Judson Yaggy

New quality anvil prices are in the $6 to $8 per pound range here in the USA. The one in the OP exceeds that, but the included vise may offset that by a good bit.

My word, I miss Grant. I'll strike the power hammer 3 times in his memory in the AM. Well, truth be told, perhaps 300 times... Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang...pause for heat...bangbangbang bang bang

Ha! Blast from the past! Stupid paying work keeps getting in the way. Rear crank and cylinder push air, piston rings I machined out of UHMWPE figuring I could swap them out for bronze later if the thing actually worked. Treadle linkage drives a rack and pinion welded to the outside end of a fabricated and machined barrel valve between the two pistons. Rotational positions of the valve allow for no flow, limited to full flow, and various one way (check valve?) flows to allow pressure/vaccume consistancy for a given foot position. Highly inspired by the Aldays design. Have not connected the front piston to the tup. Did I mention paying work getting in the way? Not to mention the Champion #1 I bought and restored in the meantime. I have other functional hammers so like I said before, this is a for fun project. Will get around to finishing it someday...

Here you go. Old catalog and it included parts breakdowns. canedy.pdf

John Larson, the owner, retired and is no longer producing hammers.

??? $20 an hour? Crazy low. Most pro blacksmith shops 'round here are in the $100/hour range. Why should a blacksmith charge less than an auto mechanic? Buy him out for a month or two, sell and produce the big job or a year's production of craft fair sales, and pocket the $80/hr difference. I won't even turn on my lights for $20/ hour.

The 2017 Hammer-in will be held on Saturday, August 26th from 1-5 PM. Demonstrations starting at 2:00. As before, if you would like to participate, please feel free to attend. If you would like to come, please let ‘Mike’ know so we have a ballpark figure of participants. 1-802-357-2010 or by e-mail at info@bensmill.com The mill will furnish the refreshments. Price: FREE! If you are not familiar with Ben’s Mill, it is a formerly water-powered woodshop and blacksmith shop in Barnet, VT. Ben Thresher was a local legend for his ability to fix or build just about anything out of wood or metal. The mill is owned by a non-profit, Ben’s Mill Historic Trust, with the goal of preserving and continuing to use the building and all the original equipment still located there. Our website, http://bensmill.com/ can give you more information about the mill. We hope to see you on the 26th! Ben's Mill 2236 West Barnet RdBarnet VT 05821United States

Clapper dies in a power hammer or press would be my method.

Hear hear! I agree.

How close is the tolerance on your hammered bar? That will drive the width of the groove. I'd make it tighter rather than looser, if you hit a fat spot in the cap rail with the roller you can grind/sand/blend down the rail thickess. Be aware that if you are using the spiral stair formula in Parkinson's book, it's wrong. Doesn't work.

A lot of old mechanicals underrated the weight of the tup. Too many makers and by too much weight to be an accident in my opinion, I think it was a marketing ploy. "Wow, this 75# hammer hits like 100#!" My 85# mechanical has a tup weight of 95# without the die.

I've heard of guys taking the trailer with the hammer on it thru the car wash on the way home. Like Thomas said, as long as you don't let the water sit between moving parts for long you should be ok. Proper lubrication will get it pretty greasy again in short order thou, so be prepared.

Apologies for the short and somewhat dismissive answers above. Many people copy and sell his style of hammers, some with his blessing and some without. Look on ebay, or contact those who have taken his class like Littleblacksmith here on IFI. I agree with Glenn. Brian teaches week long intensive classes from which you will walk away with both a hammer and a tremendous amount of knowledge and experiance. Well worth the price for a beginner.

Wilkinson. The "crossed hot dogs" are the usual indicator.

If I could only have one cutting tool in the shop it would be a Portaband. I have 4.5, 7,9 inch grinders, plasma cutter, big horizontal band saw, and 2 portabands. Forget cutting with a grinder, it's faster, easier, safer, and more accurate with a portable band saw.

Bob Menard of Ball and Chain Forge in Portland Maine sells those, google for contact details. I don't believe they are technically NEB product, but since Bob runs our casting program and has these made for himself, and often donates one to the raffle, that is perhaps a distinction without a difference.

As has been discussed here many times before the Union anvil busting is a myth. I believe Thomas Powers even knows the guy that started the rumor as a joke.

Lots of options for citric acid on ebay for around $2/pound USD.

Sounds like a good way to get lead dust into the air, all those little pieces of lead shot scrubbing past each other every time they start or stop moving. If you go that route weld up an air tight cap to the tube.

Ha! Finally.... Travel safe Dale.

Broke my old framing hammer and have never made a claw hammer before, and had a nice chunk of 4140, so... And forged out some parts for the next handrail job...

Some vises ran tall, supposedly for specialized tasks according to the old advertising. But forget the vise, show us pics of the Nazel? in the background!

I'm not sure if that anvil is coming or going! Good score Josh.

The NEB Fall Meet will be hold Sept 15-17 at the Goshen Fairgrounds, in Goshen Ct Camping and camper space will be available. The Goshen Fairgrounds has bathrooms and showers. There are some inexpensive motels in nearby Torrington, Ct, and some nicer motels to the west. There are several local attractions for family members not attending the meet. Saturday lunch and dinner are included. Other event: Blue Moon Press, Iron-in-the-Hat, auction, and a forging contest The demonstrator will be Dick Sargent. Dick's demo will be a mixture of detailing and tooling used for the finer points of railing , gate and grill work. Subjects will include, scroll endings and jigs, blind rivets and tooling, along with mortise and tenon tooling and a unique and efficient way of making angled tenons to name a few. Dick plans that all of this will be interspersed with much discussion and questions from participants which will expand this demo’s range. About Dick Sargent: Dick has been blacksmithing since 1971, and is currently teaching at the Adirondack Folk School, and was formerly the Blacksmithing Dept head at the Peters Valley School of Craft in New Jersey. During his career he has been contracted by National Park Service, making hardware for major national restorations; and worked with the Newport Restoration Foundation, in Newport, RI forging hardware and railings for over 50 of 17th and 18th century homes there. A link to the meet flyer will be available shortly on our Website, and the flyer will be in the mail next week

NEB is active and engaged in Maine. http://www.newenglandblacksmiths.org Bob Menard or Nick Downing (both in Portland) would be your best bet for contacts. Joel Tripp just did a great demo for NEB at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds back a few months, he's in Saco. New England School of Metalworking (not affiliated with NEB except for a lot of membership crossover) is in Auburn and has a TON of stuff going on. Glenn, I havn't heard anything active about the WMBA is years. Old info about a defunct group or do you know something I don't?