SGropp

The factory literature that I have for my hammer clearly states that both the top [ main ] shaft bearing and the crank box bearing are ''chambered for oil''. The only bearing that is designed for a grease fitting or cup [according to the lit. ] is the main drive pulley which runs constantly when the motor is running. I have a drip oiler installed on the top bearing, set at a pretty good flow and a small oil filler cap in the crank box bearing. I oil everything about every 4 hours with way oil { Vectra 2 ] purchased in bulk from Enco. The rollers , roller tracks inside the ram, guide ways ,linkages , and idler pulley get oiled on the same schedule as well as the roller arm that is part of the clutch assembly and accessible and visible from the front and side of the hammer. There does not seem to be a provision for oiling the cone clutch surfaces [ which I assume is made to run wet like a Little Giant ], so I am guessing that it receives the necessary lubrication by oil that drips out the back end of the top main bearing. Anyway this is how I have mine set up, it's worked well for years. I oil liberally and frequently on the premise that oil is cheaper than parts or downtime. If I was to improve the design of the hammer, I would eliminate the large access holes in the ram, creating a deep sump that could be filled with oil so that at every stroke the rollers and tracks would be bathed in oil. This seems like the weak link in the design and the part that shows the most wear from use and /or lack of proper lubrication.

My #7 came with a huge 550v 3 ph. 850 rpm 5 hp motor which I'm sure was original to the hammer. Because of the age of the motor, the odd voltage and difficulty of finding a converter to run it, I opted for repowering with a new 7.5 hp 1725 rpm, 220 v single phase motor w/ magnetic starter switch. I used a jackshaft arrangement of 2-1 to get the speed at the drive pulley to the proper 850 rpm. The motor is mounted up top out of the way and to give enough distance for the double cogged v belts that transfer power from the motor to the jackshaft and drive pulley. The drive pulley is about 3.5. '' in diameter and is the same one that came with the original motor. The large main pulley on the top of the hammer is driven by a 5.5'' wide synthetic flat belt from the drive pulley on the jack shaft. There is a heavy idler pulley on the top side of the belt. The lower side of the flat belt is the pulling side. This is on a ''motor driven'' hammer with a split main drive pulley and cone clutch. This hammer works very well with this set up, runs the right speed, hits hard or soft with good control. The original factory motor mount did not allow long stock to be worked the length of the dies without running into the motor. Even though this contradicts the literature, I assume this is the original motor mount as it is a massive casting made to fit the frame, shimmed into alignment with forged steel shims and poured lead packing. This hammer came out of a tool forge that likely only ran short stock . It was fitted with massive flat dies notched and dovetailed to accept matching top and bottom insert dies, so perhaps it was a custom set up from the manufacturer for the original customers application . These hammers show a lot of evidence of hand work and fitting and each one is unique in spite of being built in a factory environment. Build a proper guard around the belts and jackshaft, those are a definite hazard that you are likely to tangle with only once. I hope this helps, I think you have the exact same hammer as I do.

I too run a Miller XMT 350 power source with a CK watercooled torch with a built in thumb control. The torch is cooled with a Milller Coolmate. I used to use a Esab gas cooled torch with an aftermarket thumb control that attached to the torch handle with velcro straps, but it was awkward, because it was bigger and sometimes slid out of position. The watercooled torch is much lighter , with a more flexible lead that is covered with a soft leather sheath. I am not a welder per say , but a blacksmith doing artistic work. The thumb control lets me work all over a large complex piece from the best position.

Don't be surprised if that whole press and stand start to ''walk'' every time the tool bottoms out. Bolt it to the floor and the wall if you want it to stay in one spot. Nice score.

There's always lots of discussion on this site on the pros and cons of Chinese made equipment. Usually this turns into people ranting about the generally poor quality of Chinese tools, you get what you pay for, buy American, etc. etc. Someone usually chimes in with the comment that the Chinese can and do make high quality equipment if people are willing to pay for it. My question is ; who makes them? who carries them in the US ? and how do they compare in general ? Mostly I'm curios about compact commercial duty machine tools; mills , mill/ drills and lathes suitable for the small one or two man professional shop.

Rather than have the counterweight hanging over your head, use two pulleys and a longer cable and locate the counterweight somewhere safe and out of the way. The weight for my #6 must be all of 200lbs, but if something lets go it will fall harmlessly into the bushes behind my shop. Putting a counterweight on a flypress is definitely a modification that is worth doing. Putting the weight somewhere else makes it even better and safer and doesn't require extra headroom.

I've wanted to try a project like that for sometime, nice job. The real test will be how they hold up leading some runout mixed pitch. Sorry to say that the only action my ice tools have seen lately is doing pullups on the beam in my shop while I'm waiting for a heat.

