iron woodrow

how little is a little steam hammer?

someones boot has worn halfway through the treadle..... looks like a lovely beast....... heavy?

in a catalogue from 1911 (which i will post picutes from eventually) i found a woodcut of a steam operated oliver hammer. it seems to have a head mounted on a y shaped arm, with a steam mechanism acting on the arm, the only reason i call it an 'oliver' is because that is what it is reffered to as in the article.

yeesir i can calculate volumes and weights, and i will be working this out in ,id say, the next week or so (still have to organise to pick it up.). i'll look into the steam boiler laws and regulations, and i know a bloke that does steam certification, he works as one of the boiler operators at the mill i work at during the crushing season. over christmas at my olds in brisbane, i found an advert in an E.S.C.A catalogue from 1911 (belonging to my dad), featuring this hammer (or one very like it), the sizes it came in, and hp ratings, and also the pilkington self contained, and its sizes and specs too. ill get him to do a scan for me, as there might be some people interested in it. have you had a chance to get the details of the self contained conversion you mentioned? (is that what you meant?)

i feel terrible i didnt get a chance to thank grant for his valuable input on this subject before i received the sad news of his passing, a sad loss to the world of smithing indeed. so now i will thank all those who have helped me, in case i never get the chance. woody

i have no access to that book can you post a pic?

where are you franky? probably somewhere inaccessable? i am.... tell me more about your boiler, i am toying with the boiler pathway again after phils last reply...... phil- how small is surprisingly small, and how do i determine the cwt? i will calculate the cc of the cylinder when i pick her up, and give her a lick of paint.

ripper phil, if i can get this old girl thumpin, she'll do me fine. i thort itd take a compressor with a bit of oomff. the block doesnt look too worn, so she'll be right for now.... the bloke thats got her says he saved her from goin to scrap, and thats the only reason he picked her up. if i cant work out a way of gettin her goin, economically, i might donate her to the museum up here that has a working steam boiler, and see if i cant put on displays for them.

i did an industrial blacksmithing apprenticeship, and i think the most important part of it was the repetition and the hard work, i was very arty when i started, and to be honest, tended to be lazy for that very reason. i think an apprenticeship is a very important part of the learning of this trade, and without it, you will always be (to yourself) not quite qualified. if you are young and willing, be ready to leave your hometown, home state, or if necessary, your country, to follow the dream. but keep on it, and trawl this site for the names of those in the know, and hound them if need be. a boilermaking trade is also a good start, as a lot of the college courses intertwine (at least in australia) and to finish a blacksmithing apprenticeship, after boiler making is only about another year. also find the colleges that run the modules/courses, and find as much from them about who and where the employers of blacksmithing apprentices are. as above, good luck!

gday chris, i would like a copy of that manual too! i am chasing after a 300cwt pilkington in my local area, and would like to know as much as possible about it before i get hold of it. woody.

very nice control! so steam hammers traditionally control like this? i have another thread, to gain steam hammer info, so as not to hijack this one, http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/24983-ufsh-unidentified-flying-steam-hammer/ it will be good to see your #2 forging, when you put some more videos up!

has anyone come up with a way of making a larger supply cylinder run of a crank, virtually converting such a hammer into a self contained pneumatic? just a thought....if not, ill use the frame as a base for a more modern system until i can afford a 400(!) cfm compressor. thanks for the replies.

not quite sure why this post is not being shown... mod note: If you referring to the first post, it is visible. you seem to have loaded in a slideshow of your hammer. Maybe you do not have the proper plug in on your machine to view what you loaded? If on the other hand you are talking about this one... I see it and posted this reply

i have been offered a steam hammer, the bloke told me 'if yer can get er goin ye can 'ave er" ... apparently he tried it with his small compressor, and gave up after a couple of blows. http://www.flickr.com/photos/41924895@N07/sets/72157628439741909/ id love any info anyone might have on hammers like it , and running a steamy on air, or steam, and the best way to go about it.... i'd say the outside of the cylinder was about 1' and the length was about 3' the hammerblock about 7" square.(the block is solid to the tup, no dovetail for interchangeable blocks, but the bottom die can be changed.) he reckons when he took it apart it was surprisingly clean inside, and i think it was used, at the mulgrave sugar mill, up to about 20 years ago, when it was replaced by a massey 5cwt. the mill was established in 1896 and i am inclined to think this was a brand new aquisition at that time. 117 years ago. thanks mates, any help would be appreciated. woody.

ah but certain posters were doubting dendochronology as an unproven by science method werent they?

rather an interesting read gentlemen, it smacks at times of the old proverb "preaching to the choir" and i believe that a further step to the saga would be for certain members of this conversation actually seek out archaeological scientists and continue the disscussion with this much gusto. it is easy to be an expert amongst those less well read than oneself, far harder amongst well read peers, but the next level comes when speaking to those far more read in a particular subject than you.**** having said 'read'; read- read and practiced. woody.

hi im not sure if this has been covered before, and if it has, a grunt and point in the right direction is all i need! i served my apprenticeship using mostly induction heating, and furnace work, and i tried ( when the boss wasnt looking) many times, to weld bars heated to welding temp in the induction heater, with ne'er a weld. im assuming that the exposure to oxygen was the cause, so my question is this: has anyone tried running argon or other inert gas into an induction coil for welding purposes? i am guessing a more enclosed coil casing would be in order, but just an idea..... woody.

im in australia, and burn my own charcoal, mostly ironbark bridge timbers and sleepers, i have access to the local railway navvy yard scrap wood pile, ive never bought charcoal so i cant help there....

probably a similar way of looking at it is that we dont use mild or wrought as a hammer, no matter what mass, because the difference is apparent even before use! could an experiment be done on a block of carbon steel with a large mass, try it when normalized, and try it when hardened. the difference will be very noticable, with the same mass. and im not suggesting anyone normalize their anvil! not all reactions are created equal it seems, isaac newton .

this has indeed been a very informative topic, another reason to keep coming back to this site!

but if we all were to shell out cash to cut out the hard work, no learning would ever be achieved. stephen, be prepared to make a few mistakes, but dont be afraid to try. if you make a trial run in mild steel, you would have some experience in what you want to make, before you risk the more expensive steels. you could always steel an edge later, if it works out. i have to admit the only time ive made axes is with a 300 tonne eumco upsetter, (with top and bottom dies clamping, and the w302 drift being driven in from behind) but even with that the initial setup was done with mild steel, to save the expensive steel for the real deal..... the upstter was mainly used for drill rods though.

hope youse all have a bonza time fellas, and sheilas, and im hit and missed about not bein able ta come.

we all know how much apprentices love to talk....

im not quite sure what to say about that frankenbeast.....

i cant comment on the market for hammers, but since it is being put to tender there is at least some interest. i hope it is only hobbyists, because i think i could out bid them.... and make it work it back if i want to get serious about my future, i need it, and i want it o so badly :P