monstermetal

Spoken like a true pessimist.... Truth is I do it for free just as much for me as for them. I like helping people who appreciate it because its rewarding to me. I do several hundred thousand a year gross and to me the extra $25 here and there would make virtually no difference to my bottom line, However feeling like I helped someone out and expected nothing in return pays great dividends via quality of life.... And I have made several good friends from the gesture. I once built a very complicated full suspension bicycle for a guy... Took me three months of evenings and weekends... for free, for a guy I didnt know from Adam... I did it because it sounded like fun, I wanted to see if I could do it and because I could see the guys passion for this bike ( he had spent two years drawing and perfecting the design.. had had a "frame builder" build him a prototype that was just horrible... I had told him I was not the right guy... up until he showed me what the expert frame builder had done... I said shoot I can do better than that... I am now good friends with the fellow, even though we are nothing alike (He is a high school English teacher at a Christian school, I am a tattoo'd hooligan blacksmith) and he has helped me more than enough to repay me for the bike

No access for a forklift. That would be my first choice but there is no approach.. Shoot the crane has to pick from 20-30 feet away ...... Its a bog and a slick mess to boot. Had a truck in to move the container today. His drive axle sank to the hub and he made trenches with the landing gear on his way out.... took three tries and I was pretty sure I was going to have to go hot wire the excavator down the street to pull him out... but he made it... and he didn't even have to go back where its bad

Grants right ( I find my self saying that a lot these days) I have a pretty good system I think in regard to a micro job ( anything less than an hour ) Without going into great detail If its something I dont mind doing for someone I dont mind doing it for... it will always be gratis. I have found a hand full of people abuse this service, In which case they immediately get a full rate price... The 4th time a guy comes in with a "it will just take you a min" job in a week he is most likely going to at least buy my lunch though... And I think it is very important to reward people who go beyond the call of duty... In all my time as a metal fabricator i have only received one "tip" I had totally miss understood what the lady wanted and completely fowled up her gate. She gave me a scale drawing with measurements and while standing in front of her house ask me to base the gate on the drawing but match the architecture of the house. The house had 4 massive windows that formed a cross at the peak of the roof... so I built the gate so the infill matched the lines of the house, and was quite pleased with how it turned out... the gate was finished, only thing left was hinges and a latch when I sent her a photo for approval... She responded quickly and was angry... She said I gave you a picture of what the gate was to look like!! What is this! I said you ask me to match the architecture of the house.. she replied I just meant I wanted the angle on the top of the gate to match the angle of the roof!... I apologized and said I would make it right... I started cutting apart the old gate and more or less destroyed it in the process... so starting from scratch I built her a duplicate of her drawing.. She gave me a $200 tip and a hug... and has referred three new clients to me resulting in at least fifteen grand worth of work... I on the other hand over pay for things frequently. I had to have a shipping container moved today. I was quoted $250 over the phone. The guy showed up on time, did a great job and obviously was a master at his trade.. I paid him $300 cash and felt like it was worth every penny... I know that I will use him again and it will come back around... Service people who are good at what they do are a rare breed... Be good to to them and It will pay back in spades.... I make it a point to pay my friends when they help me... most refuse and I'll be forced to stuff it in a pocket of theirs while they are not looking... But I really value there time and effort and I will at the very least cover any expenses,

Well.... If it didnt have to come over the anvil first.. and it we had anyplace good for it to go... I have 8 20,000 lb skates and have moved some pretty heavy stuff... Last thing was a big Gantry granite saw... But I have never moved anything that was over 100,000 pounds that was all one chunk... I bet a half million pound move would be a real stressful, yet fun task...

Made me think of Mark Aspery and his blacksmith Tae kwon do... I took a class from him and during he demonstrated in perfect form... Hold your hands up in a classic martial arts stance... then start pretending to follow the bending and manipulation .. If I bend here than that will have to go over, then pull this back.. then draw this out and fold over here..... Pretty soon you'll look like a Blacksmith Tae Kwon Do master!

Yeah I would defiantly check that out to... If they are just dry or sticky sometimes it helps to shoot a little penetrating oil in the air line because its thinner it will free things up.. then put in a extra dose of air tool oil immediately following

