Jura T

I haven't done any apprentice. I've taken a course that is meant for training for the test. The course lasts from September to May, and there is forging 4 weekday nights and two Saturdays per month. I didn't feel ready after the first year, so I'm just finishing my second year now. We've done only small stuff: tongs, punches, drifts, chisels, axes, candle holders, snuffers, fireplace accessories... Right now this is only a hobby for me. I'm setting up a forge this summer and I'm hoping blacksmithing to be at least a part time job for me in the future. We didn't get the test pieces yet. They are keeping them in for some unspesified period. We will have the last course meeting on Wednesday, and I'll try get a picture of them then.

I passed my journeyman test last weekend (well actually I still need to wait for the result of the written exam). We started on Friday with 2 hour written exam followed by first forging session. We were supposed to make two items, a shackle and a candle holder. The catch was that the material for the candle holder was CrNiMo steel. Its a real PITA to forge. The shackle was made out of copper. We were given 5 five hours to finish those two. I made it just in time. On Saturday we were supposed to make tongs+a forge welded ring for them, a square punch with a wooden handle, splitting chisel/axe and a nail header (the punch was used for this). Seven hours of forging. This a bit easier day, I finished well ahead of the time limit. On Sunday the items were a fairly pair of hinges+nails for it and a barn swallow. The tools made on Saturday were supposed to be used for making the hinges. Again seven hours of forging. I didn't have time to finish the swallow completely, but it was still accepted. The challenge was to make all the items within the time limits, but also to meet the drawings and measures we were given. For example, the size of the hole in the nail header was spesified to be 5.5mmX5.5mm. 0.5mm accuracy isn't very common in forging. Working under the watchfull eyes of the evaluators didn't help either. I was totally worn out (both physically and mentally) on Sunday night. But happy. :D

Those are really cool!

Sorry Kalevra, I somehow missed your message earlier. Have you installed your hammer already? The hammer I'm thinking to buy was imported from Estonia to Finland.

It's working now! After a long break I finally went to see the hammer again yesterday. It was somewhat warmer than previous time and also the oil probably had done its magic as well as the valve came off almost easily. I cleaned and oiled it and put it back. It rotated freely, but after I put covers back it feeled jammed again. New slightly thicker cover seals would probably help. I untightened the bolts just a bit so that it was moving again (although quite stifly). Then it was time to test the hammer. There is no room to operate the foot pedal so I operated the rod moving the valves by hand and the owner handled the iron. There seems to be a plenty of power in it. A 12 mm (1/2") round bar was flattened with few hits. It is leaking quite a bit of oil. Could it be because there is too much oil in the ram cylinder or does it mean that the piston rings are worn out. There was a little bit of air coming from the sides of the ram when it was down and some more when the ram was in up position. There was no oli running through the glass pipe, so there is something wrong with oiling system, although it probably has been working earlier. I was suprised how gently the ram is lifted/lowered at the beginning/end: Video

Looks like piece of wood to me.

I'm facing the same situation at the moment. I'm planning to build a smally hobby shop next summer and I'd like to get power hammer as well (see Russian hammer thread). There are two different things you are dealing with a power hammer: noise and vibration. Neither of the two will make the neighbours happy. To kill (or at least reduce) the the vibration I'm planning to make a 2 cubic meter (roughly about 2 cubic yards) concrete inertia block under the hammer. The block should be isolated from the floor but also from the ground. I'll probably use EPS frost isolation plates for that. Noise is a bit trickier. As noted once you open a door or window the noise will get out. And even if you keep them shut you will still have a chimney. Anyway, I will try to make the walls as silent as resonable possible. I'll probably go for a double wall construction with triple gyproc sheeting on both sides and about 15-20 cm (6-8 inc) insulated air space between them. That should theoretically give a 40 db noise reduction even at 30 Hz (and better above that).

I've got an all steel anvil and an old one with (apparently) cast iron body and a steel plate on top of that. The all steel one rings like bell, the other one a lot less. Something to take into consideration as well.

Never thought of that. I guess I'll give it a try next Saturday.

