Is a treadle hammer used much?

[KeithSS]

Hi, got a chance to get a clay spencer treadle hammer for $500 . I have a 25 lb. LG. I've been trying to blacksmith for 2 yrs. but only can do it 1 day a week. Hope to do it more often , just can't seem to quit working yet.
How often do you use yours? What do you use it for?
Thanks, Keith s

[Jim Kehler]

I use mine all the time, call it my idiot with a sledgehammer. It makes things like punching holes or cutting in grooves much easier and you don't have to resort to holding your workpiece between your legs.(Sorry there isn't any way to word that, that sounds polite :huh: )

[Stormcrow]

I don't have one.  Um, where's this one for $500?  :D

 

Yeah, it lets you use tooling without a striker swinging a hammer for you.  Sounds like a good thing to me.  :)

[KeithSS]

Jim ,that alone is an import safety factor .
I stepped on a few different makes before,this one seemed so effortless i thought it must not be to powerful.
The gas to get to Chicago would bring up the price a couple hundred more.

[Jerry W.]

Keith,

I have been wanting a treadle hammer for quite awhile now.  $500.00 would be a great price for a good treadle hammer.  Pieh tools sells one new for $1000.00.  Shipping would be another $225.00 to South Texas.  Good luck, Jerry

[Old N Rusty]

A treadle hammer is a fine tool to have in the shop. You will find somewhat of an athletic event if, like me you be short ,fat,and old. Standing on one leg and doing the " treadle dance''cannot be called easy. An artist was in my shop for a while , he brought one. For bashing hot, small angle iron into cattail leaves , using a piece of pallet hardwood on top to preserve the sharp angle ridge , It was ideal.Get that one or make one and you will find it very usefull.

[Judson Yaggy]

They have their place especially if you are interested in having 2 hands on your work.  True usefulness depends on what kind of work you do.  They really shine for doing lots of chisel or punch work.  

 

Personally I sold mine one week after buying my big fly press and in the last 5 years have not done a single job where I've wanted it back.  The fly press pushes the exact same tools I used under the treadle hammer but with more accuracy and power.  I also have a well tuned power hammer that gives precise single blows if wanted.  Combined with flat dies and lots of tooling and I can produce a lot of shapes very quickly with both feet (mostly) on the floor.  

 

YMMV, but I'd buy or build some sort of press before getting another treadle hammer. 

[don schad]

One advantage that a treadle hammer has over a flypress is that switching tooling is only a matter of picking up the different top-tool (assuming you are using flat dies), so you can do multiple operations with different tools quickly.  With a flypress you need to swap out tooling in the ram, which in most cases likely requires a bit of time (not something you can do within a heat).  

[HWooldridge]

Treadle hammers are very useful in a one man shop - most anything you'd otherwise do with a sledge and a helper. I realize a lot of people think inline is the only way to go but I built one to the original ABANA plans about 20 yrs ago and have used it almost daily since then. That design swings in an arc but you get used to it pretty quickly and it hits quite hard with a 60 lb head.

[MOblacksmith0530]

I have both a fly press and a treadle hammer. I like both. I had the treadle hammer before the fly press and there are certainly some things that that a fly press is much better at but having both hands for the stock or one for the stock and one for the tool the treadle hammer wins. I put a tall stool in front of mine to sit back against if I am doing a lot of work on the treadle. At 500 I think it is a good deal. If you learn to use it it will be a great addition to the shop. If you don't take the time to learn to use it it will be an anchor just like the fly press would be.

[KeithSS]

Thanks for your thoughts on this subject , I will probably get it..

[don schad]

Uhhh, not really. If you mount a flat plate in your ram you can use hand held (with much less danger of slamming your hand) and tong held tooling easily.

 

I have only two arms, so unless you are driving something into the same spot I don't find this works well.

 

I think most use handled tools so the biggest danger I find from a TH is hitting something off center and having it shoot out.  Same can happen from FP. 

 

Both can be fine tools suited for different approaches.

[Jim Coke]

You just can't loose at 500..  Ive been smithing for 30 years and have 3 treadle hammers ... 2 in line Richard Sheppards and a Clay Spencer design...   If you can dream metal work  a flypress and a treadle hammer is all you need...  LEARN LEARN LEARN   To me a Stravivarius violin is just a wood box but in the right hands its a beautiful thing...

[KeithSS]

Hi, I got the Treadle Hammer to my place,thought I was going to take it in the basement . But the the anvil is solid 5x5 . This a picture of one exactly like mine . What name or who designed this hammer. The previous owner said he went somewhere and a group of guys each built one,together . Thanks Keith

[cvmikeray]

Man you got a good deal on that !!!

[KeithSS]

Do you know if this a Oliver ?

[Bob S]

Hi, I got the Treadle Hammer to my place,thought I was going to take it in the basement . But the the anvil is solid 5x5 . This a picture of one exactly like mine . What name or who designed this hammer. The previous owner said he went somewhere and a group of guys each built one,together . Thanks Keith

 

This treadle hammer is Clay Spencer's swing arm style. Plans available from ABANA if I remember right. A great hammer.

 

Be SURE that you ALWAYS hold one hand on the raising and lowering crank when you loosen the two brake shoe clamps at the rear. ALWAYS keep your hands CLEAR.

[KeithSS]

Thanks for the warning. Are the back clamps and the threaded rod to get the hammer to hit harder or is it so you can get more room between the head and anvil.

I bought a set of treadel hammer plans from abana, but they are different from this hammer ,it mentions Paul Marx in the plans,it looks the same except the plans don't show a crank or clamps for the back and it uses 8 springs instead of three.
Maybe abana has more than 1 type of treadel plans?

[Bob S]

Thanks for the warning. Are the back clamps and the threaded rod to get the hammer to hit harder or is it so you can get more room between the head and anvil.

I bought a set of treadel hammer plans from abana, but they are different from this hammer ,it mentions Paul Marx in the plans,it looks the same except the plans don't show a crank or clamps for the back and it uses 8 springs instead of three.
Maybe abana has more than 1 type of treadel plans?

 

The 'back clamps' allow you to move the head up or down to allow for different length tool or workpiece size. In practice I try to make tools about the same length to keep raising and lowering to a minimum. Ideally the ram should hit your tool or work when it (the ram) is horizontal.

 

The threaded rod is for adjusting your treadle stroke (as your move the head) so that you hit your tool or work as your leg is extended. The treadle should be 1" or so from hitting the floor.

 

Paul Marx made the 'original' fixed head t-hammer. Clay Spencer came up with the adjustable head (ram).

 

Be careful it's easy to get hurt. Go slow.

[KeithSS]

Thanks Bob for the instructions on the set up of the hammer.
I welded the 4" chain holder back on the top frame .
Had to cut it off to get into the Van.
( holds and ajusts the Safety chain.)
After being warned by a few people. I'm
Taking the little hammer more seriously .

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