KjZitur Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 This is a video of some of the changes I made to my 150lb Fairbanks Hammer. Made the hammer hit harder and more user friendly when using top tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Not many who own the hammers would say/think.......Ah Ha, longer toggle arms and links, bigger spring and it will run faster and more efficiently when the old ones look pretty good to me. We all know you're smart Ken but how did you arrive at that conclusion?..... That hammer rocks! I hope others with Fairbanks hammers will chime in cause I would have liked to see a before and after but ya can't think of everything ........Installing a varyable speed motor is something I've seen and operated on a 100lb LG and it wasn't a huge improvement but the guy who owned it had a motor with a double cone sheve unit so he tryed it out...not bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 I originally bought this hammer to forge bale spears for a local manufacturer of aftermarket bobcat equipment. The small spears are made from 1-1/2”round x 30” (1045) with a 4-1/2” taper and the large ones are made from 2” round x 40” (1045) with a 16-1/2” taper and are used in an attachment for moving big round bales of hay. The Fairbanks in its original state was taking way too long to forge out these tapers, it didn’t seem to hit as hard as I thought a 150lb. hammer should hit. One night I called Clifton Ralph to see if he could offer any suggestions and he said that the Fairbanks was a good hammer but that they were too choked up. That started me on my quest to improve my hammer. I don’t remember what the forging time was in the beginning, but after I made those changes I could forge the 4-1/2” taper in the 1-1/2” rd in 22 seconds and the 16-1/2” taper on the 2” rd took about 90 seconds (one heat). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I think most of the LG style hammers can benefit from those same mods. I did a very similar thing with a 25 LG (same arms but longer adjustable toggles and stronger, longer spring). Afterwards, that hammer hit more like a 50 and could draw iron like crazy. I had my 100 lb hammer set up with flat dies and could go from the 25 to the bigger one for all sorts of jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 That amazing I had a 75 lb Fairbanks and it was a good hammer but it was slow. I sold it and bought an air hammer. If I had seen that video I would have kept it and upgraded. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I guess I should it say it seemed slow to draw out the steel after I got my new air hammer. But It seemed pretty fast when I first got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 I run my 150 in the 220'ish bpm for most of the things I work on but sometimes crank it up to the 250-260 speed on heavier material where I am not using top tooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Ken, great video, thanks for posting it. I'd love to see a video of you giving that hammer a workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.F. Thumann Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Ken, Could you post more pics (lots) of the brake mod/head setup that you have now, as well as approx dimensions on the pieces that you used for the toggles (as well as what material/heat treat you used)? I have a 125lb fairbanks model D, and if your changes really upgrade the hammer in a big way, then count me in:) Thanks in advance:) -Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Johnny Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Great video, I'm with AndrewT A workout video would be awesome. Did you buy the VFD new if so where- thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 I will see what I can put together for some dimensions and such and get some close up pix of the toggle links and toggle arms. As for the VFD I bought it used from a place in the Twin Cities (Phil Azow 952.495.8199 ) and there is also a place here in St. Cloud that sell used VFD's. (Electric Motor Service)..............ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.F. Thumann Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Ken, Please don't forget to take a few closer pics of the brake setup you are running (with how you arranged the spring, and the custom brake arm). My brake is has been driving me nuts the last few months, and I'm ready to throw it under the hammer as soon as I can B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 You should have called this topic "Hot Rod Fairbanks". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 . Here are some pix of the toggle arms and linkage. The toggle arms were forged and fabricated out of 1" x 4" bar stock and some DOM tubing. Welded with some 7018 and normalized. The toggle links are grade 8 bolts with DOM tubing welded on the end and the extra link on the end is 1" x 1-1/2 cold rolled. If I missed anything let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will. K. Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 What are the specs on the box car spring (wire size, coil o.d., free length)? Did you get it new from a supplier or used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 . The boxcar spring I got from a neighbors scrap pile. It is about 8" long, outside diameter is 5-3/4" and is made from 1-3/16" wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.F. Thumann Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Ken, Thanks for posting all of the pics. P.s what material belt are you running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 The belt I am running is the old reinforced smooth rubber belt that was on the hammer when I got it. I also tried a solid rubber belting that I picked up at the local Mill's Fleet store. One side is smooth and the other side is a "raised" pattern. The side with the pattern would not slip at all and the smooth side would work until things warmed up and then it would squeak like crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Had a little time to kill so I thought I'd post a video of my Fairbanks pounding out some seam wedges for a local granite company. Using 1" round 1144 to make a tapered wedge 1/2" thick x 1-1/4"wide x 10" long.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHrxlR66Mj0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 genius :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Your hammer looks rock solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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