ironstein Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I know this isn't an original idea, this is my take with what i had available. I used the bottom web of a railroad rail, welded a mild steel rod to the bottom and made a holder to rest on the base of the die holder. ill post some more pics of the tool at work on a taper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 that is a good looking die nice job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 Thank you sir! It sure smooths out the hammer marks. I did pre and post heat the entire set up. The rail seems to hold up well. I'll post some more pics when I go to the shop tomorrow. I gotta size em this time, they seem to take a while to load. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.F. Thumann Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Iron, I don't want to hijack the thread (b/c it is a nice die), could you speak a little about your experience with the 88 so far? I know James Johnson is a great guy, and I have nothing but positive things to say about him and what he is doing for the anyang line. Specifically I was wondering what "little" hiccups you might have had with the hammer, i.e. running hot/oiler problems/etc that had to be worked out b/f you were compeletely satisified. I assume you love it now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 E.F., I did not have a single issue with anything! This hammer is a workhorse, hits super hard, and is super controllable for light or heavy forging. The oiler works great and has from the beginning. James adds a few check valves to ensure it works properly. James is great with customer service pre and post purchase. The hammer seems to get better and better as it breaks in. I chose it because I wanted a self contained hammer, and the beche and nazels are very similar, and people are still working them hard after many years. If I were to buy another hammer, I would buy an Anyang without hesitation. The machine speaks for itself, it is designed to forge 24/7, 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week. Just keep it oiled, grease 2 zerks once in a while, and hit it while it's hot! (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 That looks really good Brian. Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Iron, I don't want to hijack the thread (b/c it is a nice die), could you speak a little about your experience with the 88 so far? I know James Johnson is a great guy, and I have nothing but positive things to say about him and what he is doing for the anyang line. Specifically I was wondering what "little" hiccups you might have had with the hammer, i.e. running hot/oiler problems/etc that had to be worked out b/f you were compeletely satisified. I assume you love it now? The 88 was my choice until I found an old Champion here in town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 Like i said, the anyang 88 has been perfect, i just got back from the shop, made some punches and bolsters for the powerhammer out of 4140. the punch went through the 3" piece of 2" round like butter! 3 blows to get 3/4 of the way through, 2 blows on the other side and a nice 1/4" slug popped out! I just watched Clifton Ralphs videos yesterday. I had back surgery 3 weeks ago so i have a cold therapy machine that i strap on my back and i sat in my recliner for hours watching Clifton. I highly recommend them, he makes it look so simple. It made me glad i bought the 88 because you do't have to stop and adjust stroke like the murray mechanicals he uses. Plenty of room for tooling, and the blows hit just as hard when you're using tall tooling. I was surprised he only had the two mechanical hammers, he talked quite a bit about how nice the steam hammers were to work with since you didn't have to make adjustments for stock size and tooling. I got a ton of great ideas for tool making and forging. Hey Francis, hows the old Champion working out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 By the way Thurman, you mentioned the powerhammer running hot, yes when i use it for a few hours it gets hot, it's supposed to. I ran it 8 hours straight one day, and you could barely put your han on it. These hammers run better and better as they get hot, and you should warm it up before doing heavy work. I usually fire it up and let it run for a while while i am getting tools ready and lighting either the coke forge or my propane forge. I will periodically walk over and step on the treadle to bring it out of idle and cycle the ram about a half inch from the bottom die for 30 seconds or so, this seems to warm Thelma up real well. As for the oiler, it works great, i run a ton of oil through it, where its squirting out and smoking when it gets warm. This helps ensure everything is well lubed and will work some of the materials out of the hammer. I opened her up to grease the zerks the other day and found a huge puddle of oil in the bottom pan with all kinds of crud and grease that had worked its way down from the uppers of the hammer. Too much oil and grease won't hurt anything, better off with too much than not enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 If you got the 165 then you'd want a nazel! (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 And having a small machine dosn't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 The mild steel axle will wear and need to be replaced periodically. I used 1" round I had to replace it 3 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 Tim, What type hammer do you have? How long did it take to wear out? What made you notice the wear? Feed me info brother! Brian (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 R smith, Of course it does, I got the biggest machine I could afford. I wanted easy access to parts and customer service, and James Johnson offers all of that. I don't know enough about hammers to try and restore an older hammer. Although I would love to own a bigger