kerrystagmer

8 position oiler is here! Intact and blue as it should be. Pics to follow! Interestingly it came in a Yoder Popcorn box. Least they could have sent samples!

Mikes keeping the totals but unless we score some dies and a few other odds and ends cheap we will certainly be close to that number. I was wondering how you got that hammer purchased and installed for 7k! We lucked out on crane service by having a great price on forklift rental and being able to get it for an entire weekend for a day price. We could not have done it with anything less. From the side that forklift was fine, but once the load center was 4-5 ft out it was right on the edge.

Machinery dealers , like car dealers, want you to think that they have the cream and should command the highest prices. Sometimes they can have added value if they stand behind the machine and its condition. Chances are on a 1930's forging hammer they are wrong. What Rick failed to mention is the the highest value for any machine. Its the one that running in a shop and underpower currently. If tomorrow Rick found that 500 lb that he is looking for and decided to sell the 3B I think he might well double his investment. Not to us crazys here on the net, but to someone who doesnt want a project, isnt interested in saving machinery, just wants to forge the day his concrete is cured. A buyer like that isnt crazy or stupid, he is serious. That customer does exist and often has the funds. They get the cream and usually close the deal the second they see the right machine so long as they dont feel they are getting ripped off. If you have a manufacturing business that needs large forgings, $20k isnt going to make you think twice. Its still less then the price of a new pickup truck for your parts guy to run around in. Its alot for a small guy like most of us so we look for just the right deal and pray. That $5,600 4b is quickly turning into $10k with rigging , foundation and dies. And still we are praying there are no issues. You just dont know till its running in your shop how much it will cost.

I have all the tar removed under the anvil and up about 2 inches on the sides from the bottom. The real place it stilll is is between the top of the anvil flange and the ring. No real way to get that out. I do have most all removed from around the anvil up top so it should just be able to drop. The anvil is directly against one side on the lower edge so any movement will instantly show.

I can't imaging any good reason to pack it like that. Interestingly the anvil is somewhat hollow! I was very suprised to see that. We will see Will, but I cant see how it would cause any damage, only lessen the blow some. I'll have a better feel for it once bolted down. If I run it now it will walk a bit and its exactly where it needs to be. Grant, Its an odd beast. About 200 lb completely made from scrap. Uses a strap operated by a cone clutch. The guy who built this must have been interesting. It was my only forging hammer for several years and I love it. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7939960018918635764# Outside night forging! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2934916616605587881#docid=-2541116130569332691

only total frustration. After removing all the tar I could ( Im convinced its asphalt/tar at this point) I think the only thing left is the inch or so thick area above the anvil ring but under the machine. I decided to go ahead and set the hammer as the anvil is captured anyway. If it finally drops from use it can only go 1" down so no harm anyway. Once it moves (IF!) I can remove the leveling shims on the lower die and simply bolt it down to the foundation. I can't see anyway it can hurt anything at all or do any damage to the machine or castings. I even reset the drop hammer which is directly in the way of forklifting the beaudry.

Even funnier then that Grant.. Our west coast competition (and good friend) Tony Swatton has the exact same color on all his equiptment. He told us he didnt know we were bidding and was holding his finger over the enter key to bid but decided he should wait. Pretty much every shop tool we have but our IK beam hammer is blue and I see blue in its near future! The beaudry is baby blue, but it came that way from Gitchner. The drop hammer is black and crusty, but that seems fitting. I got a lead on a huge forging shop very near me I never new existed. Stopped by today but they had just closed up. Rumor is piles of forging dies and 3 or 4 drop hammers. Their yard is a 1950's industrial explosion. I'm pretty excited to see it later this week.

I think thats part of the idea Jesus. Poor beaudry never gets its day in the sun. The same day it finally gets to a real foundation the 'big hammer' award goes to another machine. I think it will be important for me to pick a weekend date for the hammmer-in sooner this coming year. Maybe we can settle on it by august.

There is no counter weight right now. How light/heavy do you guys recommend on the foot pedal?

See the beam behind Mike? The base of that is the floor level, so up about a foot at the back. Right now the dies would be chest high on Mike and that doenst seem fair!