Yesterday I went to work with the hammer again. The ram is now moving. So are two out of three valves. The owner told me that he had freed the valves, but I noticed that actually the pins that connect the lever to the valve axle (the top one) were broken and the valve itself wasn't moving. Next time I'll take a threading tap with me and remove the broken pices, so that shouldn't be a problem. I removed the covers from both sides and tried to drift the valve out (as JohnN suggested). I noticed that the whole valve assembly (valve+sleeve) was moving. Should I drift out the whole thing? Any ideas if the sleeve is in one or two pieces? If it is in two pieces could I run into troubles when the other part gets into the chamber in the middle?

Valentin, do you see oil going through the glass pipe when the hammer is running? In the one I'm planning to buy, the glass is broken and the owner sayed that oil squirts out through the crack.

The power of internet! It is extremely nice to have a forum like this, where people are willing to help you and share their knowledge. In regards of the hammer, I don't have time to go back to work with it right now, but when I have, I will take plenty of anti-rust lubricant and a bottle jack with me. I will try to loosen and prelubricate everything before running it. Thanks for the advices!

I use an old kitchen hood blower.

That makes sense. Yes, there is a grease nipple close to the flywheel which we gave a few shots. I didn't notice any other nipples on the hammer. I opened the oil bath cover and there seems to be plenty of grease where the con rod and camshaft meet. I did actually open the two covers. The spring loaded valve was free and shiny. There seemed to be a bit of rust on the other two, there are probably also frozen. I'll try drive them out the next time. Any advice on how to actually do this as you have to pull them towards you? Whit some sort of a inertia hammer? That is a good advice. Though I don't think it'll be the case with this one. I've know the owner for some years and he isn't actively selling the hammer. I asked him whether he'd be willing to sell it and he sayed why not, if someone pays the same amount of money he payed for it.

Today I tried to get the hammer running for some time. It seems to be stuck in every possible way. We (me and he current owner) were able get the main axle/camshaft to rotate by using a long iron bar. So now it idles just fine, but the piston/foot pedal system is completely stuck. I need to go back and treat every moving part with some anti-rust lubricant. It may take some time, but in the end I will make it to run...

There is a third one, but that acts like some sort of lock for the first one. There is nothing that would look like as something to be used for lubricating the piston. There is only a oil reservoir with two pipes leaving from it. There might be an oil pump somewhere inside the hammer?

Yes, it was nice to get a confirmation. My chinese is as bad as my russian, so no need for the translation . Xie xie!

I went to see a Soviet Union made power hammer today (pictures of it below). It looks like a Beche clone. The main axel was stuck as it hasn't been used for a while so I couldn't try it. I will go back on Saturday and try to get it running. Is there anything specific (commonly known problems, areas prone to cracks etc.) that I should try to check? Is there any info on these type of hammers available somewhere? What are the levers on the side used for? I don't speak/read any russian, but I assume that the info on the side of the machine says that it is a 50kg (110 lb) machine with 225 bpm and 220mm (8.7 inch) ram travel. I don't even have a workshop at the moment (though I'm planning to build one this year), but it is a good start to find a hammer first :D

Less than that. See the links below: Centaur Forge-Delta 100 lb. Future 3 Anvil link removed at the request of anvilfire BRANCO Delta is 52, Kohlswa 55-57 and the Czech anvils >44 HRC. I have a Czech anvil (not the same as in the link though, but with similar specs). I had to return the first one as it was too soft. Hammering redhot steel on it left marks. The second one has been a lot better, just some marks from missed blows. I don't know, but I would expect the hardness to be less than 50 HRC.

Did you peen the welds? High manganese steels are work hardening. Check the info for Stoody 2110: http://www.thermadyne.com/stoody/literature/pdfs/Mne006.pdf As deposited hardness is really low. 200 BHN is less than 20 HRC.

Would Wearshield Mangjet(e) work for repairs: http://content.lincolnelectric.com/en/pdfs/products/literature/WearshieldMangjet(e).pdf It work hardens up to 47 HRC. Is that too soft?