Augus7us

I did Rberry, it seems they have two business units now; one that buys and one that sells. I forget the name of the side that sells but a quick google search will tell you, I only mention this because that is who you have to deal with when buying something. I haven't had a chance to stop out yet due to their hours but they did tell me I could come onsite and scrounge for whatever I want. They are open Mon-Fri 9-4:30 and Sat 9-12. If you stop in let me know what you find!

Great video and quality too. I'm new to this but starting out close to your age at 37, I try to do everything the easy way if possible I like the press. I just picked up a power hammer and high on my list for the next purchase is a press... or... a mill I'll keep your build in mind! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the help guys. I looked Research Alloys up and they are not too far from me. I've been busy this week so I haven't had a chance to call or stop by but I plan to in the near future. On a side note, having the power hammer ready to go and not being able to use it is driving me crazy!

Hey All, Was going to post solely about scrap type for power hammer dies but figured this is a large site and if there are any central Ohio members that know of scrap yards that allow you to go treasure hunting, that would be a great help! I ask because I've called around and so far they all said they only buy and I can't go picking because of liability issues... I just purchased my first power hammer, a mayer bros 25lber and am currently reading Richard Kern's Little Giant book. I noted that he recommends the dies fit snug and apply equal pressure on both sides of the of the sow block where the die dovetails and the one that came with it does not. I also want to make different shapes and what not. So what do you guys recommend for scrap? Truck axles? I'm new to all this and the book said you could use mild or a steel that can be hardened so I'd like to hear you guys opinions and what you all have done. Thanks! On a side note, I want to say what a great pleasure it is being part of the blacksmithing community! I went to SOFA's quadstate after getting into smithing last year and wow. What a great bunch of folks, super helpful, reasonable on prices and what really blew me away was that most sold their wares by setting everything up next to their truck and putting a coffee can next to it while they left to browse all the great stuff! What a change from the typical bs one deals with in other hobbies and business dealings I've had. Long live the blacksmith!

I just got my first powerhammer, the post right under yours, and it was recommended I pick up a copy of Richard Kern's "The Little Giant Power Hammer". My copy arrived Friday and I must say I think every Little Giant owner should have a copy of this work. It is fantastic and full of useful information from history to use and practically walks you through a complete rebuild. Congrats on the hammer btw. By far the coolest thing about it in my book is it came from your Grandfather. Mine has been gone for many years but I think about him every day. He wasn't a blacksmith but were he I would use and cheerish his old tools! You are very lucky to be able to do that! Good luck, I imagine you are as excited as I am to get it up and start hammering hot steel!

Thanks Guys, Frosty I saw pictures of yours while I was searching here. You did a really good job, it looks sharp! Is there anything holding the the bottom of your cage on or is it just bolted on the top? I like the paint idea also and think I'm going to borrow that one as well! Thanks again!

​I've heard about it but long before I actually bought one and it never crossed my mind. Just ordered a copy! Thanks Judson, the previous owner actually added a break so I have that covered. Would stores like autozone or napa carry that type of radiator hose? After doing some more reading I'm definitely building a cage. I do have the bottom die, forgot to grab it out of the truck when I unloaded it.

Hey Folks, My first post, not for lack of trying though, seemed my account was messed up and couldn't get it resolved until the site upgrade. Which is great because I just bought my first power hammer, a 25LB Mayer Bros of unknown age and need your expert assistance! My primary concern is what should I know in terms of safety? I haven't wired it up and played with it myself yet but I did get to fire it up before I bought it and it seemed to run great. So far I haven't found any welds, cracks or obvious signs of wear or potential failure. Are there any parts or pieces I should check? Is there a site out there detailing this? I did a search on here and couldn't find much. Something else I was curious about was the cages I see built around the spring. What do you guys think of these? Are they a necessity or is it an extra precaution? I have more but less pressing questions but I'll save those for later in an effort to keep this on the shorter side, and no doubt some will be answered as I continue to read up on them. Thanks -Clint