Phillip Patton

I'm afraid my video editing skills are nil, so most of the visuals will be stills. Sorry!

I tried the bolts after rotating the bottom die 90 degrees and it seemed to line up.

Well that's strange, it never lined up for me. :D

I think that the dies can be turned 90 degrees and worked from the side.

As I mentioned before, I've been using the hammer for a long time, working some very heavy stock, and never had problems with flex. Probably because the i-beam is significantly heavier than the plans called for. If you're not comfortable with the cutouts, then you should weld some plate to the flanges at those spots to re-enforce it.

BTW, the bottom die will not rotate 90 degrees, but the upper one will. I didn't do a perfect job lining the anvil up with the hammer, so the lower dies are not centered on their mounting plates....

Thanks again for buying it. I hope it lasts as long as you need it to. :)

Sorry I've been neglecting this thread, but I've been very busy, with lot's of stuff...

Thanks Stewart for the pics, though they are a bit big.

I have the hammer completely installed, and running. I did install the line shaft, which was a challenge, getting everything lined up perfectly. The belt connecting the motor to the shaft likes to come off. I think that's fixed, but it still isn't tracking on the middle of the pulleys.

Here's a short video clip of it in action, and you can find a couple more on my channel.

The upper die keeps moving, and I want to replace the lower die, as well as pour another, deeper foundation. Other than that, it's ready to roll.

yes please post it in the sword section on here so we all can follow how you go about making one

I wasn't aware there was a sword section. Thanks for pointing that out. Looks like it has been seen a few times. :lol:

Heck YA!!!
If no one else is interested would you be willing to send me a copy of the video?
I would love to have a copy for my references.

sam

Hi Sam,
Looks there is some interest, so I'll go ahead and post here. Most of it will be still pictures, but I'll have some videos also.

I too woul like to see the process. I am getting ready to attemp to make some pattern welded steel. so all info is of great interested. If it can't be on this forum what knife forum will it be on?

Besides this forum, I'll be posting it here:


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=678


It might be a few weeks before I can get to it, but I wanted to test the waters, so to speak.

Five yeas and no nays, so I guess it's a go.

I have a couple sword orders to fill, and I'm planning on documenting the build and posting the pics on a knife forum I'm on. Wouldn't be too much work to post them here too, if there's any interest. If you've all seen this sort of thing a million times already, then I won't waste the bandwidth.

But I just sold my old air hammer via this forum, so I'd like to give something back.

Phillip

You must have been a very good boy this year! Santa has really spoilt you! That's a magic looking load of kit you got there! Happy, hollidays.
Ian

I didn't think I was THAT good. :lol:

WOOOO HOOOO!!! Happy for you Phillip, glad you got it there safe, sound and in 1 piece.

Thanks, Matt.

BTW, I'm afraid I forgot who you said I should go to for dies. Who was it? Thanks. :unsure:

How much higher can it get and still be at a good working height for you?
If you are not planning on pouring a block, you should have a lot of wood under the hammer, with a 1/2" thick hard rubber mat between the wood and the concrete. I highly recomend pouring a thick reinforced block for that hammer.

I definitely intend to pour a new foundation, but now is not the time. I'm just wondering what would be an acceptable temporary base, and I like your idea of the wood and rubber. Unfortunately, I don't think that will work. Maybe if I bought an engine hoist and did some fancy acrobatics...

What do you all suggest I put under the hammer? I have some horse stall matting, or I could use plywood. Any other options?

Today we moved the hammer from just inside the barn door to it's final home. First had to move my "old" air hammer out of the way:








Then just roll the hammer over. This was the easiest part of the process so far. We literally just pushed it across the floor, using a spud bar for course corrections:

Here's the motor. It's a 3 horse, single phase. I hope it runs.





It's got to weigh at least 125#

Unloading sure was an adventure! We didn't have a tractor or crane to lift it off the trailer, (the one we had planned to borrow broke down last week) so we backed the trailer up to the big door of the shop, jacked up the front end, and winched it off the trailer onto some "roller bearings" (my stash of W2).

Everything went pretty well, except that the jerks who built the trailer put a hasp and chain right in the middle at the end of the trailer, and the hammer kept getting hung up on it. :mad: But, it's now sitting level on my floor, and no one got hurt, PTL.

Here's a picture of the nice coal forge the guy has and never used:

Thanks everyone for your advice! I talked to the seller yesterday and he accepted my offer of $1250. Now it's just a matter getting it. He can load it, but we'll have to unload it. I'm hoping we can winch it off the trailer directly onto my shop floor, but I can borrow my neighbors backhoe if that doesn't work.

Well, I did go see the Bradley. Turns out that the 25# LG is at a different location, so I didn't see it, but that's ok, since I'm not interested in it.

Here's some pics of the Bradley. Not great, since it was getting close to dusk, and there were no lights in the barn.
Some are with flash, and some without:











Links to bigger pics:












He said that it hasn't been used in 30 years, but it's been stored indoors all that time.
He's got it sitting on a nice concrete base, and built a really nice coal forge which has never been fired. I wish I'd gotten a picture of that forge....

Hey guys,
Thanks for the replies! I'm probably going to go see them today. I'll take pics and post 'em here.

I (and the hammers) are located in north east Indiana, if that helps. They belong to an older gentleman who bought them intending to use them, but came down with arthritis and couldn't. He wants to get rid of them. I want to buy them, and be fair to both of us. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks,
Phillip

Hi Folks,
I know a guy that has 2 hammers for sale, a 25# Little Giant, and a 75# Bradley upright. I don't know their exact condition, but I'm pretty sure they're in working order. He told me to look at them and make an offer. What would be a reasonable price?

Thanks in advance,
Phillip