Pilkington 1CWT powerhammer

[DClaville]

Hi y'all

I am going to tell a story about me and my powerhammer and it is a story that has been going for a few years but it isn't nearly started yet ;)
I will try to give as much info about the very hammer as I can as i find that there is very little info about this make on the internet.
also about how I set it up and why I did it the way I have done

If there is any Questions feel free to ask


As some of you know I purchased a Powerhammer about 2 years ago.

I got a great opportunity to buy a lovely old airhammer a Pilkington 1 CWT hammer a hammer bigger then i had first planed to get. I was at that time looking to get a 25kg(55) Anyang airhammer



The deal I got was from a cool company in the UK Massy forging limited (John N) the hammer got a good overhaul from some Pros and was then shipped to Denmark

the hammer before it got anything done to it


as it was when I visited to try it out


when I was over there to try it out
I also shot this video

when I got the hammer home it looked like this



I was still not ready for it so for about 1,5 years it's been sitting in the barn waiting... while I worked on getting the workshop ready.


first thing I did my self on the hammer was cutting the wooden blocks to fit better and then make a strong steel band around them they are 6x6" pinewood or such







then the base was up I made a wooden insert the same size as the foundation was going to be but 15mm bigger all around.
Then cast the floor around the wooden "form"


then removed the wooden "form" and dug the hole out and stomped the ground below and put it 15mm Styrofoam
and as the hammer was very low I made a steel ring from 10x100mm barstock the shape I wanted the foundation then levelled that out and welded in a little bit of reinforcement (used what I could get free)


then filled her up the cement is approx 750x650x1200mm



then last winter(2011) I was then finally ready to move the hammer in onto its foundation, had to make a big hole in the wall directly behind where the hammer was going and then roll it in as there was no way I could lift it in place.


the whole hammer weighs about 2 Tons but even so it was very easy to roll it in I used 3/4" and 5/4" water pipe to roll it on as there was a hight difference and also laid strips of 3mm steel plate to roll an to there was a even surface for the pipe we was 3 people doing it and did it slowly and controlled but it still only took about 1 hour

when the hammer finally was in place I was happy like a child in a free candy store. here you see the 2mm rubber plate between the wood and cement




I then drilled 4, Ø32mm holes 500mm into the cement and resin bonded in M27 8,8 whole tread bar got some stuff that was vibration resistant at least that's what the seller said :)



Next is the treadle but I got to go now (making chain guard) ATM.

at this point in the story we are around April 2012 Edited November 17, 2012 by DClaville

[njanvilman]

Interesting...when is Chapter 2?

[DClaville]

Right about now Mr NJ Anvil ;)

after the resin had cured I bolted it down with big washers + locking washers and nuts


then it was time for the treadle build, after reading on here and watching pictures I was pretty sure what I needed in a good treadle, one that was close to the ground so I would be able to use it with both heels on the floor and it be so comfortable that I can use it hours on end with out hurting my legs
I got some 30x60x5mm L angle iron I laid down to a angle of about the same as the gas pedal in my car.

here are a few pictures of it




and also build in a turn buckle so I can adjust the hight of the treadle as needed



then it was time for the exhaust these hammer are very very loud with the air in/out and it come out just behind the ram so its blowing oily air right out to the operator not so good but health and safety was not a big deal back when these hammers was made.

the idea to make the exhaust I got from UK master pattern welder Mick Maxen who also have a Pilkington airhammer

I Cold forged :ph34r: a 3mm plate to fit over the air hole behind the ram and drilled and taped a few holes for bolts in that plate I made a hole to weld in a 90° bend for Ø88,9mm pipe (we use a lot of this size pipe at work and had plenty in offcuts)


on that I welded another 90° bend and a pipe to go out the hole in the wall (the hole will be closed up with a wooden plate when all is done) also put in a pipe assembler?? or what they are called
On the back compressor piston there is a oneway valve for exsses air Fabricated a new cover it a 50mm pipe stud on it and also drilled and welded on a stud onto the main exhaust pipe







the hose is some oil resistant hose for some farm machinery we sell at work

the back end on the exhaust also has a 90° bend on it that points down so air and oil shoots downwards into a bucket

I am pleased with how this exhaust ended up


then I got a new chain for it as the old one had been stretched and was therefore a bad fit
and I build a chain tightener to get more teeth in contact with the chain on the motors chain wheel hoping I can keep this chain from stretching too much




A few notes about the placement of the motor.
the room I have for the workshop is very narrow and really small TBH but it is great for me and all I can get atm. the hight to the celling was also very low too low for really swinging a hammer so I lowered the floor about 30cm(12") insulated and cast a new floor but I only did that in the forge "room" part of the shop making a step right next to where the hammer sits. to save floor space I mounted the motor on the higher floor level on there it can be under a table for a machine or what ever and be out of the way, I am really happy with this idea.





next was the electrical stuff I didn't do that by my self got a friend helping with wiring the entire shop
I mounted the start/stop box with kill switch right on one of the bolts the holds the front rams top plate and that was a big mistake!! as I then tested the hammer the vibration made the switch click and stop the hammer atm its just hanging in the wires.

and I am thinking about two ways of mounting it
1: same placement but with a rubber cushion build in but am thinking it will get bouncy

2: fabricating some square pipe to go down from the wooden celling beam just above the hammer to hold the switch

atm I am most in favour of the 2nd option



almost forgot to post some videos

here is the hammer at this point in the story

at this point I am so happy that I almost felt dissy :wub:

we are now at middle October 2012 only a few things till we are up-to-date

next is a scale blaster as some might see in my other youtube videos

hope to get time to write more this evening (Danish time)

[Sam Salvati]

Not as ugly as it was Dan :D

[DClaville]

hehe thanks Sam

her name is Heidi B)

so the next chapter

In the two weeks I was running the hammer testing it and playing around I soon got tired of having to remove forge scale of the dies and when I get spring swages and other tools the problem will only worsen, so inspired by videos of industrial forging I was thinking about doing something where I could blow air on the bottom die
I looked and finally found a air switch I could use for free made some changes to my air lines in the shop and ran some 6mm air hose and bend a bit of 6mm copper pipe and away I was





here is a little video of the test blow?

I was very unsure of the placement of the switch but decided to just try it out there but already now I am thinking about moving it so i can use it with my right foot so i dont have to make a half step while I am using the hammer if I want to blow the dies clean.

have meanwhile also got a real foot switch that I will use




next was an idea I got from Owen bush who have a 2CWT Alldays & Onions to build in a ball valve on the compressor piston that can be opened to ease starting the hammer and also might be used to fine tuning the hammer for light blows but haven't played around much with it since I build it in

I took off the top plate for the piston and drilled and tapped for 1/2" pipe tread


I chose the top plate as I wanted to be sure not to have the hole where the ram touches the inside bore
It was a easy addition to make only hard part was lifting the top plate most have been about 30kg. and getting it up over the bolts and all while on a folding ladder almost feel down with it :unsure: haha



next was fabricating a chain guard that will also shield off the motors openings from forge scale and grinding dust
I am using 2mm steel plate as that is the thinnest we had loads of at work it is also much easier to get a strong structure

started bending the top plate by hand in place making two fastening points as a start as well


then one side plate


then made a slot for the axle

and cut out a section that will be folded down where it goes from wide to slimmer around the big chain wheel




and that is how it looks right now middle November 2012
Will finish it tomorrow


some other things I plan to make is the before mentioned bracket to hold the start/stop switch, a treadle safety bar and the modification of the scale-blaster
if you have ideas of things you think I am missing please let me know

[Daniel.85]

Such a cool hammer! Thanks for sharing, looks like it found a good owner.