VaughnT Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Well, I'm certainly interested...... but I don't have a clue how to make it work. In all the looking around on the net, I have never seen an equivalent hammer. Surely somebody on here has to have an engineering background and can reverse-engineer this thing!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudbugone Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 There is a slight chance we might be able to contact the original builder... He was last active on his YouTube account within the last couple of months... The linkage setup is more complicated than it first appears. As you watch it actuate it seems to progress instead of being a simple action as in the straight line videos. It really is a wonderful design and hopefully how it works will be explained eventually. Just as I thought I understood it's operation something else started moving...LOL... Facinating machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 As I've just accrued the last major chunk of steel I need for a treadle hammer I was thinking of going over to the Mechanical Engineering department at the University next door and seeing if any of their students needed a project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 I went back and looked at the first post and the video. It's a Watt linkage a fellow name of Bruce Freeman adapted to a treadle hammer he calls the Grasshopper hammer. Bruce sells plans but they're (in my opinion) more complicated than necessary. The basic principle is the natural arc of the hammer arm is counteracted by the pivot being mounted on an equal length counter swinging arm. It needs a stabilizing element perpendicular to the motion of the hammer or it's kind of floppy. Bruce uses a long vertical lever at the back but I've seen designs that use a wheel in a horizontal track instead. I like the wheel. If you're interested in designing your own version check out the Watt Linkage and other linkages used in early steam engines and similar, then get out the popcicle sticks and get to experimenting. There is another inline hammer called the Weta but I don't know if more than one ever got built but there may be drawings or pics online somewhere for the determined searcher. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudbugone Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 That Grasshopper Hammer design is complicated to the point I think they revamped the design to make it simpler and there are 2 designs available for building it. I found the following linkage design and it may be closer to what is used in the original hammer that started this thread. I would think 4 of these linkages would be required to build the hammer in order to keep things aligned correctly,but that's only a guess on my part. Four assemblies would keep the tup aligned and allow the required motion. The original hammer design has an awful lot of movement going on and 4 of these linkages would also. I may be incorrect on this ,but I'm including the design of the linkage in this discussion for others to decide.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwSlMYcC1OM&list=FL5YW2dmKsRRevdup2xsZMMA&index=3&feature=plpp_video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason M Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Hello everyone. Yes, I have been absent for some time. Things happen in life that do that some times.I had no idea there was still interest in my hammer. When I created this hammer, I had access to a 3D software program. I no longer have that access (lost my job.) I've been searching for an affordable alternative to what I was using and seemed to have found it. Spending $200 Should get me what I need to design and create drawings. Before I lost my job I had started designing another hammer that I am very excited about. I started drawing it with google sketchup to prove the linkage design but would have no way of making drawings without spending $500. Ouch. It is another straight line linkage that is just as compact but with fewer arms. The challenging part of the design of the new hammer is the connection between the treadle and the hammer. I have an idea on how to tackle it. I should be able to start drawing both hammers after this holiday weekend. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpiotte Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Glad to see a possibility of this design coming to light. I hope your designs all work out. This would help the blacksmithing community a great deal. Good Luck Daniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironsmith Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 COOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Ya'know, way back before computers were developed everything was drawn with a pen, or pencil, and rulers. I did 4 years of engineering drafting back in High School, it isn't that hard to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewOC Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 ...there is always Meccano as well. a ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason M Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 Ya'know, way back before computers were developed everything was drawn with a pen, or pencil, and rulers. I did 4 years of engineering drafting back in High School, it isn't that hard to do. I have great respect for those who designed as you did. I guess you could say I've been spoiled when it comes to computers. I don't know if I would have been able to create this hammer without the help of CAD software. It enabled me to create the concept animation which I watched for many many hours before I was able to complete the design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason M Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 I was able to sit down and try out the software today. I wanted to see if I could get a start on my next design as well as see how the software will work for recreating my current hammer. So far things are going well. I was able to create the basics of my new design. I started a new post for the other design which is here: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/27622-my-next-inline-treadle-hammer-design/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 When I pointed out the Grasshopper it was as an example of the Watt linkage, the Grasshopper is way over designed. The fellow who adapted it is a professional chemist so every solution he comes up with is additive. If it doesn't do what he wants he adds chachakas till it does. This Watt linkage itself is elegantly simple, the basis for many if not all posted in this thread so far. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Ya'know, way back before computers were developed everything was drawn with a pen, or pencil, and rulers. I did 4 years of engineering drafting back in High School, it isn't that hard to do. You too!? Dad insisted I be able to read a blueprint so he started me really early, then insisted I take drafting as soon as it was offered. I got to do 6 years. Not only was it invaluable as a fabricator it made converting to CADD a snap, No more pencils, No more books, No more having Dad yell at me for a cup of coffee on the table! I dumped AutoCad as soon as I was tipped to Google Sketchup, it's freeware unless you want the pro edition and that's WAY cheaper than Autodesk products. It will do animations but I still prefer my popcicle sticks, pins and strings. It'll print any view, 2D, 3D or who knows with the latest upgrade. I can almost always be found with a pad of graph paper, pencils and pens for mechanical sketches. Graph paper is great stuff. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EUGENE Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 WELL DONE JASON HAMMER IS LOOKING GOOD!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny O Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Any progress on this hammer design? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryson489 Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 So I've been thinking of attempting this design for over a year now. Was really hoping someone would've came up with the plans for it by now but still no luck. My fear is there's no plans due to the design not holding up to the beating a treadle hammer will take. We shall see. I'm starting this 1/4 scale model to make sure it'll work and so far so good. I have been acquiring the materials for this for some time now and finally have enough to get started on it soon. It'll prob be a long build but its gonna happen. It's not letting me put the picture in so heres a little video Snapchat-761976095.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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