Astro_Al

Thanks JohnB - again! Much appreciated. I O U beer when we eventually meet... Cheers, Al.

Ah ok, thanks guys, it is the fuel then. No probs, the issue will go away when I find some... I knew the anthracite was wrong, I just had no choice. John - I wish I could - can't even afford the fuel to get there at the moment! West Dean college use forge beans from Corralls. Corralls only supply it from one location (Hove), they will stock it at Farringdon which is near me, but get this - they don't have any of the nicely labelled bags to put it in, so I can't have any!!!!! AAARRRGGG! Been waiting months for the bags, even though they already have the forge coke. Obviously I told them I don't care what the flippin' bag says, but no dice. Its enough to make me find a different supplier even if they do get some in. I did see an ad in the BABA magazine about a place in Axford, so I'll try ringing them. Its an hour away but I'm close by every Monday so it might work. Thomas - I'll try, I promise! Cheers, Al.

I've been using anthracite beans as it was all I could find recently. (Anyone know any decent forge coke suppliers in Hampshire UK??? - who actually have stock). That's basically the right forge, but mine is a motorised blower. Once its switched off it just keeps giving off heat for days - is that the fuel coking? So you think its a wrong fuel issue? Cheers Al.

Hi guys. I have an Alldays and Onions coke forge. I don't do a xxxx of a lot of forging (sadly), but whenever I get it fired up it takes about 3-5 days to go cold again afterwards. What do people do about all that fuel burning? I could spray water on I guess, but what do you do if you need to light it up again? Stupid question but... Cheers, Al.

Exactly. This press was from a scrap yard. I was speaking to a local machinery dealer the other day who said they had a large stock of number 10 flypresses for years and could never sell them at any price, scrapped the lot in the end. Anyway, I'll always be able to rebuild it (though I probably never would). Just wondering if the 12" of daylight is going to be enough, and if the large base plate will get in the way. But its only to speed up basic operations like drawing etc. Al.

Thanks guys. John - thanks for your time on the phone about that painted Massey that was on ebay (amongst others). I have all your wisdom scribbled on an envelope somewhere! I figure I could build this hammer for less than the cost of having the Massey delivered, so I started re-thinking. At least for now. My flypress is a bit odd. It has a large rectangular hole in the base / foot / anvil part and a flat plate which bolts over it when not needed. I'd have to give some thought to the anvil side of things. Bob - the voice of reason. Not sure why I hadn't thought that myself! (Oh, no, wait... 'the voice of reason' - I remember). Hmm, the grey matter is grinding away... Al.

Hi guys, does anyone have any thoughts on using a flypress as the basis for a pneumatic powerhammer? I have a flypress here - I guess its a number 10, weighs about a tonne. The screw is a little damaged. Rather than fix it (which I will do otherwise) I wondered about making it the beginning of my powerhammer. Its got all the structure right there, plus the slideways built in. All I need to do is swap the screw for the cylinder I have already found, and make some tool holders, right? I know it won't pack a punch like the Masseys I have been looking at, but its basically free and for a first hammer I reckon it could work pretty well? Any thoughts, suggestions, uncontrollable hilarity etc etc? Anyone ever done it? Cheers, Al.

Hi John, thanks again, no, you're coming through loud and clear. Ok got it - spring on the outside. Makes sense, will need a pretty stiff spring though - quite a bit of weight behind it, maybe an engine valve spring or two...? Yes I have a couple of cylinders with air cushions (piston into hole type) which I took apart to see how they work. With these larger diameter cylinders, what are your thoughts on plumbing dimensions - general pipe size, and port sizes for the valves? Do the larger cylinders demand higher flow all round (so larger bore everywhere?)? There are dizzying numbers of valves in the catalogues, so clues would be good - especially bearing in mind the large cyl bore. Cheers, Al.

John, thanks I really appreciate your thoughts, I'm totally new to pneumatics - aside from the odd air tool. I was actually thinking of a rubber bumper (shock absorber bump-stop style) for the end stop. A spring sounds like a good idea also, I'll have a look around... You just mount that directly to the piston so that it contacts the end plate towards the end of the stroke, right? I think a spring would give a nicer deceleration than a solid rubber bump. Yes, I encountered these standard dimensions while getting quotes for cylinders. They are a pain! It seems most specs are related to cylinder bore size (piston rod diameter and port diameter for example), which makes little sense when the rams can be used in all manner of ways - particularly at very different rates. The superior method would be to have a set of stock sizes from which a person (customer) could choose the required combination of variables. Sadly, it seems everything is locked together as a set of specs. Over here in the UK we have different codes for the 'standardization', but it all amounts to the same thing - a PITA. I'd like to select a fat piston rod, and some large ports with the cylinder dimensions I already have, but... I will drill out the narrowed port (it is literally a narrow web at the end of a wide 'hole'), and add another port at both ends. Its almost zero cost for the extra flow, I'd be mad not to. I will endeavor to fit the largest fittings I can, and not to restrict flow at any point (including into the cyl). I was planning to use the largest bore pipework I can reasonably use. The specs you quote sound similar to mine - (roughly/estimate) 150lb ram, 3.25" cyl bore. So its interesting to hear that I'll need maybe 100 to 120 psi to getting it running well. Any idea on the CFM for that (at a given stroke?), also I'd be interested to hear your experience of how varying the stroke, by an inch - say, affects cfm requirements? Many thanks again for your input & experience, its great that you share this info despite being a supplier. Al.

