Nice job, ya gonna put a spring guard on it?... :lol: ...Looks to me like the clutch bearing might be worn cause it looks like the space is bigger at the bottom than the top where the tapers meet.If you can wiggle the belt wheel it's either time or it's getting close. Hope I'm wrong but its not a huge problem to fix at this stage rather than getting it all set to go then having to disassemble it again. Some would say since you've got a brake run on won't be a problem but a correctly functioning clutch is too important to blow off imo.

Thanks guys for pointing out the crosshead and die space issues. I did turn the crosshead over and readjusted the dies so I now have 1" between the dies, held in place while the pitman is at 6 O'clock. I was going to take a picture of the new position, but as usual, the camera battery went dead. Recharging now and will send one tomorrow. A picture is worth a thousand words. You got to love photos, they show so much and saved me a lot of trouble. Thanks again.

macbryce called it. You need to pour a new clutch bearing. You hammer will never run it's best till you do. You always want at least 3/4 inch opening between the dies more for thicker stock. Over all the hammer looks real good. Be sure to keep the ram guide adjusted as close as possible and plenty of lube on the V-ways with those combo dies. They force you to do all your work off center which is very hard on the guide v-ways if they are loose or dry. Also never hit stock that is not hot with those dies. If you hear a soild knock from time to time on a 50 # the rear ram guide can sometimes hit the crankplate. It will hit 180 from the pin when it is at or near the top. Good luck and have fun.

The more slop you can get out of a mechanical hammer the better. Worn pins and holes, sloppy clutch, loose flexing treadle and treadle rod, and improperly shimmed ram guide all add up. The more little fixes you make the better performance you will have. You will learn even more about your hammer once you get a motor on it. Good luck it's looking good.
Dan

Update the Update: Here is a picture of the hammer with the crosshead turned over and the dies held in place with an inch between them.

Hang in there, Dave.

Thanks Frank: I still remember using the Little Giant at your school. That was my first experience with power hammers. I remember you oiling the 17 or so spots on your hammer each day we used it.

Looks really good.

Overkill is ALIVE! Yes, after months of getting parts, a motor, bushings, motor mounting plate, electricity, etc, the "Overkill" power hammer is alive and running very well. After approximately 9 years since it last ran, I have brought it back from the dead. I've played around with it for two days now and had a blast. So much to learn now and so much fun ahead. I can do so many things with it that I couldn't before as I usually work by myself. Of course, I will have to practice a lot to develop skills. I realized quickly that my LG is like a woman with lots of details that I will come to know. But, what fun.

If the LG had evolved into the 21st century it might look something like this....

I don't know if these two are the same brand but they look like great hammers....I still prefer the the open one....... ^_^

mamma mia! 

 

Now that's an italian vacation i can get behind.