JerryCarroll

My shop forge has an oil furnace injector blower with an air gate. The oil supply line is blocked off so it gets only air. The air adjusting lever is on the front of the forge within easy reach.

I don't think it matters either. One thing I do because I think it makes a handle less likely to break is when I rive the blanks from a sizeable piece of trunk (10--20") I use a froe and cut the pieces about 2-3" wide on the bark side. In shaping the handle the growth rings run horizontial to the hammer head. I have handles made from several kinds of trees. Figured maple is pretty--hickory is strong and a pretty strong wood is hedge apple, sometimes called osage orange. Depends on which side of the road you live on. See Blueprints BP0342 Handles BP1012 Making Hammer Handles

Prayers and sympathy are offered from here Irn. Losing the young ones is heart breaking.

simmonds, in this area there is a lot of metal working been going on for a long time. The Garey Ind. mills are only an hour away and a lot of smithing stuff in the past has been made in this area. Chgo. Hgts. is south of Chgo. a short distance and has had manufactors of forges--blowers & other tools. There is several spring shops, some you can deal with and others that only cater to the big guys. Here in Momence there was a spring factory named Tuthill. When they closed there was a lot of flat stock stacked back in the corners and I was lucky enough to know the new owners of the building. A lot of things went quick--like the power hammers and tooling for them. If I had known then that I was gonna get hooked as hard as I have been on beating hot iron I would have gathered a bunch more than I did of the good stuff. Check your phone book for spring shops and with luck you can probably come up with a supplier. Good luck!!

I was gonna mail the pictures but there is no addy in your profile.

Simmonds, I'm emailing some pictures--.

I set up my Rusty style hammer drive with a 24" doughnut tire & rim--1 hp 1750 rpm motor & a 6" shop made oak drive wheel. The hammer is 28 lbs. and the speed control is great. A picture is in the gallery. It took a little effort to get it adjusted (throw length, clamps on the stacked leaf springs for flexing mainly) but it runs smooth. My Grandsons love it!

Where else can you find help like the above posting?? Thanks to irn and others this site is priceless.

I have a barrel of coal I got for cleaning out a bin that sounds like what you have. I could not get a decent weld with the stuff so I just use it for heating stock to bend or teach basic hammer technics. My recent purchase of a load of pocohantis from W. V. is great for welding tho. From experence I can tell you bad fuel is discouraging! I would suggest another batch of coal if you have to weld--unless you don't have a choice.

I haven't thanked Glenn and the others responsible for keeping this place going so well in a while so this note takes care of not posting, and saying again--This site is great!! I can't imagine not having the privilege of veiwing the postings of other Smiths and the gallery of "stuff" I enjoy so much.

I've used sway bar--tie rod--leaf spring. All seem to be holding up even after welding and no heat treat.

Real nice Marc!! I make roses too and can appreciate the work it takes using a spike. Looks like you use the same method I do to close the bottom--makes a better rose :)

When I make a knife from a spike I judge the handle length by using the width of 4 fingers and lightly fuller with a 1/2" round spring fuller--just enough to make it round. from there I draw out the blade (width & length). I also use a tool I made from a bearing race to make a round ball at the place to fuller instead of fullering. It takes a little practice to get the blade centered with the handle but it ain't bad. I have some pictures in the gallery. Some blades I pierce with a heart, star or cross or whatever. The interest in spike knives amaze me and they sell!!

Mark, I would leave the springs long till you see how much throw you need. If you can notice on mine I left the back part of the spring longer so I can slide the push rod pivot back and forth to change the height of hammer movement. I have turn-buckle ends at the pivots that make the distance between the dies at rest adjustable too. It took a bit of time to get the adjustments where I need them for the stock I am using but it makes a big difference when you CAN adjust things.

Thanks Ron. The wheel support/bearing housing is the top of a very old (1940's like me) combination planer/circlelar saw that had a 3 hp 3 phase motor. The 1" shaft is plenty strong to handle the tire. I had planed to build a support for roller bearings but this was here and free.

One picture is in the gallery. I can take some close up shots of the assembly and mail them with specs if you like. The ram is a round (2" I think) bar in a square heavy wall tube welded on each end and squared up and milled very lightly on the sides to fit in another square tube for the guide--no slop! 28 pounds.

I just finished building a hammer based on the rusty plans. Like you Mark, I made my own modifications--especially on the drive. I used the doughnut tire/pulley-on-the motor application. I have about $50 invested and a lot of time but the results are pleasing. The old 1 hp motor will soon be relaced with a new one that runs at one speed making it more efficent. For the pulley I made a flange to fit the 3/4" motor shaft and used oak to make the drive wheel--6" dia. It's running about 180+ hits a minute and after getting things ballanced is a pleasure to use. Pictures are available.

my electric blower on the shop forge is from an oil furnace--air control is on the side of the blower that goes from nothing to blow the coal up off the grate! I used the blower/auger from a coal stocker on another before. Look around--be inventive, you'll be surprised what can be used.

Don, around my place there is chert--pretty hard, in fact I've used pieces in my flint lock making good sparks! I made a spud outta a torsion bar from under an old '60s Plymouth--68 I think. Good spring steel. I've cut it up for adz stock but I'm thinking it was over 5' long. Heavy and strong enough to carve rock with after pounding an end to a half moon chisel.

Ron, MIke mentioned an important part of a welding fire---depth. I've learned 4" is minimum.

I had a 24'x40' pole barn with a 6' overhang the 40' length for a porch before I retired. Walls are 12' high with a 16' peak--no windows for security--10' wide door on the end toward the front of the property and a 36" walk in door bout 2/3 the way back on the porch side. 12" stack is on the backend of the building thru the wall and up 3' above the peak. Floor is 27 tons of fine packed road mix gravel. The barn is behind my garage/woodworking 24'x40' 2 story building. My family calls my place "the Carroll compound".

I can't imagine trying to get much cutting done without the Greenlee porta-band I have had for many years. It's 2 speed and I use a wax I made from bees wax and tallow for lube. Cutting oil is a no-no on pb's I've been told and I had the wax handy for loading my 44. black powder revolver. Bi-metal blades are a little pricey to order but are worth the cost.

I used lawn mower blade for making the furniture for a trade rifle. When I attempted to cold bend the trigger guard to fit it snapped like glass--same with the butt plate. I had quenched the finished pieces in water at just below red. There was more carbon or something added than I had read about in research. I shoulda done the test Woody recomends.