So what exactly is involved in converting a steam hammer to run on air ? How big a compressor would it take to run that hammer ? Why are Nakedanvil and Forgemaster so down on that kind of hammer ? Obsolete ? , dangerous? too problematic and not worth putting back in service ?

Will K. , That #8 of yours is unusual in that the access hole in the ram is round instead of oval. That hammer looks in good shape in spite of all the peeling paint.

It looks like the jack shaft and idler pulley set up is not original. If you plan on doing any long work you will need to change how that and the motor are mounted. It looks as if you cannot straighten work lengthwise across the dies without running into the V belts. What year is that hammer? It looks in pretty decent shape. I think the #8 is rated at 250# ram weight

Mine is through Industrial Coverage Corp. who are agents for The Hartford. This is the program set up by ABANA and is by far the best coverage at the best rate I've found . I think it's a bit more than $2 ,000 a year. I've been covered by them for at least 10 years. Liability, theft and fire are the main categories of coverage. They are also prompt at sending out certificates of insurance to clients or contractors.

A couple of years ago I bought 3 tons of coke. When it showed up it was in 3 "Super Sacks" , which were huge cubic bags 4 feet square and tall. Luckily they were on wood pallets, but were quite a challenge to move out of my driveway without a forklift or tractor. I think coke is a bit less dense than coal so a ton of coal would be slightly smaller in volume. I suspect that like so many commodities a large proportion of the cost is transportation and handling. Good quality smithing coal or coke seems to be harder to find in smaller quantities with each passing year. Gas forges are definitely the way to go for so many reasons, but it would be hard to eliminate a coal fire for certain operations. Induction forges look very attractive for production work, but seem limited in use for pieces that go through large changes in section or profile from one heat to the next .

Where is this this beast located and do you have any photos ?

Why don't you pour a 4" slab in most of the shop and pour a dedicated footing for a power hammer that is isolated from the rest of the floor. Use strips of some kind of rubber , wood or fiber sheet to make a gasket between the slab and the footing. The rebar should not connect the two . Make the footing at least 3 feet square and at least 18" deep. Use extra rebar in the PH footing. That should be plenty adequate for any kind of hammer that would fit in that small of space . Locate the footing by making a generic template of a power hammer and locate the bulk of the footing under the anvil. You want as much access to the hammer as possible, both straight through the dies as well as across the length . Mock it up with as long a bar as you are likely to be working under the hammer. It will be hard to really get it right without the actual hammer. A few inches either way or a few degrees change in orientation can make a huge difference in usefulness and efficient use of space. This becomes even more critical in such a small shop Having a separate foundation for the hammer will make a noticeable difference, both in how hard the hammer hits and how much vibration is transmitted to the rest of the building. Put a wood pad under the hammer. If you don't have the hammer when you pour the footing and are able to cast the anchor bolts into the concrete. you can set the anchor bolts into the existing footing using something like Hilti system epoxy .

It seems there are a couple of people on here looking for Nazel hammers and other tooling. axle manufacturing shop 600 29th Ave, Oakland, CA closing after 60 years. 1x 2B Nasel needs work, 1x 4B nasel running, 12 drill presses, complete lathe and milling shop, 20 old welding machines, 10 heavy shear, 100ton press for forming angle bends, huge assortment of tools. 2 anvils, many post vices, machine vices. hydraulic presses, etc Call Marty at 510-261-1888 The post has been reworded. This is a one time offer for those wanting this type machinery.

In some circles it's fashionable to dismiss mechanical hammers and particularly Little Giants. . Sure, there are better hammers out there, but parts for Little Giants are still available, as well as a lot of real information about rebuilding and keeping them adjusted. They also have low horsepower requirements to ram weight ratios, making them suitable for smaller shops . My 25 # LG turned a 100 years old this year and hasn't missed a beat. I see no reason why, that with proper care it won't make it for another century. My 100# LG and 200# Beaudry are both almost 90 and should keep on hitting hard into the next century. It will be interesting to see if this current crop of import hammers will last that long.

Iron Pipe sizes remain the same on the OD regardless of schedule. The higher schedules have thicker walls, always taken up on the ID. This way standard threaded fittings work on various schedules of pipe. Tube sizes are measured by ID . The size designation is the nominal size, neither the ID or OD of 1" pipe measures 1" If you are buying pipe for forging , It's best to specify domestic grade as it seems to be less prone to splitting at the welded seam. This is not what is usually available at big box home centers. The very best pipe for hot forging is schedule 160 DOM [drawn over mandrel ] which is seamless. Expensive stuff and not always easily available.