Hi John, many thanks for your input. Yes, I dismantled the cylinder and I'll be drilling out the end of the port. The restriction seems totally pointless. I am also intending to drill a second port at each end of the cylinder to aid flow (by the time the fittings are screwed in, its not too large of a bore, so I figured doubling the flow capacity with a second one is a good plan). I'm definitely going with the 80mm bore cylinder, confidence boosted by the comments on your site! Cheers, Al.

Hi guys, right well, I have accumulated some pneumatic paraphernalia! I have found a suitably large ram - bore 80mm, stroke (about) 45cm (18") - leaving a bit of room at the ends (cylinder length is 500mm I think). Hopefully you can see them in the pics, plus a couple of 63mm rams I found along the way. The issues are that - a. it doesn't have air cushions at each end, but that won't matter so long as I control the stroke to not go near the ends, right? - b. the ports measure very crudely about 5/8", but seem to be almost blanked off at the end down to a roughly 1/8" hole. I'm thinking I can just drill this out to get the air flowing, any thoughts? I can't think why they'd make it like this! There seem to be lots of different mounting options. Does it matter? Cheers, Al.

Thanks for the offer, I think I can probably beat that after shipping to the UK, but thanks anyway. Having said that, I just got quoted about $3000 USD for a heavy duty Norgren M1031 cylinder (3" x 350mm stroke) Ouch, won't be buying that then! Al.

Hi, thanks for your reply. I found some interesting info on the 'Iron Kiss' hammer website: "You do NOT need 3-phase power to run a large Iron Kiss power hammer in a production setting. The 100, 125, and 150 pound Iron Kiss hammers will run with "one iron in the fire" with 5, 7 1/2, and 10 hp 2-stage air compressors. These are available in single-phase electricity versions. This is intermittent forging--while the iron is back in the fire the compressor recharges the tank for the next bout of hammering. For "multiple irons in the fire" --continuous forging--the compressors are larger: 7 1/2, 10, and 15 hp. To get these numbers when you have already installed a compressor that is proving to be too small, you can buy a second machine and place it on a separate circuit breaker and then unite the air lines to feed the hammer. You only need to run the second compressor when doing the heavy production, saving on wear and tear. Blacksmiths can often find used compressors at equipment auctions to save money." Power Hammer FAQ - Iron Kiss Hammers, LLC. Along with some comments on their cylinders: "Cylinders used in standard Iron Kiss hammers are premium steel tube Norgren units made in the USA with 3.25" and 4" diameters. Each cylinder uses air cushions on the top and bottom caps. These diameters permit the hammers to run effectively at pressures as low as 80 psi. As a forging session is using up the air in the compressor's tank, Iron Kiss power hammers will run longer than competitive brands that need as much as 120 psi to function. Iron Kiss power air hammers are very snappy performers in the 80 to 150 psi pressure range and can be tuned to run at least four blows per second at short strokes or tuned to run slower with longer strokes." So I guess they are saying roughly that a 10 HP with a 3.25" (roughly 80mm) bore is a workable combination for continuous forging. Seems like I have enough air to get me started at least, if I go for 80mm, which I can always add to if needed. As they say, a larger bore requires a lower pressure to exert the same force, so you can run at lower pressure for the same effect, helping with air requirements. I'm figuring on an anvil to ram mass ratio of 16.66:1 if I go with a 150 lb ram. That seems like a decent ratio. Incidentally, some nice p/hammers here (I guess you guys have seen them): Phoenix Forginghammers : Pneumatic Air power hammers for the forging industry Both sites have some useful data to help size things. Good one here on anvil mass ratio: Phoenix Forginghammers : Pneumatic Air Power Hammer Effectiveness Cheers, Al.

Hi guys, slowly gathering bits for the hammer build. I want to have as solid a hit as possible, so I'm trying to go with as big a ram as realistically possible. The only downside to a bigger ram, as I see it, is more air requirement. Shout if I missed something. Standard cylinder bores seem to be 50mm, 63mm, 80mm and 100mm (and up). I have about 23 cfm of air to play with, more if its not 'free air delivery' and can recharge tank capacity between heats, which is realistic. I would consider adding more air if needed. Does anyone know how to equate these figures? Is 80mm bore asking too much of this air supply? Anyone built a hammer with an 80mm cylinder bore? My anvil will be around 1350 lbs, and the base plate about the same again, so I figure there is enough mass to absorb a fair size punch. Other things to look out for on the cylinder are: 1. Largest port size I can find. 2. Largest haft diameter I can find. ...Anything else? If I increase bore size, presumably I shouldn't play with the stroke, I need what I need, right? What would, in your experiences, be a good size ram? Cheers, Al.

