farmer12888 Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I am new to the forum. I just purchased a 75# Fairbanks that is being shipped to me now. Wondering if anyone has any manuals and any other information. Should I pour an isolated, reinforced slab? Are there parts out there? How about dies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 (edited) Farmer- I learned on a 75# Fairbanks, now have a model E, 150#. They are good solid mechanical hammers, but as with all old hammers you are pretty much on your own for finding manuals and parts as they haven't been made for 75 years or so. If something is broken, you will probably find that making your own parts is the best option. Fairbanks were also made under the name DuPont, and there was a Canadian Fairbanks brand as well so when looking for parts check under those names too. That size hammer could be put on it's own block of concrete if you want a little more mass, stability or sound isolation, but if you've got a good thick slab in your shop already you should be ok without additional work. Opinions on this point will vary, only experience will let you know what works for you. The pitman adjustment on these hammers is fairly easy, put a block of wood of the thickness desired between the dies, loosen the big nut on the front of the pitman a little, and give it a tap with a mallet. The pitman rod will come loose and slide in it's sleeve. Retighten nut. These hammers have a built in brake in the back inside of the flat belt pulley. They consist of a split ring that is cammed open to contact the pulley when the treadle is released. If things are worn you can get a little more action out of the brake by loosening the bolt in the slotted hole in the cams and levering on the cams to open the brake more. Hope this helps. Good luck. Edited September 20, 2009 by judson yaggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I am new to the forum. I just purchased a 75# Fairbanks that is being shipped to me now. Wondering if anyone has any manuals and any other information. Should I pour an isolated, reinforced slab? Are there parts out there? How about dies? If you can, yes, by all means, pour an isolated block. The slamming of a big power hammer causes the equivalent vibration of lound low frequency sound waves. If your slab is already strong enough to withstand the strain, you could be OK, but if you have neibors within say 100 feet of your hammer, they may experience startling results whenever you run your hammer, as the large flat slab amplifies the vibrations. If you decide to use a block, Little Giant (also a dupont style hammer) has a chart on their website describing the shape, size, iron content, etc. for a given weight hammer. Remember, Little Giant was in business until 1995, so their information is quite relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGropp Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I think Wallace Metal Works in Penn. bought the remnants of the Fairbanks line. I think you can link to them through anvilfire.com. Definitely pour an isolated foundation block if you can. A wooden riser block is good to get it up to a working height that won't kill your back. This also gives a cushion under the cast frame of the hammer. What's the consensus on the effect of a wooden block under a hammer in regards to the penetration of the blow into the work ? Some old literature I came across advocated a massive all wooden foundation pier under the anvil to allow the blow to more fully penetrate the work due to the slight elasticity of the foundation under the anvil block. This was in reference to large steam hammers, but my factory literature for Beaudry hammers give a foundation plan of solid oak blocks on end supported by a large raft of oak timbers almost 4' deep below grade. My hammers are bolted to large and deep separate concrete foundation blocks with 4'' to 6'' thick wooden riser between the hammer castings and the concrete. This seems to work very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 "A Blacksmith's & Hammerman's Emporium" by Douglas Freund has about 20pg of old sales brochures with a parts breakdown and foundation plans for Fairbanks. size B 75lb hammer weight .......2400lbs motor hp... 3 bpm..........up to 350 die size......4 5/8"x 6 3/4" Sid Suedmeier at Little Giant still may have a spring or two for FB hammers, he'd be worth a call. Friendly smart guy. 402-873-6603. I believe he sold the rights to Fairbanks to Bruce Wallace Fairbanks Parts and Service R.D. 1 Blacksmith Lane Kempton, Pennsylvania 19529 USA 1-610-756-3377 I don't think Bruce actively stocks parts for FB like Sid does for LG, but give him a call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Wallace isn't a lot of friendly help. Sid has as much printed material as anyone on the Fairbanks lineand is very helpful. If you don't want to contact him, let me know and I'll send you copies of what I have. One sheet does give recomendations of foundation size and construction. I have an A model(50#) and sunk 3 layers of bridge ties topped off with an 8" layer of white ash blocks. Keeps the vibration to a minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer12888 Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks everyone for responding so quickly. I appreciate the information. I briefly spoke with Wallace before buying the hammer. I was able to get them to answer the phone, despite everything I had read about them on various forums. The guy took some time with me, and I appreciated it. They don't seem to have much in the way of parts but have the drawings to make them, if you want to pay. I also spoke to Sid at Little Giant. What a nice fellow and very helpful. He sold the Fairbanks stuff to Wallace. If any of you have an LG, get his 2 DVD set on rebuilding them. You will learn a great deal about your hammer. It would be great to get a list of Fairbanks owners together to exchange information, ideas and resources. I'll keep the info if people are interested. What about railroad ties on end as a base rather than a concrete pour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Welcome aboard Farmer, glad to have you. I don't have any info for you about your hammer and my personal experience as an owner of a LG started last April. If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your locatin it can make a big difference. IFI is represented by members in more than 50 countries and a lot of info is location specific. Also, if local folk know you're around they can invite you to gatherings, tip you to tool deals and offer hands on help. Like when you set up your new hammer. Seriously, there may be someone with experience reasonably close. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer12888 Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 "A Blacksmith's and Hammerman's Emporium" by Douglas Freund can be bought at Centaur Forge on sale right now for about $16.00. The same book is about $165.00 at Amazon.com. That's right, ten times the price. Thanks guys for the reference to the book and what it includes on Fairbanks hammers. I ordered the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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