soft. I wonder if it may be possible to replace the rubber tires? Is there an ideal durometer for contact wheels? Is there a good product for this? My next step will be to turn an arbor for the lathe and see if I can sand the face a smidge and smooth things out. Then to build a balancer...

I have a Grizzly 2x72 that has been running fairly well. About a week ago it developed a serious vibration that got proggressivly worse. I checked the contact wheel and shaft for run out with an indicator. It showed only .0002 so that doesnt seem to be the problem. I removed the 10 inch wheel and installed the 8 and - no vibration! I ground about a dozen blades on the 10 inch before it started doing this and it has no visible damage. I have just started a new job so havent gotten to try switching back yet. Any Ideas what is wrong? Could it just be dust build up?

It is a 1918. I think it was the second year for the 250? The guide is similar to the smaller hammers, but rather than holding a front/back V, it catches the corners of a somewhat square ram.

Once I get it I will document as much as I can

It is a wrap around guide like the smaller hammers -only different. I have found very little information on it. Sid responded to my questions today and he says they had trouble with adjustments on this model. I have seen several in folks shop photos, but nobody seems to want to comment on using one????

Got it paid off Thursday! Now to find a place to put it...

Behemoth? Why its just a little peanut. I wish I had pictures of the 6000# Erie I got to play with in Tulsa.

here it is. I have worked on a few newer 250s and 2 - 500# but this style I have only seen in photos. I did own a 25 old style years ago and assume they are similar. I will likely need a few parts from Sid, and hopefully will not need to rebabbitt bearings of this size.....

I am waiting to call Sid until I have the thing in front of me. I got to look it over about a year ago and it is all there, but at the time it was going to someone else so I didnt spend too much time on it. Given its age , I am sure it will need some work.

In the not too distant future I should be getting a 250 pound little giant- a really old one (1917). It is the old style with wrap around guides. I have no experience with the old ones like this, and have a few questions for any of you who have worked on them. Are the link arms toggled into the ram like they are on the smaller hammers, or do they pin in like the later ones? How big of a die can I squeeze through those guides? How much of a pain is it not having the vertical adjustment that later hammers have? If I dont get any response I guess I will find out soon enough...

can welds. My past attempts show good adhesion but seperate durring forging. I had 3/16 440 layered with 3/4" 5160 in one billet. The end result had the 440 layers still nearly 3/16 and the 5160 at around 1/2 at the point of failure.That billet became part of Billy Merritt's collection of pattern weld samples. The two just flow differently. I am thinking a harder higher alloy would do better

For those who have ventured into stainless damascus, I have some 440C that I bought for grinding practice. I have a few small pieces left over, too small for blades but perfect for a billet. I have tried welding stainless billets before but run into compatability issues mixing stainless with softer steels(5160,1095,A36). I do have a fair stock of 304, but would prefer something that would harden, though this is kind of a lark- just to see if I can do it. would higher alloy stuff like H-13,D-2,A-6,M-2 possibly be better? What about 52100? I have some 420 would that even give any contrast?

I have recently been considering adding an induction forge to the shop in the near future and was a bit curious if one could be used for damascus welding and what sort of problems might arise. It would be primarily used for production forging in my shop which I know these are excellent for. I know welding flux chews through forge linings at an alarming rate, would it harm the copper coils? and would I need the entire billet covered in the coils, or could a simple loop get me up to an even heat? If need be I will stick to propane for welding.

I wonder if something like this would work http://www.ebay.com/itm/Air-Systems-ASI-4100-Venturi-Style-Pneumatic-Air-Horn-Blower-8-Air-Mover-/162414940573?hash=item25d0af519d:g:ePQAAOSwTM5YtyoQ It doesnt have a motor to burn up, or ignite the smoke, or moving parts to be damaged or gumed up

I have the pan and pedestal to a down draft model. I am also missing the tuyere and clinker breaker as well as the hood. I would like to find some decent sketches of these parts if there are any out there. I have a bunch of Buffalo literature that was online, but it is all pretty vauge on the parts I need. Any idea how the down draft hood would work without creating a fire hazard?

