Dillon Sculpture Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 A little short but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 ugggg i want to playyyyyyy. the hammers looking great, glad to see ya got it running! Mack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Browne Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Simple. Bradley really got it right with those rubber bumpers. No metal springs to fatigue, break, and go flying. Those dies look huge, what are the dimensions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Man it is cool to see run! in that second video it seems to be alive.... Its like a big monster jumping around wanting to play saying FEED ME FEED MEEEEEEE :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 I was surprised by how quiet that big hammer is.No hissing or exhaust sounds and no clattering.Seems like the loudest sound is the rubber or the belt squeaking. Nice machine there Mike.Did you rebuild it yourself? Do you have a particular application in mind or was it just too good a deal to pass up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 That is so cool! Dito on the Rubber bumpers I want one ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 The dies are 6x12 a little big I think, but its what I have until I find some die material. The hammer is extremely quiet even at full tilt. I set the offset cam (stroke) on #3 to forge these 1 1/4" post, it moves very fast and still delivers plenty of power. The cool thing is it goes up to #9 about 24" stroke, thats when you tend to take notice of an escape route. I found the hammer nearly in my back yard, in running condition, even though it was listed in the anvils ring, I was able to snatch it up a great price. Also sold with it was a 200, same style hammer, a friend of mine has yet to set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nazelhammers Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Bradley's are great machines and at the top of my list of favorites. If you ever need replacement rubbers we can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngdylan Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hey thats hammer porn. Sexy machine + some of the close up shots's kinda remind me the camera work you see in some, ahem, "adult" videos Nice hammer, what the whole thing weigh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Is that a wooden beam on that hammer? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefarm39 Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Great videos. These are really helpful to me in getting my Bradley set up. Looks like she is running right at 180 BPM. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Larson Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Very nicely done video. The hammer frame and anvil are totally solid. The dies have a fullering crown so you may not have to change them at all; they'll even work with tooling more commonly identified with flat dies. Keep up the good work! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Bradley's are great machines and at the top of my list of favorites. If you ever need replacement rubbers we can help. I actually have a couple extra replacement rubbers, not for the video, for the hammer... One is cracked but I don't think it is going to come out, not sure I want to mess with it until I replace the wood beam. I figure you may be interested in this tread, not sure how to paste it, maybe this will work. I'm still surprise nobody is interested or if its still available. My thoughts were to use the patterns and parts for sculpture, that would truly be a kinetic sculptors paradise. At least if your talking about sculpture in the 5 to 10 ton range, The 500 Bradley weight is 18000# and sets on ten yards, makes it real quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nazelhammers Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I actually have a couple extra replacement rubbers, not for the video, for the hammer... One is cracked but I don't think it is going to come out, not sure I want to mess with it until I replace the wood beam. I figure you may be interested in this tread, not sure how to paste it, maybe this will work. I'm still surprise nobody is interested or if its still available. My thoughts were to use the patterns and parts for sculpture, that would truly be a kinetic sculptors paradise. At least if your talking about sculpture in the 5 to 10 ton range, The 500 Bradley weight is 18000# and sets on ten yards, makes it real quiet. Don't fix it if it isn't broken. The cracks could only be surface cracks. We have drawings for rubbers that we got from Courtland Machine because they gave up on making rubbers because of the hassle involved. They’re a machine shop not rubber manufactures. We hooked up with a rubber manufacture that has the right rubber formula for Bradley’s. The rubber is the same used on aircraft carrier arresting gear. To have new rubbers made for your 500 it could possibly cost more than you paid for your hammer. The reason no one is making new mechanical or air hammers in the United States today from old designs is cost. How much do you think it would cost to cast 18,000 pounds of iron to build your hammer without even doing any of the machining involved? When done who could afford to buy it with the low cost of imports coming into the country and the availability of fabricated hammers. There just isn't enough demand to support the manufacturing of hammers in the United States built the old way. We have complete drawings for Nazel, Fairbanks and Beaudry. I'd like nothing more than to build a new 1B or a Fairbanks A or C but the cost would be prohibitive. If I remember correctly before Chambersburg stopped making self contained air hammers the cost for a new 2CH was over $365,000.00 and that price is over 10 years old. No telling what it would cost today. Sounds like you built the right foundation for your 500. It's easier to do it right the first time instead of having to fix a mistake with a large machine. My theory is set it and forgets it. It’s not like you going to be moving 18,000 pounds around your shop. Figure out where you want the hammer build the correct foundation put it in place and forget about having any trouble. Not only does the right size foundation make your hammer quieter and safer to run it gives is better control. I run a 100 pound Bradley Compact in our shop and I can pick up oil off the bottom die with the top without touching dies. The dies need to be cold but it can be done consistently. For some of the work we do our Bradley is better suited for the job then our Nazel. Control for lighter work down to ¼ the choice is our 100 Bradley. I noticed in your video your belt was squeezing. We use belt dressing when needed but you don’t want to over use it or the belt could squeak even worse. The old timer we bought our Bradley form would pick up a hand full of forging slag and throw it at the pulleys and belt to stop the squeaking. But he used gasoline for paint thinner also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Another trick to give a belt some traction is to sprinkle a little diatom earth(available at pool and spa supply stores) between the belt and the pulley. We used this trick on our wood to metal clutches too. IME the belt dressing is sticky enough that it traps all kinds of stuff,up to and including shavings(both wood and metal) and glues it to the inside of a flat belt. The diatom leaves the belt dry. Another trick one of the old hands used to do if a flat belt was slipping because it was glazed was to take a wire wheel on a grinder and rough up the outside of the belt while the machine was running(to give it some "tooth") and then stop the machine,pull the pin, reverse the belt and