All right... Here is an update... Things got real ugly this morning. I had the crane guy there to look over the site and pick... I was on the phone with him while he walked about... he told me what would have to move and so forth.. no big news... we set the pick up for a week from today... Life is good.... Half hour goes by he calls me back... says he stopped and talked to the road crew working out front of the place.. Says a week from now he will be bringing a 108 ton (weight, not capacity) crane through here... they said no your not.. we are starting to pour concrete down this street on Monday... after we start the pour you not bringing any heavy equipment through here.. He gets me the lead guys phone number and I call him up.... He basically says look.. I got 50 prevailing wage guys working out here and trucks and concrete scheduled... I dont really care what "works" for you... It its not raining we are pouring mud.... So all of a sudden I have two days to get the hammer out instead of 8... So I load my truck up with tools and head up there today... I got the hammer broke loose from the foundation, cribed up and ready to pick, got the shed torn down that was over the top... Basicly spent 12 hours today getting it ready.... So the good news... while I was up there I got the construction lead to come down and look at the hammer and tell him what I was doing... Trying to save this ol girl.... And he is going to help... He said I would have to let the mud cure three days and they he would bring in 1" steel plates to set down where we cross.... Even said I could hire him to bring in an excavator and clean and shore up the crane site... So by the end of the day I was a bit less spastic... I mashed one finger bringing down the shed but Im pretty sure its not broke... My partner Joe helped me all day, He ended up with a golf ball sized knot on a shin from a miss placed sledge swing But the hammer is ready to pick.... Now my big problem is getting them darn boats out of the way.. The first couple pics are of the approach... notice it wasn't a stretch when I said I had to move a 40' container and these two boats... I had Joe stand in the only access with the boats there to give you an idea.... You can kind of see the top of the hammer back there behind the big trees... Also notice the fine Washington weather... rained on us all day:)

I thought you where just being mean.... Till I looked at it... turns out your spot on...

That is skookum Danger! I want one... doe they come in desk size?

Ok.... Crane is scheduled for Wednesday... I got 6 days.... ugg

Shows what I know... I thought the Molock was basically a re-branded Little Giant... and basically the same... Ive never owned one so I guess I should have not made that assumption... Sorry If i lead you astray

I would count any help from Tom or his wife out. Even though I did once actually get a call back from his wife, three or four months after I started sending emails... They never did send me the promised instructions or parts.. It sounds to me like you dont have enough volume of air... First off you didnt say anyting about how much air your feeding the thing.. It takes a 10 HP industrial two stage compressor ( a 7.5 will work at first but not keep up over heavy forging) and it needs to be plumbed clear to the hammer with at least 3/4 (1" is better) line or hose When I didn't have three phase at my home shop I ran mine on three 5 horse compressors all tied together to keep enough air supplied.... If you have enough air then There is a throttle valve on the side of the mechanism behind a cover... It can be adjusted down to slow the hammer... Thats where I would start... Let me know if you have any other questions (The hammer I had was a 125lb Bull, but my understanding is the air mechanism operates the same.. Oh... and If you decided to give up.... I'll have a trucking company come pick the thing up, I wouldn't want you contaminating the river with that dirty steel.... Actually if you decided you wanted to sell it I know the Kayne family (Blacksmtih Depot) loves those hammers, I brokered a deal for them on a Bull some time back and they said if I hear of others to give them a buzz.... Come to think of it they are probably a good source of info on them as well....

Boy those really do look clean.. Who ever the guy is running that table he knows his stuff... It takes a lot of know how (or a lot of luck!) to get cuts like that...

screw the vise... I want your table!

That is a cool way to rig this thing.. My guess is that picking it by the front and back bolt holes with eye bolts and a four leg bridal is going to be simple and provide a good level lift though... Or even a pair of adjustable chain bridals... Dont you think? I mean if the weight was way wonky I could see the sheave being important but I think the CG of this thing is pretty close to center... I have a good sheave (that ropemaster) and I'll scout up some cable in case we pick it and it doesnt want to fly well I'll rig it like your pic...but I think Im going to try a corner pick first... I'll do my best to take pictures... I think its going to be a mad house when the crane shows.. I talked to four riggers today, only one can schedule it before Christmas so hes the guy... He has a 40 ton truck crane, dual steer... if it takes under 2 hours its $800 2 hours and one min to 4 hours is $1200 and from there its an additional $200/hr I would sure hope I can do it in under 2 hours... Shouldnt be a problem as long as I got everything planed out and all the crap out of the way.... If I have to use the crane to move the 44' boat that is in the way that could foul me up.... This is a lot of flipin work! I was up there at 730am this morning after an hour in traffic to do a bit of work.. then a two hour drive back to my shop... going to have to go back in a day or so to start tearing down the shed and trimming trees to get the crane in...

Interesting.... I have a couple of Ropemaster sheaves... I think Ropemasters where made by Skookum..... But yeah I dont have much else for heavy cable rigging I think I understand what your saying.. your basically using the blocks to make the load self level.... I'd like to see a schematic of how you would rig it I am planing on getting a local crane company (probably Ness Crane) to do the pick... Im sure they will have rigging... Probably the best thing to do is take a picture in and talk to the operator and make sure he has the right rigging with him..

Yeah tis true... One of my other hammers as well as a big vise came from Geneva steel out in Utah.... Thats kind of funny about the Golden Gate... I used to work on a crew that put up bridge cranes... If we where cutting runway beam for a job at night we would always cut them a 1/8 short because if you cut them dead on the next day when it was warm they wouldnt go... And it really sucks to have a 60' long chunk of 21" X 182 # 25 feet in the air trying to force it in a hole thats a 1/16 too small!!

