Marx-Gade Treadle Hammer

[Pine Cone]

I am relatively new to this site, but have been lurking for quite a spell. This is my first post. I have a set of Treadle Hammer Plans written by Paul Marx and Gary Gade and published by ABANA. I don't know how long I have had them, several years I think, it was something that I wanted to build, but never got around to it. I am rethinking it now. What I would like to know is has anyone here built one and if so, how did it work out? Any other comments, like what, if any, improvements could be made in it, what is the heavyest material that can be used, etc; etc. Anything that would help me make a decision as to whether to go with this kind of hammer or not. I doubt that I will ever build a power hammer, or will ever be able to afford to buy one. Thanks for your help.
Pinecone in snowy Wisconsin

[youngdylan]

I'm not familiar with these plans but I wouldn't rule out building a power hammer. I'm an air hammer devotee myself but there's plenty of wonderfully ingenious designs for home brewed mechanicals around. I can't imagine these would cost a right lot more than a treadle with a bit of scrounging around car scrapyards. Specially so when the cost of the anvil is taken into account ... to me it's probably one of the most important things to think about when building an effective hammer. A good one would cost the same for either treadle or power vesrsions. You see too hammers with a bit of tube with a bit of plate welded to the top for an anvil. If working a round a budget I kinda recomend putting as much of this as you can into the anvil. A good mass of steel in the right place makes a HUGE differnce

[Bob S]

I have a set of Treadle Hammer Plans written by Paul Marx and Gary Gade and published by ABANA.
Pinecone in snowy Wisconsin

Following these plans will result in a good treadle hammer that is best suited for light chiseling. The 'head' is not adjustable as later 'Spencer' style plans.

If you search for Marx Gade treadle hammers you will find some info.

http://www.spaco.org/trdlhamr.htm

Where are you in Wisconsin?

Bob

[ThomasPowers]

A treadle hammer is not a poor-man's powerhammer they both are best for quite different things and if you have some skills and equipment both can be build for not much money.

I currently have 2 powerhammers and am still working on getting a treadle hammer scrounged and built and I own a largish fly press (and want a rolling mill!) Each is *best* for certain things and asymptotically get worse for other things---the right tool for the right job!

So figure out what you *need* and then work on getting that into your shop.

[youngdylan]

A treadle hammer is not a poor-man's powerhammer they both are best for quite different things and if you have some skills and equipment both can be build for not much money.

I currently have 2 powerhammers and am still working on getting a treadle hammer scrounged and built and I own a largish fly press (and want a rolling mill!) Each is *best* for certain things and asymptotically get worse for other things---the right tool for the right job!

So figure out what you *need* and then work on getting that into your shop.

Good points there, If it's a treadle you need then a powerhammer is a poor second best .... and visa versa. I'd imagine for a majority of people, it's the power hammer they use the most. I'm up to 3 powerhammers now (and want .... no ... need a bigger one) and I've one treadle. Guess this ratio kinda reflects the relative usefulness of each tool.

If it is a treadle you need, one obsevation/tip I would make was when building the treadle, one of the hardest parts I found to source was the spring. Tension springs long and "powerful" enough just didn't seems that common. Ended up using a rear suspension spring of an offrode motorsiclkle. Managed to bend back the the top and bottom hoops through almost 90 degrees so I could get a fixing through them. Don't use heat (yeah it's difficult but do-able cold) else your into the realm of alchemy heat treating to prevent any weaks spots around the heat affected area. It's stood up to 7 years of intermittant use. If you look closely at the attached you should get the gist.

If you look closely at the anvil you'll see its a 150mm solid bar (in hinsight should have used 200mm) but the "cap" is a seperapate bolt on piece that I've hot punched a 30mm square hole through (aren't hydraulic presses sweet) then trued up on a lathe. Very useful for dropping tooling in but if needs be I can swap it over for another piece with no hole. If you're good with an oxy fuel torch you could cut a hole out of say 50mm plate with it.

Did hum and har about making it adjustable. Always a fan of the simple is best approach so didn't. Very rarely wished it was adjustable in years use. My tuppenance is put your time effort and money into a good anvil, it's not to difficult to make it adjustable later. Lets say your using a 50kg hammer head, you really could do with a minimum of 250kg anvil.

[Pine Cone]

Following these plans will result in a good treadle hammer that is best suited for light chiseling. The 'head' is not adjustable as later 'Spencer' style plans.

If you search for Marx Gade treadle hammers you will find some info.

http://www.spaco.org/trdlhamr.htm

Where are you in Wisconsin?

Bob

[Pine Cone]

I'm outside Anawa, Wi, South of Antigo about 12mi.