Most of the bevel should be on the top of the blade [ the side towards the handle, away from the work when you are using the tool] The bottom side should have a slight bevel. This bevel is a segment of the arc that the cutting edge swings in during use. If you put a square across the plane of the bottom bevel with the inside corner at the cutting edge ,the other leg of the 90* angle should be at the first knuckle of your hand when grasping the handle . To work properly the blade needs to be swinging in an arc, entering the wood, cutting a chip and exiting. If the angle is too open, the blades sticks in the work. If it is too closed ,it bounces off. A hand adze is swung from the elbow rather than the shoulder, with a loose grip like holding a hammer. This keeps the motion in a controlled arc. The motion is fairly quick and smooth , removing wood by cutting lots of even sized chips rather than large chunks. For a hand adze it is best to sit down with the work braced against a stump between your knees. The hand holding the work should be near the top of the piece, safely out of the path of the blade. The arm holding the tool should be held in close to your side, swinging in a smooth motion from the elbow. Just like working hot iron under a power hammer, the tool is swung in a constant predictable path, while the work is manipulated constantly as the form is developed. Wider blades [ more than about 1 1/2" wide ] work best with a slight concave scoop to the blade or rounded corners with the upper edges turned up in a lip. This helps keep the corners of the blade from sticking in the wood. In any case in plan view , the blade should have a slight curve , rather than be straight across. I hope this clarifies things rather than making it more complex. The subtleties of a well functioning hand tool is not to be underestimated. These observations are from a lifetime of use with the Northwest Coast Native style elbow adze, but should apply as well to the European style adze as pictured in the OP. The Native peoples of the NW Coast developed the most highly evolved wooden material culture in history. This was and is made possible with basically just two types of tools , the curved ["crooked"] knife and the elbow adze

I use 2" wide strips of 1/2" 5 ply fir plywood , fastened together with 1" sheet rock screws [ at least 2 at each connection ] All references , notes and angles are marked right on on the template with a black marker. Plumb, level and other critical orientation marks are drawn as well. Squeeze clamps are handy to hold it together before the screws go in. I cut the strips with a jigsaw or sharp Japanese handsaw. Sometimes the template has to come apart to get out the door , make provisions to put it accurately together again. Make the template strong and accurate so that it survives the trip back to the shop and on to the layout bench. Take your time , sometimes it is worth it to take a picture of the template in place at the site. I seldom use a tape measure except in a general way. I've made over 80 stair railings and at least that many fireplace doors or screens using this method and have never had anything not fit the first time.

Metro, Not to rain on your parade, but you might try it for a few years before calling it a "cakewalk. " It has the potential to be a well paying vocation, but to actually make a living as a blacksmith is neither simple or easy. Having the right equipment is essential, but only a small part of it. Good luck in your quest !

There' an illustration of a hammer just like that one on page 16 of " Hammer Work " Originally published by International Textbook Co. 1906 reprinted by Lindsay Publications Inc. ISBN 1-55918-076-5. There's a foundation plan on page 17 for a single arch hammer of comparable size . The anvil block is sitting on a deep stack of heavy timbers and the hammer itself is supported and bolted to heavy timbers sitting on massive brick piers. There is also some discussion further on of the advantages and disadvantages of using elastic timber foundations as opposed to massive cast concrete foundations for large steam hammers.

Lube the oil holes , linkage pivots and top bearing cups with way oil [like Vetrax 2] or chainsaw bar oil, something with some cling so it doesn't just run out. The only points that should be greased are the pitman / crank bearing and the main shaft through the back,also maybe the treadle pivot if equipped with a grease fitting The clutch works best with something light like diesel mixed 50/50 with 30 # motor oil. Keep everything wet with oil, a shot at least every 4 hours. Oil, any oil is cheaper than parts or downtime

The wrap round guides on the old style hammers is reputed to be a better and more durable design. This was told to me by Sid at Little Giant. I think the old style hammers were also heavier built and slightly taller. The center mounted clutch also seems a more balanced design. I imagine that they were originally built like that for running off of line shafts and do need some modification for mounting their own electric motor. Both my 1910 25# and 1922 100# LG are old style and have proven to be very good hammers. I've never seen an old style LG bigger than 100#

The critical geometry for a hand adze is that the plane of the top bevel [ against the work] should be at 90 degrees to the tip of your index finger knuckle when you are holding the tool. If this isn't right then the blade either sticks in the work every stroke or bounces off. The cutting edge should be swinging in an arc, cutting a chip and then exiting. A properly made hand adze is a joy to use.

Neat Guy I think the flywheel on mine is very slightly tapered as well. I would just form the brake shoe to fit. Getting rid of any bumps on the casting will make the action smoother. If you had the flywheel and shaft off the machine as part of the rebuild you could turn it true, but I don't think that is really needed unless there are gross irregularities in the casting