Hi, thanks very much for the reply. I suppose the brownish tinge was from the steel in your hammer putting inclusions in the stainless as you worked it. Looks like its possible then, just hard to arrive at a consensus on how to treat it post-forging for best corrosion resistance. I wonder is stainless wire brushing it will be sufficient? Ideally I'd do a test as you say, but this has to be done next week!!! Cheers, Al.

Hi guys, I have to make a stair railing PDQ. It needs to be stainless and although mostly fabricated, I want to do a little forging to add some interest. Just some fullering and stuff. I was going to use 316 stainless (also known as 1.4404) - is this suitable for forging, and as its for external use, will the anti-corrosion properties be affected? I've never forged stainless, I have heard its the same as mild, just takes more work. Am I deluded / in for a shock? Many thanks for any quick responses! Cheers, Al.

This one? http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/horizontal-drill-press-2137/ Al.

Hi, thanks very much indeed for the information. I see keenjunk is offline. Do you have any more technical info / diagrams or anything for that added extra? I'm off to buy powerhammer materials in the morning... Cheers, Al.

Hi folks, I'm on the cusp of starting to build my kinyon-ish style pneumatic power hammer. I've been investigating the options for the control system. Since there is no specific thread on the relative merits of different control approaches, I thought I'd start one. The only power hammer I have experience of is a modern Sahinler, which I found very easy to use and control - something like that would suit me just fine. I was almost settled on the Coleman approach to controls, but I'm reading comments and having doubts. What would people recommend / suggest, especially those who have used different home built hammers and can comment on the relative performance. I'd appreciate any input. Is the extra complexity of the Coleman worth it? What would you choose and why? Cheers, Al.

Frosty - you're a GENIUS!!! - There it is! BIG Hammer Thanks, I can't describe the relief, thought I was going nuts! I like the triple-column idea. If I welded together 3 7" diameter columns, and put a 4" length in each of the 3 grooves around the outside I'd get an anvil weight of 600 kg (1320 lb). That sounds good to me! I guess the gaps between cylinders don't matter. Welder 19 - thanks for the idea. I have a good source of this 7" stuff so I'd like to use that if I can. Good idea on the density thing though. Thanks guys. Just need a base plate and a million other bits now... Cheers, Al.

Hi, thanks for the input. 7" isn't too bad, but I'm aiming for a anvil:hammer mass ratio of greater than 10:1, and with a 63mm cylinder diameter I think I can afford a decent mass 'hammer' ('tup'?). Seems a shame to waste the capacity of the pneumatics for lack of anvil mass. I was thinking 40 to 50 pounds for the 'hammer' end, so I need to find another 100 to 200 pounds of mass for the anvil. I'll weld it all to a thick plate, it'll be whatever I can find at the scrap yard, but not less than 1 inch. I was thinking about 70 cm for the anvil height would be about right, given the addition of a wooden platform, base plate and the bottom die. I'll have a re-measure to make sure, but I can get the 7" bar in any length I need it, so I'm not limited to 2 foot. Man I wish I could find that thread. Who here is slowly making a very large anvil from cylinders welded together (if I remember rightly, a large central one with others welded around it with their top ends cut off at an angle). I've been all through the power hammer section of the forum, I'm starting to think I dreamt it!?! Anyone?!? Cheers, Al.

Hi guys, I'm about to start my pneumatic power hammer build. I have found some 7" diameter steel for the anvil, but a 2 foot length gives an anvil weight of around 140kg (about 300 pounds). I'd like a little more mass to it. I have a 63mm diameter pneumatic cylinder which is a good size for a decent weight, and I'd like to take advantage of that by building it reasonably beefy. There was a thread on here where someone was building a 'composite' anvil (BIG) with welded steel bars. Seems like a good idea to increase the anvil mass to me. I can't for the life of me find the thread now (anyone got a link?), but does anyone have any inputs on how to make a larger anvil that acts as a single mass? Cheers, Al.

Its only the red tip (thoriated) electrodes that are at all radioactive, and very mildly at that. Don't worry about it, just take reasonable precautions not to breathe the dust in and never think about it again. If you are a worrier about that sort of thing, just go for some of the alternative (non-radioactive) tungstens that are now available. Cheers, Al.

Thanks for the idea. How well do you think it would last on, for example, the bacxk of a chair where people's backs rub against it? I guess it would matter less in these areas, as they are constantly being polished. Cheers, Al.

Hi, I'm making a piece of furniture with 'woven' strips of various metals (copper, stainless, bronze etc), I need to preserve the polished finish of the strips, so I'm looking for a coating or something. The other issue is - do I coat before 'weaving' and risk cracking / scraping it while using the prepped materials, or just spray the whole thing when its done and risk missing bits??? Cheers, Al.