Spare tire hammer versus "rusty"?

[Mark Wargo New2bs]

I was curious what the relative advantages and disadvantages are of the spare tire hammer versus the rusty style leaf spring hammers.

Mark

[thecelticforge]

I am hoping you are referring to the power hammers? The Spare tire hammer by Ray Clontz I am understanding is the hands down best one you can make. It is a "power hammer" ran by an electric motor. The leaf spring types I have seen are treadle hammers and are excellent critters themselves. However, they are driven by leg power. I think it comes down to personal choice which style better suits you.

I am building a Clontz hammer because I am getting older, I need to increase production (I have even out sourced some of my work so all I have to do is some assembly), and I am getting older, or did I mention that? This is my three or four cents worth.

If you need much more detail, you are in the right spot to get it :)

[John B]

The Rusty/Krusty type spring hammers are also motor powered, both seem to work OK, the Rusty/Krusty type take up a larger flooorspace.
There appears to be less involved in making the Rusty/Krusty type.

others will no doubt add their opinions

[thecelticforge]

Do you know where any pics of those are? I must be thinking of something else.

[John B]

There are various types here http://www.anvilfire...power/index.htm

There used to be detailed plans on this site http://www.dgentile....owerhammer.html

There are also vids on You tube

[thecelticforge]

There are various types here http://www.anvilfire.com/power/index.htm

There used to be detailed plans on this site http://www.dgentile.com/en/overview/55-qkrustyq-the-mechanical-powerhammer.html

There are also vids on You tube

huh huh huh That was cool...

[arftist]

I'll throw my 50 cents in. I spent a solid year looking at power hammer designs to build. I selected a rusty style. Some people are convinced of the merits of the Dupont mechanism (the basis of the tire hammer, but also many other hammers such as Little Giant and of course, Dupont. I am not.
I built a 75 pound rusty style with some changes that I consider improvements, such as a bronze lined adjustable guide, a flat belt clutch, a large flywheel between the clutch and the motor. I used the hammer and got a pretty good feel for it. I then went and used my master's 75 pound Dupont hammer. Sorry, but the guided spring helve (when modified with a flat belt clucth and energy storing flywheel has it all over the Dupont, And therefore, rightly or wrongly I have to conclude over the tire hammer as well.

I did spend a lot of time, money and love building my hammer. It was not a few weekends or any such thing, but rather a couple months and a few thousand dollars, so it may not be fair to compare it's performance to a hammer specificaly designed to be built quickly and cheaply. The same can be said for rustys or tire hammers. You can build either quick and dirty or slowly and lovingly and sparing no expence, in the end you get what you pay for.

The base of my hammer is 24"x40"x1.5" It's size is not a problem for me.

[Dave Hammer]

Arftist.... I'd be interested in seeing a picture of your hammer....

[Mainely,Bob]

I would like to see some pics also.
Funny you should mention the flywheel addition.One of the things I had wondered about the tire hammers was why they don`t use that large rotating mass as more of a flywheel.If I end up going that route I had thought of adding a flywheel to a longer mainshaft if for no other reasons than to help smooth things out and to also give me a place to mount weights to counterbalance the assembly.
I`ve also never been able to fully understand why someone hasn`t kept the cable operated parking brake(or the hydraulic disc) and adapted that into a brake for the hammer.

[arftist]

I found three pictures... I can't upload them. My son is trying to help. He says it is the site, but he can't find the pictures when he browses. I wish I could figure this out.

[arftist]

Hopefully this worked. Younger son to the rescue.

[arftist]

One more time. I don't get it. The kid found the picture, the link showed up on this form, but no link publishes.

[arftist]

Only so much hair left.

[arftist]

Top View.

[MattBower]

The spare tire mechanism is really just a clutch, and by all accounts a good one. It happens to have been first used on a Dupont style linkage hammer, but you could just as easily use it on a Rusty style. That's what I'm leaning toward, if I ever have space for a power hammer.

[arftist]

This shot shows the anvil, combo die, tup and an adjustable stop.

[arftist]

None taken. The body of the die is much longer than the face of the tup and the angle of the picture is weird. Next weekend I will take some better pictures. As for the matching dies, I am not there yet. I do have different bottom dies, but I need to do a lot to add bolt on top dies.

[sseib]

I haven't run a Rusty but I helped build and own a tire-hammer from one of John Wayne Taylor's workshops in Alabama. I think the reason the tire-hammers have no fly-wheel is the fact it would be too much rotating mass when using the hammer for single hit type work. With the clutch and brake operating from the foot control it takes very little practice to consitantly get single hit blows.

Steve Seib

[Jeff Seelye]

Last year I started looking at the differences too because I don't have a big compressor or the funds for an air hammer yet. I have never actually seen either opperate in person. I've seen both on You-tube.I have never liked the idea of a whole bunch of parts moving close to my face. Yes, I know they can put a guard in front of it. The "Rusty" idea just looked so simple and Jerry Allens plans are so easily adaptable to whatever you can find in a junkyard that I started building it. Clay's might be be better but I should have this one running by July (in my spare time). I asked a lot of questions to Jerry, on here, and to BS friends and made some changes to the original design myself. Some of these changes require machining so I am waiting on parts to get finished (you can't rush bartered or traded labor. My idea was to just build something, eventually if it works out I will probably trade up, sell it and buy an air hammer eventually. At scrap steel prices now, I would make money just kicking it off the tailgate at the scrap yard.

[Mark Wargo New2bs]

With a rusty style helve hammer, what would be the minimum weight for the hammer that would be effective for hobbiest work? I was considering something in the 15 to 20 pound range. I don't want to move too much metal with each hit, but I'd hate to make it too light, and not move much at all.

Mark

[Jeff Seelye]

That's one of the beauty's of the "Rusty" plan. You can make whatever size hammer you want. One other difference I have noticed is that with a spring, you have a "slap" which adds enertia. It's like using a 3 lb. hammer, when you raise it over your head and strike, you don't just deliver 3 lb's of force to the metal. I don't know how to calculate it but a 20 lb. Rusty hammer will deliver more force than another type of 20 lb hammer. When you order the plans from Jerry, you get the plans for Rusty and Dusty. They are VERY adaptable to what materials you can find. You can make it very crude or as clean as you want, as small or as big as you want.

[Restoreman123]

Hi, I made a Jerry Allen Rusty Hammer almost ten years ago and it is still working today. Total investment out of pocket was about $60. Of course plus my time. I don't have a breakdown on the amount of electricity it took to weld it together. If cost is a factor this is the way to go. Everything except for the drive belt and the grade 8 bolts were from the junk pile. Many have laughed, it ain't pretty, but she works. So if money is tight, this is the way to go in my book. I have a picture of me using it on my website: www.happyhavenforge.com, go to gallery, click the back button three times and your there. I made it in about ten days, when I had time to work on it, about 1/2 to 1-1/2 hours per day. Happy Hammerin'