The building is going up around it. Actually it will have a roof cantilevered over it from the main structure. The 250 Beaudry is cattycorner across the room on a 2 ft thick foundation (or it will be in about an hour!) The Iron Kiss 90 lb beam hammer will go directly to the nazels right and the drop hammer will go back where it was about 15 ft in front of the Nazel. The risers are 2 sections of 8" channel 1/2" thick set back to back, plug welded with several gussets and end plates welded in(basicly making an I-beam with gussets). The machine is bolted in place and the risers are now welded to the 2" steel plate. I wanted something more substancial then others we saw tied to concrete directly. Threaded sections are 1.5" around and the washers are 1/4" steel. We may add to the front riser at some point once we make a decision how the standing area around it will be handled. Dave Hammer actually has his anvil (3B) set like this but with hard maple between the anvil and plate. It seemed counter productive to isolate the anvil from the plate so we went with a direct approach. The plate will be tied into the concrete to prevent it from walking/rotating. The single sections of 'C' channel you see in the pics are just there while we were finishing the risers, just in case the forklift allowed the hammer to lower while it was sitting. (which it did!)

John understates how perfect his timing was coming by. Having a third set of hands made a huge difference getting the risers lined up. There is nothing quite like having an experianced power hammer builder show up at your site to help you install a beast like this. Having John show up is kinda like having John Wayne show up to tell you 'Go ahead pilgrim, I got your back' Yes Mike, its bigger then you thought!

hum , steam might do the trick I never though of that. The heat does seem to make a difference and I could avoid the abrasive completely.

I have the hammer layed on its side so I'm talking about blasting the ring from underneath. I should be able to keep everything up top clean. I'm putting the heat back on it in a few minutes. I'm hopeing sitting overnight on its side will have dislodged it. Doubtful but what the heck.

It seems to be caulked with some kinda black pitch like substance. Adding to it is the anvil is jammed up into the ring too high , about an inch and a half on one side and half an inch on the other so its really jammed in there. I'm having a hell of a time with it and only have one more day with the forklift. I can get a smaller lift later that will be ok though. We have heated it, Chiseled out all the caulk we can get to, thumped it on the ground with the lift, driven it fairly hard with cold steel on the dies. Nothing, no movement at all. I even tried a few wedges used for breaking stone but decided I can't risk the castings like that. Tomorrow I'll take a sand blaster and try to clear all the larger areas of all the 'tar' I'm a bit frustrated.

Going in place. A man and his new toy...

I have a bunch of drip style oilers till this gets sorted out. No dies yet so we might make sure it cycles, but no forging for a few weeks. Its pretty obvious the crane lift guys at the dealer screwed up. Chains on fresh paint tell the tail. Its now sitting in my driveway as I had to off load it down the street and forklift it here.

Interesting day. Hammer came a day early. Thankfully so did the forklift!! Gives me a needed jump on the day for tomorrow. Hum somethings missing here..... It will be interesting to see how this works out. Ebay pics as part of the machine description....

Happy news.. the hammer is being loaded right now and is expected on time for delivery. I dispaired too soon!

You may get to see it anyway Dave. The rigger is telling me he can't get a truck this week. I'll know more in a couple hours but this sucks. Hopefully I'll have enough time to cancel the lift truck if it is postponed. Either way I'll use the time to set the Beaudry but I can use a much smaller (cheaper!) lift for that or maybe get the quarry guys to move it. :(

Its looking like we have confirmation on a June 25th delivery date. The concrete has a couple weeks on it now and it will be close to a month of cure time when the hammer arrives. Now I just have to clean the area to get the trucks and forklift in, which of course involves moving 2 other power hammers! Not sure I've done the best planning here but I think I can get the puzzle worked out.

I'm still having problems trying to rotate the anvil. No pins or anything? I've oiled around it and am letting it sit but its pretty firm. I'm thinking of stablizing the ring that holds it from underneath and lightly running the hammer. maybe with a 4by4 between the dies.

last picture on that scranton..... look in the back ground....

thx! thats what we wanted :D