basher Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I have finally gotten my little baby massey going . It's been a long journy . I was given this hammer as a work bonus about 5 years ago .It was in not working condition left in a yard for over a decade. I stripped it and oiled it and put it back together and low and behold it didn't work very well and then stopped working all together...... I pulled it apart and the valve was broken in two .... I Brazed it and it lasted a day before it broke . I had another valve made and still it didn't work no real up force and the hammer was not fully cycling At this point about exactly a year ago by pure coincidence a true to life massey expert came along to my forge-in and rummaged and drilled and scratched his head and bolted and unbolted and scratched his head some more .... It was better but still it didn't work........... about two weeks later I got a call from self same and was given the advise to up the rpm and low and behold its a lot lot better (its doing 270rpm now). I realized that it had been a whole year gon by since John had sorted me out and that really I should have got it going .Thanks for the help John . I was thinking obout making a striking hammer and suddenly realised that this might do the job. Its in my shop and working now . I spent a few hours yesterday with a dremmel grinding open the air ways on the valve and it is better still . At this point I think I am the proud owner of a working massey (or at least 80% working).I will probably have to do some more work on it as it may need new piston rings and definatly needs a new fly wheel bearing . I was holding back from spending more monie on it untill i have had it working . I have a job tomorow forging out the ends of crossbow prods and think the controllability of this beasty will be perfect . It is a match box shutter. It is in my eyes one of the most beautifull hammers made and I am very glad to finally have it working . I have yet to decide what colour to paint it or weather to go steam punk on it . I guess its time to start the real work on my alldays and onion 300 or pull the old Brooks plate hammer out of the garage .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Black with gold and red highlights---it's already steam punk! though you could add some sheet brass ornamentation if you wanted... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Hanson Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Very Cool Old Hammer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 Can't go wrong with polished metal! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myloh67 Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 Was that the hammer that came out of the Fletcher Myburg homestaed,? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 It took all these years to develop that nice patina and you want to paint it? I would leave it as is myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Im with Clinton... the best "look" to me is a un-restored original finish.... you only have one chance to keep it looking like it is What ever you do.... It looks like a lot of fun. I wish there where more Masseys kicking around the states, they seem to be a great machine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 Was that the hammer that came out of the Fletcher Myburg homestaed,? Aye that was the one . They bought it at an auction and it sat outside there forge and in there other one .in the end they got a 50kg sahinla... and I got the massey . I have known steve and caroline for a long time now lots of good stuff still coming out of that stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 I like it the way it is. I agree it took years for the patina to develope. Besides paint only looks good when it is first painted and to keep it looking good you have to clean it constantly. Some polished brass fittings would look good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 I am all for painting it something bright. I find lots of light and a bright workspace helps keep me motivated. If you restored an old car would you be worried about keeping the patina or would you paint it. If you have a business who are your customers and what type of work do you do? Much of my work is bought by machine shops and purchasing agents, they want to see machinery that looks taken care of and new (even if it is ancient). They see machinery with "patina" they think either he will work cheap or what happens when that machine breaks down in the middle of my job. If they are well heeled yuppie types they see dirty old machinery and that affects what they think of you and your prices. Look at the pictures of Jesse James's old machinery in some of the threads on here people pay him TOP dollar to make things on those old machines. (I realize there is more to it than pretty machines) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 There`s a big difference between patina and crud,and some seem to be unable to tell that difference. If by patina you mean the appearance of a clean,properly functioning machine that looks to be well taken care of then I`m all for it. If,on the other hand you mean you only pressure wash it when the sludge gets to where you`re slipping in it then you lost me. I love old iron and bring as much as I can back to life.When it leaves my hands it looks and functions as though it was cared for all the years of it`s life.It looks as though a craftsman owned it and returned the favor of all those years by attending to it`s needs as it attended to his needs. Up here during the long winters there is usually ample time to attend to maintenance of machinery and people usually take pride in their tools.Most folks who have been around some know that when a potential customer