re-pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 It seems I am getting sticky spots on the belt and residue left on the pulleys, from oil? I haven't used any belt dressing and have scuffed the belt a couple times to prevent it from chirping, as it warms up it tends to get worse. The guy I bought it from was cleaning it with windex, maybe what has caused the problem. I am getting closer to finishing a jack shaft, and will be raising the whole machine 3", its always something, but it will be worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nazelhammers Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 It seems I am getting sticky spots on the belt and residue left on the pulleys, from oil? I haven't used any belt dressing and have scuffed the belt a couple times to prevent it from chirping, as it warms up it tends to get worse. The guy I bought it from was cleaning it with windex, maybe what has caused the problem. I am getting closer to finishing a jack shaft, and will be raising the whole machine 3", its always something, but it will be worth it! We’ve had nothing but good luck with using belt dressing in moderation. The brand we use seems to work find and we’ve never had any trouble with chips getting stuck in the belt. On our hammer the belt is high enough on the hammer that any slag or chips fall down an away from the belt. I could see on a Bradley Upright Helve how chips and debris could be a problem but that could be easily addressed with some type of a guard. If oil is causing the problem the guard might help with that issue also. Any advantage of using some type of dressing would outweigh not using anything at all. When my dressing runs out I might give diatomaceous earth a try if it is less expensive and it works just as well for me. I might add if you have an open frame motor the diatomaceous earth might not be a good idea. Either way I’d go with the simple fix first. If the problem persists a few questions I might ask would be. Is your belt currently leather, canvas or a canvas and rubber blend? Is your motor pulley made of metal or natural materials? Is the motor and stand original to the hammer? If the motor is not original what is the horsepower and RPMs. The problem you’re having could be managed with the right motor, pulley and belt combination. If the previous owner was having the same issue and you set up the hammer the way he had it might be time for a fresh start. If the problem bothers you and you notice the hammer is not performing the way you think it should perhaps and new belt or motor pulley or both will work if the motor is the correct size and RPM. If you use a leather belt you should not use a natural material motor pulley like leather or wood composite. If you use a leather belt with a metal motor pulley make sure leather belt is the correct ply to fit the radius of the motor or final drive pulley size when using a jackshaft. Thicker ply leather belts tend not to like being used on tight radius pulleys. I’ve had good fortune using canvas blend rubber belts with a wood composite motor pulley and belt dressing when needed in moderation. I tend not to like jackshafts because they can only make a slipping problem worse. When using a jackshaft you loss toque by adding more pulleys and added surface area for belts to slip on. It appears you have the right RPMs motor running the hammer without a jackshaft. The only reason I’d see to have to use a jackshaft would to lower a high speed motors RPM to lower or get the correct speed to the final drive pulley. The squeaking from your belt is more than likely from slipping. If you get the slipping under control you’ll really great a chance to see what a better hammer your 500 can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Larson Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Nazelhammers, are you sporting a Nazel tattoo on your bicep? If so, I think I met you at Dave Fisher's PABA meeting a few years ago and then you showed me your shop and your machinist's shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 The reason no one is making new mechanical or air hammers in the United States today from old designs is cost. How much do you think it would cost to cast 18,000 pounds of iron to build your hammer without even doing any of the machining involved? When done who could afford to buy it with the low cost of imports coming into the country and the availability of fabricated hammers. There just isn't enough demand to support the manufacturing of hammers in the United States built the old way. We have complete drawings for Nazel, Fairbanks and Beaudry. I'd like nothing more than to build a new 1B or a Fairbanks A or C but the cost would be prohibitive. If I remember correctly before Chambersburg stopped making self contained air hammers the cost for a new 2CH was over $365,000.00 and that price is over 10 years old. No telling what it would cost today. I'm still not buying it, maybe it is still just basic economics but, iron is cheap, pouring iron isn't real difficult. What is the deal, nobody wants to produce #$%@ here anymore, ship it from over seas is our only ends. All I see is a bunch of china hammers coming over, I sure hope the throttles don't get stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Nice video on a guided helve hammer, thanks! :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 say you didn't have the powerhammers you have now and there was no old USA hammers left around, but had to get the same work you do now done? would you speak to a guy like Mr Wallace and obtained the full drawings, then take those to a domestic foundry and machine shop, paying upwards of 30,000$ to have the hammer built here, or would you buy a Chinese or Turkish or other foreign hammer brand new for 10,000$? doubt you would take the domestic route, it's just not cost effective. alot of people talk about how nothing is made in the USA anymore, but when it comes down to it and they are faced with the extensive cost of domestic production, they choose the cheaper route. I would like to build build one myself. A friend of mine can pour about 400#, Sloss furnace in birmingham has an iron conference from time to time they can pour up to 1000# Pattern and mold making seems to be a bit of a loss to me. I suppose you could always flame cut and weld as well? Seen one being imported not long ago not sure where? Believe it was a kinyon or helve style hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason0012 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I gotta get one of those! I love seeing the big Bradley. There was an indian company making a similar hammer a few years ago though i cant find it on their website anymore. The hammer was called the Rattan and the biggest was 288#. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 That's it, the one I had seen, anybody know of one running somewhere in the states? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimenickel Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 nice hammer ..wow if its a leather belt...i used neats foot oil on the belt.. wipe it on and let it soak in .. ... my belt was crackin and gettin glazed.. seem to have come back and does slip much at all.. - check the steam forums.. seems some people say that a proper tensioned and conditioned belt doesn't need dressin.. ... who knows Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I like how 500lbs is blurry in the video on the end of a wooden beam gives you a good dose of reality I bet running that thing mechanical hammers are cool in my books some people have told me the bradley's are undesirable I couldnt figure out why other than they fact they are the size of most blacksmiths shops themselves lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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