Im not much of a stick welder... But I can tell you I have been bit by a good many welders of all types... The worst was I used to work on a crew that put up bridge cranes... when hanging the electrification brackets you would have two guys in a scissor lift... one guy would hold the bracket up to the crane runway, the other would weld it on.... Now if that guy is stick welding... and you have any holes in your gloves, or are not wearing gloves.. and that rod touches you while you have hold of the runway... you get bit... pretty hard if sometimes... and it happened a lot So here you are 25 feet in the air leaned over trying to hold this chunk of heavy steel just right while not getting blinded by the flash and BOOOOOF OUCH! and 10 minutes later.... BOOOOOF Ouch!! I actually heard of a death here at a local manufacturing facility... Guy grounded a big welder... 600 amps + and it shut him off.....

It doesnt exacty have pick points... remember we are talking about a machine made it 1923... Cranes where a bit more of a luxury back then I would guess... And you most likely would have had to build a fire in one that ran outside.. ( I know Steam stuff was dying in the 20's but there was probably alot more of it around than anything else) It has a hole though the casting between the front and rear cylinders.. Its about 1 3/4... I think a 1 5/8 solid bar will fit... So that was my first plan.... I got some 4" 4 ply nylon slings that are good for 20 thousand basket pick.... I figure the hammer it self cant weigh more than half of the weight... so 9 thousand pounds... its all about balance, which I can force a bit with an adjustable choker or chain.. as long as the slings are tight up against the hammer I would think a bar through the hole... any words of wisdom?

I like that..... Sounds like my kind of guy

Well It wont be too long and I'll be able to tell you one way or the other... I went up and handed Mike a wad of hundred dollar bills today.... And now have 9 days left to get the thing out and on a truck... Wouldnt be so bad if If the two boats, one a 44 foot er, where out of the way... oh and I have to tear down a shed and move a 40' shipping container to get the crane back there.. Tell me why again I offered to do this? Where did you get the 18,000 lbs Grant? I pulled the 17,000 number out of my Nazel literature.. It only gave one option for a 4N so I figured I was safe with that... I am going to go up an try and get the shed down this week, pull off all the oilers and link's that are removable to keep them from getting busted.... If you want to help on load day Grant I would love for you to be there.. Both of my hammers are one peice guys so this is my first separate anvil gig and the biggest by a good bit..... Also Grant Jesse was talking about wanting me to do the rings and seals in the thing before it leaves... If that happens Im roping you in on that for sure....

While I'm sure there are plenty of bigger ones I don't think anyone would call this light duty. It's two chunks of 1 1/2 plate spaced 5" apart and boxed ith 1/4 plate inside and out. It weighs close to a ton. The 1 1/4 acme screw will generate maybe 20 ton of squeeze. I have worked 1/4 aluminum and 10 ga steel with no problem. ( the screw will bow That 3" of steel plate without even trying.

Well keep in mind a 3 is a 265 lb hammer. A four is a 500 lb hammer. It would be great it it could be bolted to a plate but Im not sure it's doable for a hammer this size

Well there is alot to look for... Without pics and since its a Molock I'll assume its a old style... First and most important is to look at the frame and castings... look for cracks and repairs. These are the hardest and most expensive thing to fix so I would say thats job one. Next look at the dovetails... have either of the dies been welded in place (thats a bad sign but maybe just a poor key and someone who didnt understand why it was coming loose) Then the ram guides.. The front to back guides (old style) are much harder to addjust, if they are worn and there are no shims behind the guide that means you either have to machine off some of the guide bracket or build up the guide surface... Are the toggles broke? How wallered out are the pin holes? Next find something and try to pry up on the crank shaft.. is there alot of play in the bearing journals? are there any shims left for adjustment? Are the bearings in one peice? ( I sold a hammer here not to long ago that the bearings where tight and lots of shims left but when the guy got it home the bearings where fractured into several pieces) Does the clutch engage smoothly and at a reasonable spot on the treadle? is there any front to back slop in the crank when you step on the treadle? Kind of stepping back one of the best things you can see when you go to look at a running hammer is it covered in grease and oil... if its being run the whole hammer should be shiny with grease and oil... a guy who cares about his hammer would oil it at a very minimum of once a day and probably several times through out the day.... If its being used much and its dry and crusty... thats a bad sign... You know if its not broke, the best way to check a running hammer.... is to run it. if its tight, gives a positive blow and is controllable... and doesn't have any breaks or repairs.....I would feel pretty safe paying top dollar... The more issues the less its worth....

You know I dont have any hard numbers that I would bet money by but I can tell you that my #1 weighed real close to 1600 lbs. I drove across a scale with it on my trailer and I think thats a pretty solid number. That being said I have been up close to a #0 and they are much smaller.... I wouldnt say half size but I dont think they are 3/4 size either.... My gut feeling is that if the thing will pick a thousand pounds you should be fine...... If it really worries you find someone with a Dynamometer that will let you use it during the pick... Just rig it between the hammer and the hook and it will give you a dead on weight. I have one but I am a heck of a ways away just to come grab it... But If your down near Auburn I would be happy to lend it.