macbruce

Ya betcha', just one minor detail...........

Yeah, It was like the thing hit a wall.... I heard a formula once re power boats: If you want to go 100mph you need a 1000hp mill.For every mph higher you need another 100hp........a bit of a stretch, but in the same ballpark.....mb

Here it is on David Norrie's 700 nazel 5 bl: .20, 10 bl .135. The only forge available was a wide open propane, 1800,1900 deg. I think it shows how tough the matieral becomes when it goes below .15 or so. It's the biggest sport hammer I've ever operated..................mb

I don't like laying em' down, if you have good chain w/ binders,or 2"wide ratchet straps AND good hard points at each corner, I say leave it up. arrange the chain, straps to pass through the throat (just below the dies) and to each corner. If you think you got more tie down chains than needed, think again, It's far better to use more than you think you need, especially if they're just cluttering up the back of the truck. Careful you don't tweak the trailer though. I wouldn't take it apart. Test the lift by picking the hammer up say 2" off the ground, if you can't, the truck is tipping.......forget that. If you can lift 2" get on the hammer and bounce, If that rocks the hammer/truck........forget that, If it's stable you're probly good to go. The biggest hammer I've moved to date was a Beaudry #8, 200lb, upright. Big hammers are never laid flat, why do that with the smaller? Unless you have to. That' my 2 cents worth.............mb

Fun, I'll tell you fun, I'm friends with a smith nearby who has a 700 nazel. If he'll let me I'll post the results, probly wont have to heat it..... Also, This test is likely thought of by some to be a total wast of time, absurd,etc,etc. But It sure as hell beats watching the news!

Operators do vary, but having truly flat dies, and dies that are wide enough, gets a couple of variables off the table The graph by Sam is looking like it could yield some useful stuff, especially now that some of the flawed results have been excluded.Try as we might, It's probably impossible to make a test that will accommodate every hammer.............mb

I agree.....mb

<br>Results on shop built 250 w/bull controls: 5 bl .500, 10bl .280.........A little better than jan. 7 , I used lighter dies and more pressure....125 psi. The 90 is off line..........mb

I'd have to drive another way. Well my friend, there's hammeritis, hammer envy, and last but not least, hammer interuptus......they all hurt.....................mb

What wt is the smack?

A sad tale........I realize the guy's dad wasn't around, but if you can get them to take a deposit , say $50 or $100, you got em'. I've locked up some pretty cool stuff that way...............strike while the iron is hot! mb

Nit,nit.......I think the bar on the left (the say mack right?) shows the problem, the matieral has squidged out the back. You can't measure the end, flawed test. The same is true if the bar is if the bar end is placed past the back of the die, as in 2" wide dies.The dies on that hammer look like what I call gentle drawing dies, not flat. Maybe 1 1/2"would work work better, and accommodate hammers with narrower dies, but you can't go much lower. ....mb

Here's what I'm talkin' bout, Bam Bams' 3b got .155 at 10 bl.........the Blu 155 got .081.hmmm,go figure.....mb

I personally like 90 cause it allows me to work at the end of the dies as easily as the front, as in spreading leaves. With 30 you must go around the the side further to use the end, your choice........mb

<br>The test surely Isn't 100% accurate, but not bad. If any amount of mateiral escapes from the sides or end then It's being drawn not flattened. That matieral is critical because It's going to cool the fastest and flattening is much more resistance than drawing. Hammers with narrow dies say 2" or less as opposed to larger ones may get some better readings....I'm not questioning these matters cause of my results.&nbsp;&nbsp;Watching the video I had issues with what I thought were a kinda loose&nbsp;&nbsp; interpretation of the test. Those guys in the video were in no way trying to put one over, but it was more or less an advertisement for blu, nothing wrong with blu, I think it needed pointing out.............call me a nitpicker ........m<br>Caffeine has me in It's grip this am so I did another test on the 250#. (the one with the small anvil).I did the bar on the left with 2" wide dies and got .250, the rt with 4" wide and got .388,or 36%+<br>

Judging from from some of the dished and curved shapes on your test pieces I question if your dies are truly flat. Is each piece measured in what would be the thinnest part? If so the dies aren't flat. The piece should should be measured side to side and on the end and be pretty close to the same. My eyes have deceived me before, so please correct me I'm wrong........mb

The balls I find around here anneal pretty well, spark like high carbon tool, and I cut em on the band saw. Seems they&nbsp;&nbsp;tend to vary in composition. I like to make ph dies from them......mb

Tomato,tamada....

Here here, I was concerned my figures might be questioned (didn't want to there again)so I googled what we pay for a penny, 1.62c and nickels, 5.79c.And you're right I am a cheapskate, and politics aside I wish the Gov't were too!

Grant, I've heard it costs 1.62 cents to produce a penny! So a nickel would simply be over the top.......mb

I use a very simple (and cheap) test for single blow strikes only. A penny struck once using flat dies, then measured with caliphers is an effective test. Not so much for comparing hammer to hammer.A baseline, once established can tell you if any adjustments made to the machine have been effective or not, or to check if It's not up to par.....mb

Right,It was a tight little scroll made of 1/8" welding rod hammered into the metal. I've made other "scrolls" of rebar,allthread,acme thread,whatever. They don't need to be hard steel unless you're in production. All the shapes are pretty ad lib..........mb

#80 morse chain bowl,alu bronze biscuits,8" dia. I decided to re forge the bowl, thought it looked too industrial. "If at first you don't succeed get a bigger hammer"........