walks into their shop the best advertisement is tools and machines that say "This man really cares about what he does and how he does it". One of the traditions of boatbuilding was that a joiner(ship`s carpenter/cabinet maker) built his own tool chest out of whatever materials happened to be left over after a particular job.They pretty much all outwardly looked like an old beat up chest from their rough life in the boatyards.It was when you opened the chest that you found out what kind of man you were dealing with. Some were works of art with polished tools closely fit,inlays of rare wood and examples of fine joinery.Others were just a tumble of grungy ,barely serviceable basic tools among dust,chalk,oil and wood chips. Any guesses who got the plum jobs and the higher pay? When I worked as a shipfitter in a union yard many times the lead man would base his work assignments on what he saw of a worker`s tool box.Your tools told him of your skills and your attitude. Some things really never change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myloh67 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Aye that was the one . They bought it at an auction and it sat outside there forge and in there other one .in the end they got a 50kg sahinla... and I got the massey . I have known steve and caroline for a long time now lots of good stuff still coming out of that stable. Thought it was yourself Owen, been a long time since I had a decent neighbour like I had a Chelsea back then. Hows the guitar cases doing these days (soggy probably!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 Thought it was yourself Owen, been a long time since I had a decent neighbour like I had a Chelsea back then. Hows the guitar cases doing these days (soggy probably!) Michael , good to bump into you here . I tried looking for you in gloucester a few years back but you had moved on...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 That is a beautiful little hammer! I'd clean it well, perhaps paint the lettering some bright color to draw the eye, and polish any brass or bronze bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 That is a beautiful little hammer! I'd clean it well, perhaps paint the lettering some bright color to draw the eye, and polish any brass or bronze bits. I'm with judson on the lettering. A clean machine is a clean machine fresh paint or not. Personally, I like my machines to tell a story, that story is in the patina. If you can't get it working properly, send it over to me :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Guess that would be this hammer:Massey hammer Page 450 - 455 Picture click HERE Cool, the camera angle is almost the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I wouldn't paint it, but if you decide to remove any paint that is on it I would test it for lead first so you will know how to dispose of it. I did this recently on a machine I bought luckily it was not lead paint. I sure hope you get to use the hammer more over the next 5 years, really cool machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Very neat looking hammer. If you do decide to paint it (I wouldn't) bring it back to it's original look like the Anyang at this thread rather than making it look like a carnival ride.http://www.iforgeiro..._0&#entry166681 Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myloh67 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I like the finish on the hammer as it stands id lave er bee. When is the basher gonna have his bashin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted April 4, 2010 Author Share Posted April 4, 2010 I like the finish on the hammer as it stands id lave er bee. When is the basher gonna have his bashin If you mean forge in then its next weekend . I have 5 demonstrators and people from 10 countries attending .themed around blades as per normal . I seem to be doing it about that time every year. we put the little massey through its paces yesterday and I was pleasently surprised .I think all the work was worth it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myloh67 Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 If you mean forge in then its next weekend . I have 5 demonstrators and people from 10 countries attending .themed around blades as per normal . I seem to be doing it about that time every year. we put the little massey through its paces yesterday and I was pleasently surprised .I think all the work was worth it . Good to hear from you, would be good to meet up here or over there, good luck with next weekend, lots of goodness in this sentence Good day M Ps its good to hear the hammer is behavin well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I pulled it apart and the valve was broken in two .... I Brazed it and it lasted a day before it broke . I had another valve made and still it didn't work no real up force and the hammer was not fully cycling At this point about exactly a year ago by pure coincidence a true to life massey expert came along to my forge-in and rummaged and drilled and scratched his head and bolted and unbolted and scratched his head some more .... It was better but still it didn't work........... about two weeks later I got a call from self same and was given the advise to up the rpm and low and behold its a lot lot better (its doing 270rpm now). hi owen, what does the valve look like? is it a rotary system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forgemaster Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 John, its a Mark 1 hammer, they had a rotary valve as opposed to the common Massey shuttle valve. If I had to choose a colour I'd say Massey green. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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