August 8, 201213 yr With that bar stock in the tongs it looks like you are chomping at the bit !! :) Looking good. :D
August 8, 201213 yr Hey Danger, I know the feeling. I thought for a while I might have to start going to support group meetings! I would just quit whatever I was doing, walk down to the blacksmith shop, turn on the air to the hammer, step on the treadle and just watch it go up and down for a minute or two. Didn't even pound on anything! After I would get my "hammer fix" I could then I could get back to work.
August 8, 201213 yr Author Believe me there is no saving here, I am way past the point of redemption! Hammers anonymous will have to wait, besides who really wants to be Cured? Good news I was able to make progress on customer jobs today, only because of discouragement on the assembly front. Turns out after setting the ram this morning I have a 1/4" overlap on the back and 1/2" underlap on the front. Solving the problem could be simple as shimming the sow towards the back, the only problem is everything must come off to do this. There is a 1 1/2" square peg that aligns the sow with the anvil which will have to be made larger to accommodate the shim. Also I am concerned with having the key to thin on the front of the sow, at the small end maybe 1/4". In past experience a small key tends to mushroom and become lodged. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
August 9, 201213 yr Ouch. So the main frame needs to come forward a bit, loosen the bolts and slide it forward until it lines up? May have to slot mounting holes... After running the hammer for 6 months or so you will probably need to redo the alignment of dies after the wood settles in with time/use. Then worry about making it perfect after everything is settled in. Good luck,smith out
August 9, 201213 yr Perhaps, bizarre, but remake one of your dies, or their shims. Maybe each die can be shimmed over half the needed distance and then new wedges made. Many old hammers ran shims on both sides of the dovetails to achieve the alignment they wanted.
August 9, 201213 yr Author Thanks guys, I'll try shifting the frame a bit more but I'm already touching the sleeper on that side, your right smith it aint gonna stay where its at anyway. Maybe in combination with a 1/4" shim I will be able to drop it center. John both the dies and sow block are keyed with pegs, no way to switch it up. Nailing all the tolerances on this beast have been a challenge for sure, the big one was the safety line, I'm at 3/8" on that one!
August 9, 201213 yr I would make the 'best' position (even out the error) , then have a bit skimmed off the tapered side faces of the dies (not the dovetail). If you have a 1/4" error one way, and 1/2" the other way error the die faces cant be the same size anyway?
August 9, 201213 yr Author Your right John, I sat in my thinking chair for a spell then wrangled the frame forward 1/4". My crane capacity is 2 ton and the frame is over 5000 but just lifting the back end gave me enough to wedge it forward. I figure I hadn't noticed that the dies were not the same when I had it running before or when they were refaced he took more of the bottom die. I will pull the bottom die and make the adjustment to bring them in line, 3/8" cut off the front should do it. Still have 12 more days till full cure :angry:
August 11, 201213 yr DD, I'm glad John N chimed in with his experience-based advice. There is also the option of one totally new die of more height, because you will need to watch the 3/8" safety line closely as things move over time. one inch would give more comfort. The 3/8 needs watching because there is more wood to shrink under the anvil than under the frame. A new die could solve both problems. A rebuilt die would involve the same heat treating expense and some of the same machining. So the extra expense is material and some more machining.
August 11, 201213 yr Author Thanks John, but I'm going to run it. I did measure the bottoming out which is another 3" past the safety, so I am in no danger of damage. The worst scenario would be at couple inches past safety the bottom port may not have enough volume to send the ram back up. Doubtful though because that means I would be running the dies together without the 3" to 6" material I hope to be forging soon B)
August 11, 201213 yr Two solutions to consider for die alignment... 1) Machine the sides of the dies so they match. 2) Machine the dovetail (on the bottom die) to be slightly narrower to move the die over that little bit? You would have to address any pinning issues and also make a new drift or put in a spacer (simple) on the opposite side. Two more things... Please explain the 3/8th inch relative to the safety line. Your later comment about 3 inches has me confused. How many hammers (and what type) do you have now?
August 12, 201213 yr Author Please explain the 3/8th inch relative to the safety line. Your later comment about 3 inches has me confused. How many hammers (and what type) do you have now? I set the height of the frame so the stroke is 3/8" above the safety line (physically marked on the guide). This line is 3" above where the piston will bottom out in the cylinder (which is also the height of the air port) . I believe this to be more of reference line. Say you had special dies in the hammer to forge 10" billet down to 5" you would remove the sow block and set the dies with as much stroke you could have. You would set it up to complete the forging at the safety line thus capturing as much stroke and power you could get. 4 hammers 250 Murray 500 Bradley 200 Chambersburg 700 Niles, Bement, Pond
August 17, 201213 yr Smoke em if you got em'! A Smith such as yourself who works the bigger stuff needs more than one, for sure. Re heating big bars to change up dies is a serious waste of energy. Your PH addiction is a harmless one and one allot of us wish we could indulge in. I really get off on seeing those hammers rescued from the furnace and put online again, Thanks for posting......... B)
August 17, 201213 yr 4 hammers 250 Murray 500 Bradley 200 Chambersburg 700 Niles, Bement, Pond Does that seem like a challenge to anyone else or is it just me? ...you smallest hammer being a 200 weight (well..arguably the 250 Murray vs the converted steam) sort of puts the size work you do into perspective eh? Ric
August 17, 201213 yr The hammer club... I really should be ashamed, but I'm not B) <_< You are a great role model! I hope to get to this level someday.
August 17, 201213 yr now, get yourself a leg vise! :angry: those machinists vices will be psyching out the hammers !
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