It must be nice to have the luxury of picking from any hammer to equip your shop. I have run air, steam and mechanical hammers from a 9# utility hammer to a 6000# double arch steamer. If I could pick, I would have a #3 or 4 Nazel, but they seem a tad hard to come by. There are limitations to every shop. Bigger is better to a point. After about 500 pounds a hammer gets too expensive to move, install, and run unless you actually have work requiring it. A self contained hammer has all the advantages of a utility and mechanical. Mechanical hammers have the chief advantage of being not only effective but reasonably inexpensive. In England and Germany there may possibly be more self contained hammers than here Chambersburgs and Nazels are pretty much the only old air breathers here and they are limited in number and rather coveted by those lucky enough to own one. Newer hammers of the fabricated variety tend to be light weight and somewhat flimsy. That leaves utility hammers which tend to be very expensive to set up requiring a massive air supply and they are hard to find in sizes that arent cartoonishly large. (I dont think I could find the work to keep a 3000# hammer busy) Mechaical hammers in that nice spot on the scale range between 100- and 500 pounds arent anywhere near as expensive as air hammers and exceptionaly simple to properly install. The mechanical hammer might have some drawbacks but you use what you have. As for size, a lot depends on the type and volume of work to be done with it. For a hobby shop a 25 pound Little Giant might be perfect running on 110 volt and being under 1000# overall it can be bolted to a garage floor and run without tearing the building down. I personally get impatient trying to forge anything on a hammer under 100 pounds. A 50 pound Little Giant is close to having the power to keep up in my shop, but I like having that little bit of extra push. A 200-300 pound hammer has all the power most of us will ever use and the cost to operate a 5-10 hp motor isnt that much more than to run a 3 hp. If you go over 15 hp you will be stuck with three phase and most home shops have a hard time getting wired for that.

I am looking at renting a part of an industrial building. It is a warehouse that has been divided into smaller spaces. It is industrial, affordable, close to home and has 3phase! I was warned by the owner that the fire martial is a constant presence there. Does anyone know if a flameout arrester is required for LP forges? will my hammers be ok with just a wood pad under them (100 and 250 pound)?Should I be leary of these sorts of places? Some of the other tenents looked a tad shady. It is really time to move up from my parents garage (18x20) and this is a whopping 40x70!(did I mention three phase?) Is there anything else I need to be aware of?

I converted my 25 to a rear pulley from a center pulley drive. All that is required is replacing the shaft, and reversing the clutch fork (cut and reweld). That might be more of a project than you want, but it isnt too complicated. I had some expert help but it was a two day job.

I bought a Grizzly back in the fall but only last week got to use it. I also have parts for a KMG clone that I haven't even started building. I had no idea how much of a difference a 2x72 grinder would make. I am considering buying a good machine now as I am well aware of the Grizzly's limitations. Despite its various shortcomings the Grizzly is a realitively inexpensive starter machine. In my shop it replaced a Craftsman 2x42 which hardly qualifies as a grinder.

$25-150 depending on model and size. They aren't rare, and are obsolete as machinery goes. While they are cool and useful, not worth 200+ that they list for on Ebay. I have given two away and sold one for $15 once. I have probably owned 4-5 of them and total probably haven't spent $50 on the lot.

There was a good set of plans from Hans Peot that are available from several of the book sellers as well. His is based on a 50# Little Giant. There is also a set of plans for free download on Larry Zoeller's site for a small air hammer.

I have one of these forges and have been collecting what info I can find on them. I have as of yet not found anything about how the ducting/fan were arranged.

Virgil England did an article on such a hammer in Blade magazine years ago. He called it "The Arctic Rattler" and used it for raising armour, or as a planishing hammer.

That is a cool hammer and a lucky find for a first!