hammer, I figure that can come later when I actually know what I'm doing! (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Ironstein, I was refering to sam, he would probably love to have a nazel now even though he only has a little 33. Also there are nazels out there that are plug and play, no restoration needed just more money up front but probably cheaper by the time it is all said and done. Larry (monstermetal) and I think kerrystagmer are victims of this route if I remember their older posts correctly. Congrats on the 88, and the die looks good. smith out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 I have a 60 kg saymak. The axle gets flattened on the bottom. If you were to use hard steel it would beat up the bottom die. I use my taper tool a whole lot it is a money maker for me. I upgraded to this die set There is a whole bunch of info on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Tim, Your thread was my inspiration for that die. Yea the mild steel rod seems to take a beating. I'll probably be dressing it often. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Rsmith I would honestly Buy a new Anyang any day over a used/ fixit up nazel any day of the week!!!! I have no patience for things that are wonky or weird when there is work to be done, hence why I love my hammer :) and if I want a project I would just start from scratch. As I stated in my post #18 there are good running "plug and play" nazels available ready to work. I am NOT talking about worn out machines purchased for scrap value. A 2b for $12-$15k+ is in this category. A 165 anyang used will take a long time to sell for $7500. I watched 2 of them for over a year and I think one just sold. 2b and 165 are similar machines. I have used both. Point is the nazel will recover ALL of the purchase price when sold and the anyang will be lucky to sell in a timely manner. Brian chose to buy a new 88 instead of a used 165 (40 hrs run time) that cost less money? I think he made the right decision based on his comfort level. Point is old anyangs dont hold their value like the nazel. Of course any machine you use to make money could be junked for no return but why not make the money with the machine and recover the purchase price after years of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Rsmith brings up vet valid points. I understand why the nazels are sought after. They are old iron with a proven track record and lots of nostalgia (spelling?). They have history. I thought about a used 165 and had a hard time pulling the trigger on a used machine. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 My big selling point was ease of access to parts IF something does go wrong. After talking to James after purchase and finding out that he has a store room full of parts that never sell because the Anyangs are so robust I did think oabout the nazels and other old iron having that "classic car" nostalgia. That it would be cool to have an old steam hammer that came from an old mill. Or just the thought of an old machine that had been in operation for a hundred years. I just kept remembering what Grant Sarver told me, that guys spend a ton of money on a new truck, but skimp on purchasing a tool thatt is more important to their business than a new truck! I will probably have an old nazel or Massey at some point. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 For the record and those following the thread, I buy tools that work and are going to keep working and doing a good job- hence the nazels- so when I retire they will have value- that means they will sell and for good money. I have no patience for fixing old junk past its prime, my tools are to work. This thought holds true of any purchase- get the highest quality that you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Rsmith I really could care less about resale value of tools, I am not a collector nor hobbiest. instead of buying a mint running nazel I would rather buy two Anyangs for the same price, the fact that they go much cheaper is good for me if I ever need a donor hammer haha! The phrase is "I COULN'T care less about...." You just told us that you do care because you COULD care less. Gee sam you really do care about resale value :P :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Who knows, by the time you retire the Anyangs may retain more value. I think they got a bad rap early on because whom ever was the American representative wasn't doing any quality control. Like buying a car from a crappy dealer. James has identified and fixed these issues. Unfortunately many people are unwilling to buy Chinese, but would buy a Turkish product without a second thought. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Who knows, by the time you retire the Anyangs may retain more value. I think they got a bad rap early on because whom ever was the American representative wasn't doing any quality control. Like buying a car from a crappy dealer. James has identified and fixed these issues. Unfortunately many people are unwilling to buy Chinese, but would buy a Turkish product without a second thought. (null)The Turks are not undermining US industry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Some of the turkish hammers had Tom Clark doing QC big time. He knew and James knows what it takes to make this work. Some one to go to if things go bad is what you are buying. Tom ran every hammer a least 6 hours before it was delivered, if it had a problem He did what ever it took to fix it. I suspect James does the same. By the way the big Bradleys don't give up a thing to the Nazels. If you want a good hammer that hits hard has as much or more control than a Nazel get your hands on a Bradley upright. It will most likely cost about half of the price of a Nazel and will run forever with minimal mantiance. They were made to run 24/7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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