I was just wondering if anyone knew what kind of rubber the Bradley hammers used. I've found an old scan on line that lists dimensions for the different hammer sizes, but haven't seen any info on the material itself other than someone mentioning it was some kind of vulcanized rubber. I don't have a bradley (maybe some day), but have been wondering about it, or a suitable modern day analog.

The original rubber was a natural latex. The rubber that came with my hammer may very well have oozed out of a tree in Brazil over 150 yrs ago! They fiddled with the formula quite a lot over the years. The new cushions I have are composed of an ether based urethane(I don't recall the durometer) They are bright blue and the consistancy of "super balls". I don't recall the name of the fellow from Michigan who made them for me, I am sure I have it written down somewhere. He explained quite a lot about the chemistry of rubber and the development of rubber products over the years.

As long as you know what Durometer range you need a shop can make urethane ones. Old rubber gets hard, so it may be a good idea to get several samples. I had a customer that worked at as caster shop, and the casting of urethane is pretty basic. There are even some air hardening types.

Jason,

If you can find specifics on the rubbers you had made, I would appreciate it.

Higbee gasket out of Syracuse made a couple for the previous owner of my hammer in 1991. Job# 9103948 lot# 01 they may be able to look it up and tell you. Mine takes a F-42

i heard you put die rubber in the freezer and then turn them yourself on a lathe

Thanks Danger, what's a F-42?

Andrew,

If you have the same paperwork I have F-42 is the size that fits my hammer, if you are looking for a different size I can scan the paperwork, just let me know.

Tate and Danger, is this the chart you have?

http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgview.php?photo=2392&cat=&by=Patrick%20Nowak

Looks like this chart is for "upright hammers", possibly the
"Upright Helve" and the "Upright Strap" but not the "Cushioned Helve".
Thank you Patrick, for posting it.


I'd like to find the measurements for rubbers on a 100lb "Compact".

This should be the right one.

I think Cortland still owns the Bradley name, parts sales, paperwork came from them rubber from Higbee.

Cortland Machine & Tool Co Inc

60 Grant St
Cortland, NY 13045
607-756-5852

Hey, lets see some of the work you do on that hammer?

OK Danger here ya go, steel and copper fireplace doors.



Still looking for specs on Bradley Compact rubbers. Danger the chart you posted shows the single rubber above the head on the helve style hammers won't work for my Compact.

Called Higbee, said they didn't have records back that far, and they probably wouldn't share the info if they did. Cortland sold the rubber stuff to Bruce Walace (Bruce, you want to give me a quote I'll listen).

The rubbers on my hammer seem fine, maybe compressed some over the years. I'm considering a heavier upper die, and have been wondering how fresh rubbers would increase performance (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

I'll probably end up running the old ones, just looking for info.

Jason0012, you still out there?

Thats all I got, sorry I couldn't help, Cortlands out? Hope Bruce can help you out, don't you just need the measurements?

Nice clean work, I like the different rosettes.

I have two cracked rubbers and I'm still Banging :o

Two other sources for Bradley rubber parts:

Bob Bergman of the Postville Blacksmith shop in Blanchardville WI and
Nathan Robertson of Jackpine Forge-Nathan has told me he knows a shop that casts the contact wells for belt grinders and that they can do Bradley components if given the dimensions. I don't have the name of the shop he was refering too.

Danger D.-Can you send me the head rubber drawings via email so I can add them to my collection of Bradley Documents? Also, did you get any other literature with your hammer you could share? I am trying to collect all that can on these hammers since I get asked about them fairly often. Thanks.

Patrick

Patrick; rather than go to all that trouble all the time you could just send that hammer to me!

Sorry it took a while to find. I'm not even sure the address is still good. The last I spoke with this guy was in 1998. His name is Jeff Starke. He is an engineer for a rubber manufacturer and made a set of cushions for my 100# upright. The adress I have is 3071 Kerlikowske , Coloma Mi 49038. His number was (616) 849-1239. I hope he is still there. The cushions he made have been running in my hammer for quite a few years now and work quite well. I will warn that the bright blur rubber is quite the change from the old bone white/grey of the natural latex!

I should also add that I have tried to buy parts from Cortland years ago and found them to be quite disinterested in helping me. The one part they were willing to replace was the rear bearing at $3600 for the raw casting! They also quoted me a 6 month lead time on it. I found a local foundry that was more than happy to pour a new one using the old as a pattern . It took less than a week and they only charged $600.

Sorry it took a while to find. I'm not even sure the address is still good. The last I spoke with this guy was in 1998. His name is Jeff Starke. He is an engineer for a rubber manufacturer and made a set of cushions for my 100# upright. The adress I have is 3071 Kerlikowske , Coloma Mi 49038. His number was (616) 849-1239. I hope he is still there. The cushions he made have been running in my hammer for quite a few years now and work quite well. I will warn that the bright blur rubber is quite the change from the old bone white/grey of the natural latex!

I should also add that I have tried to buy parts from Cortland years ago and found them to be quite disinterested in helping me. The one part they were willing to replace was the rear bearing at $3600 for the raw casting! They also quoted me a 6 month lead time on it. I found a local foundry that was more than happy to pour a new one using the old as a pattern . It took less than a week and they only charged $600.

Jason, I had the same experience with Cortland early on when I first got my hammer.

Thanks for the info on Jeff. Do you remember what you paid for the new set of compact cushions, and how did you come up with a durometer number to approximate the old rubbers?

Just wanted to note that the area code for Coloma, MI has changed from 616 to 269.

I don't know the durometer. He simply guessed based on the rubber used for die springs. I believe I payed $150-250(it was a while ago) I don't own a compact but an upright, so that was a total of 5 cushions. A friend with a 100# compact has rubbers that were simply bandsawn from 3-4" sheet rubber(I'll bet that wasn't much fun). The new rubber I am using is a lot snappier than the originals, though it seems a lot harder. Rubber technology though seems to have advanced a little bit in the last 110 years! Pressumably one could cast these yourself, though I will freely admit to knowing very little about casting rubber.

Local company that makes drive products (conveyor belt and such) makes things like this from a roll of 1/8" strip. They wind it on a mandrel, vulcanize it and then machine it. Just like solid! They re-do a lot of drive wheels that way.

The place Bob Bergman suggested to me was Scougal Rubber in Seattle. When I talked to them years ago they mentioned wraping natural rubber on a mandrel and vulcanizing it. They needed size and durometer info, and had no particular knowledge of Bradleys.


Old 100# Compact Rubbers

More 100# compact rubber. A bit different than yours, straight sided cylinders instead of barrels. BTW, I PM'd Bruce regarding rubber specs. I'll let you know if i hear anything...
-DB

My local Napa has a durometer for testing tires. I took my rubbers in and tested them in about 20 places and got readings between 50 and 60 on the "A" scale.

If anyone eles comes up with hardness values please post them here.

I just checked all the cushions on a 200# compact 125# upright helve and both 40# cushioned helve hammers/ Also checked 4 new rubbers (never used) made by Higbee Gasket about 6 years ago. All checked from 70 to 80 duro "A" scale. Also checked some very old ones that checked 100, but after I took the old crust off they to were in the 70 to 80 range.