Will. K.

The hammer is just sitting on the slab, I beleive the current anvil orientation is just how it ended up after unloading and moving the hammer into its current location when the current owner purchased it. I inspected the frame for cracks and didn't see any but I suppose under all that peeling paint there could be some issues. There has been a repair to the arm that comes off of the clutch but it appears to be an old repair but the rest of the hammer looks to have been well taken care of when it was a working hammer. There is a hole for a ~1/2" bolt tapped in the frame that I'd rather wasn't there. It looks like it was used to mount a guard or hang a tool but like the clutch arm repair appears to have been there a long time. I see Beaudrys for sale so infrequently (especially close to my location) that I figured I'd rather take a chance on this hammer than take my chances finding one for sale in 10-15 yrs. If nothing else it will give me an interesting example of engineering to study. These are some neat machines.

Is the weight of the anvil all that keep it from rotating out of alignment when the hammer is in use? A goal of mine when I restore the hammer is to 2D/3D model all the parts I can get good dimensions of so I have a reference if a part ever catastrophically fails. I also hope to set up a 3D motion/force simulation as I'd like to study the relationship of the moving parts of the elliptical spring/roller system in motion.

Here is the link to the ad in Google books I was referring to: Link

Below are some pictures of a #8 250lb Beaudry I'm in the process of purchasing. I'll be finalizing the purchase and moving it this fall so I am trying to gather as much info as I can. I've been fascinated by the design of these hammers since I first saw a picture of one 4 or 5 years ago. It has combo dies on the hammer. The current owner purchased it quite a while ago and never got around setting it up. From my novice inspection it looks to be in good shape aside from some surface rust and peeling paint. It is missing one of the pivots for the treadle that got lost when it was last moved 20-30 yrs ago and the wood pulley on the motor has fallen apart. I believe it may also be missing a belt tensioner that should be by the motor. I've done a lot of searching on the internet and have come across some sources on Google books and the various blacksmithing web forums. However there are a few questions I haven't found answers to I was hoping someone here might be able to answer. Any tips or hints from anyone out there who has worked with or restored a Beaudry before would be good to hear. Is there a source to purchase a copy of a manual or other info on these hammers? What do you Beaudry owners out there use to turn the tension adjusting nuts and how hard is it to turn them? I was thinking of getting a piece of square bar the right size machined to fit on a 3/4" breaker bar. According to one of the ads on Google books a #8 hammer should weigh ~4800lb. Is this an accurate weight? The current owner said he thought it would be heavier than that from his experience moving it in the past. Any idea how much of that weight is in the anvil? How do I remove the anvil from the frame? As I understand it its captured by some sort of ring. The trickiest part of moving it will be getting it out of the building its in now as its to heavy for the owners lift. I'm thinking pipe/round bar rollers might be the way to go. Once its outside we can get a crane on it. I still haven't decided if its best to try and move it as one piece or separate the anvil from the frame once its outside. Thanks, William

The tool used to drill square holes is called a watts drill and requires a special chuck that lets the bit "float" around a die shaped like the hole desired until the hole has been chewed out. Similar to the way a two legged parser works. If a through hole would be acceptable, a water jet machine could be used to cut a square hole through the block of steel. A big factor on the cost of this option is how thick the block is. personally I Like the socket idea. I picked up some 3/4" impact sockets from the scrapyard to weld to some thick walled pipe after reading about someone doing it a while back in another thread.

Here are some pics of a Wilkinson Anvil with a snapped off horn I picked up at an neat little antique store, $65. It weighs around 100lbs,The anvil its sitting on is about the same size but with the horn weights about 30lbs more. Now I just need to get some log sections to mount them on.

Here is a pic of my old rockford lathe. I believe it has a 16" swing. I haven't really had time to do much to it since I purchased it 2 years ago. when time permits I plan to clean everything up and give it a coat of paint. Has an old conversion from line shaft to electric motor. I purchased it from a man in Chicago selling his fathers old equipment. He told me his dad used to work for Sun Beam and he may have gotten this lathe when they switched from line shaft to electric motors. Some of the tooling I received with the lathe has "Sun Beam" engraved/stamped on it.

Here is a pic of my grill wood/charcoal forge. The pic is poor since I snapped it out of the window in my living room but you can just make out the hole I cut in the side for the pipe. I usually set the blower on the soda keg in the pic and just place the mouth of the pipe in the output of the blower. The blower provides more than enough air so I don't worry about sealing the connection tight.

I acquired a small power hacksaw and about 400 blades at an estate auction a while back that looks similar to the one pictured in the link posted by evfreek. I think it might have been built from a kit or plans. It works extremely well. I like using it better than my bandsaw. It is slow but I just let it do its thing and check it every once in a while. I'll try and snap some pics tomorrow if I remember.

I forge out of an old Webber grill filled with hardwood wood ash, and burn charcoal or wood. Been meaning to try the wood pellets they sell for stoves/heaters. Got the idea from bladesmith Tai Goo when I came across some pics and a description of his "forgebeque" I got the grill out of the trash, the legs were rusted off so I set it on an old car rim. I drilled a ~3.5" hole in the side and inserted a length of 3" iron pipe. then i packed the inside with with wood ash. It takes quite a bit of ash. I use an electric squirrel cage blower to provide air to the pipe. Its pretty basic and easy to move. Works well when you get used to setting it up right. Everything except the car rim was free. I just have to remember to dampen the wood ash before start up and every once in a while as I work so I don't make a dusty mess. If your ever in the appleton/fox valley area your welcome to come check it out

I've bought from speedy metals before and was pleased but I'm not sure if they carry those sizes of plate. I'm located near Appleton, WI. I think my work gets most of its sheet & plate from our local Alro Steel supplier or Liebovich Steel. I can check with the purchasing agent to verify where we usually get our 1/4" mild steel plate next week. There is a place up here that deals in smaller quantities that i have heard of people gaving good experiences with, Appleton Steel - Appleton, Wisconsin Alro Steel, Wauwatosa WI: Alro Specialty Metals - Milwaukee, WI Speedy Metals, New Berlin WI: Contacting Us Lievovich Steel, Rockford IL: Liebovich Steel & Aluminum Company

Hi, I've been looking at acquiring a 25lb or 50lb little giant trip hammer when time permits and I find one within a reasonable driving distance. I had a few questions to make sure I am prepared to move and lift one when the time comes. Does anyone know the net weight of a 25lb and 50lb L.G. Any advice on lifting/moving them? Is it ok to lift them by wrapping a strap under the top of the "C" part of the frame or is there a better way to go about it? Thanks, Will