July 11, 200916 yr Author Does it matter? Sorry lot of background noise. It's a rope swage, the way I made them many years ago in a galaxy far, far away..............
July 12, 200916 yr Thanks for the video. I've heard tales about how controllable steam hammers are, but you knocked it out of the park.. do you have a rotary screw jack hammer compressor outside to run it?
July 13, 200916 yr Amazing hammer, sounds like star wars in there, may the force be with you:rolleyes:
July 13, 200916 yr Doing them with the induction coils and the powered screw press like I hear you are doing now IS incredibly efficient. But doing it on an open die steam hammer is FUN ;-)
July 14, 200916 yr Very nice control on that hammer! I looked at your other videos as well, lots of neat stuff. I like how the steam hammer holds a little after the blow when you you used the hand control so the stock didn't bounce.
August 3, 200916 yr Author Yeah well, nostalgia ain't what it used to be. Why back in my day......... It is fun, it's a real rush having lotsa power under your total control. Man and machine, God we love 'em! It is neat in a big hammer you often don't even need to hold on, just guide it a little. Folks often don't understand how you can "control" the work piece and I tell 'em "you better not try". You gotta work with it not against it. I spent a lotta years fighting with steel until I learned to "work in harmony with it". Seems kinda Zen or something, but it is true. When you get there it is like "enlightenment". In later years the tong could almost fall out of my hand, I had such a light grip. Willy Wonka? Is that good?
August 3, 200916 yr Of course it's like Zen. You take it out of the fire and ZEN you hit it till it looks like you want and viola! Frosty
August 3, 200916 yr Of course it's like Zen. You take it out of the fire and ZEN you hit it till it looks like you want and viola! Frosty Frosty, Is there an export restrictions on good jokes coming out of Alaska?
August 3, 200916 yr Author Don't need one! Where did you see a "good joke" coming out of Alaska? Look on the bright side: We're down here and he's wayyyyyyyyy up there! Could be worse.
August 3, 200916 yr I always tell the kids, "theres 250kg of good british steel coming down out of that hammer to hit your job, its harder and stronger than you, you must work with the hammer grasshopper, not against it. It will always win". "You must become one with the hammer my son" Phil Johnston
August 3, 200916 yr Author It's a lesson worth learning. You have to have the center of resistance right under the center of force. Sounds simple, but it takes time (took me years). Seen guys with a "death grip" on the tongs and a sore wrist in a short time. Yeah, you can't fight it, that's for sure. Old Clifton Ralph, used to say: "The tong don't need to be big enough to hold the work, only big enough to hold you"! Dang Forgemaster, "Grasshopper" that's the name I was looking for. Edited August 4, 200916 yr by nakedanvil
August 3, 200916 yr I know I need to work on that. I go home some days with forearms more tired than if I had been using them to hammer. I have had things wrenched a litttle trying to get tapers back on center. Appart from the easiest thing which is to start them centered any tips on getting them back in line.
August 4, 200916 yr Author John: It is SO counter-intuitive it's near impossible to believe until you see it in real-life. You can't tap-tap-tap it straight, it'll knock you silly. You gotta get up the confidence to hold the tip up off the die and NAIL THAT SUCKER! Then the inertia of the part is working for you. No noticeable kick at all. You MUST hold the tip up in sea-saw fashion, never put the tip down and lift the back, that will break your arm! The "tip" is away from you and the "back" is nearest to you. There is no room for hesitation, you MUST have the confidence to nail it full on or don't even attempt it. BIG FAT DISCLAIMER: This can be a dangerous technique! This is what I do, you try it at your own peril! Your skill, confidence, knowledge are unknown to me, so trying this technique is your choice alone. This is a technique used by professionals and requires skill in it's execution. Don't try this at home! Edited August 4, 200916 yr by nakedanvil
August 4, 200916 yr You mentioned something similar in another post and I did have some luck with it, I was just hoping there was an easier way. I did it the other way though and put the tip down, I did have it yank the the tongs out of my hands the one time but I let them go rather than let it hurt me. It did allow me to get things back centered though. I will have to try it tip up and hit it harder. The one thing I have been learning is even though the bigger hammer has all the extra power it is often faster not to use it all and work slower but keep everything lined up. Big fat disclaimer understood, big hammers, presses and table saws are unforgiving machines.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.