Rberry1911 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Hi guys im looking for help to start building a power hammer. I am kinda of a newbie so ill be asking what seems like a a lot of questions. The things i will be doing with it is only making damascus and maybe the occasional katana from w2 stock. I have a picture i found on the internet of one that i would like to build but cant find any plans similar to it. my first question is about the spring. i know people say to use a leaf spring that has been straighten but can u use anything else? if not where can u find a straighten leaf spring at? The next question is what are those pivot heads called and where can i get them? MY next question is if i buy any electrical motor say 1/2 hp to 1 hp can i wire it straight to a plug in(220v) or do i need other stuff?. I have more questions but cant think of them. any help would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 If you look through the forum there is a lot of threads on the home builts. Different designs and problems and solutions for the, Has any of this info been of help to you? Also in the pages section there is a bp by Garey Ford on how he built his hammer. Although I have hammer I have followed the threads here for a long time..And from that I will say this; This is not a staerting to build things kind of a project. You can expect problems and a lot of folks come up short on solutions. If I were to build one, and I have the skills and equipment for that. I would follow a plan,,to the letter. Might be Garey Fords plans, or Clay Spencers. A common mistake is to cut short the materials used, The overall framework and the anvil are two of the most common issues that have to be redone or the hammer just is not usable. Good luck/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetreeforge Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I would recomend bulding a dupont linkage hammer over the helve style like in the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Here is where you'll find the plans for the hammer you'd like to build http://www.appaltree.net/rusty/index.htm but from the questions you'r asking I think you've got a lot of reading/ learning to do before you attempt making one. Do you know anything about electricity, welding, or mechanics in general. If you don't you might want to find someone to build and install it for you or be ready for a long self taught course in basic mechanics and a start on your hammer about a year from now! And only then if you work very hard toward that end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I would recomend bulding a dupont linkage hammer over the helve style like in the picture. Not to pick a fight or anything (I have a Rusty-style homebrewed guided helve), but I'm curious why. Not really to disagree, it's just I know my reasons why I chose to go with a guided helve and I'd like to hear your reasons to go with a Dupont linkage instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rberry1911 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Here is where you'll find the plans for the hammer you'd like to build http://www.appaltree.net/rusty/index.htm but from the questions you'r asking I think you've got a lot of reading/ learning to do before you attempt making one. Do you know anything about electricity, welding, or mechanics in general. If you don't you might want to find someone to build and install it for you or be ready for a long self taught course in basic mechanics and a start on your hammer about a year from now! And only then if you work very hard toward that end! I've done a lot of reading, but mostly people only post pictures and don't explain things, and ive looked in the blue print section of this form but those treads aren't the best. I reason i ask questions is so i dont screw something up that could have been helped and i was just going to build a hammer from this picture. Just because i dont know some of these things doesn't mean i'm some guy thats never touched a hammer and is looking to dive right in. Ive looked at the rusty hammer and it looked kinda of small and i didn't know if it would be able to pound 1 1/2-2" solid bar stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Rberry1911 Your welcome for the link. Sorry didn't know you'd seen the rusty as you asked in your first post if any one knew where you could get plans and you gave a pic of a rusty. As far as will it forge 11/2-2 inch stock? You build the hammer as large as you'd like within reason so it will forge whatever size material you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pug}{maN Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 What's the price for them rusty plans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Rberry1911 - The Rusty is fairly simply to scale up or down. The website says the original has about a 15 lb ram; mine is around 100 lb. I forge up to around 1 1/2" pretty easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryM Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 · Hidden February 2, 2013 - Is this a copyrighted document?? Hidden February 2, 2013 - Is this a copyrighted document?? Here are some plans you might what t consider! KRUSTY_A3_Plans.pdf Link to comment
Jeff Seelye Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I built a "Rusty", changed a few parts, asked a lot of questions, here and to friends. I love it. It has about a 50 lb hammer and 1 1/4" is about all I want to do in it. Had I gone bigger overall I could do more. I just wanted to build something to get me started. I moved the motor up to shorten the shaft, made changeable dies, and used a 117 lb flywheel (in a cage) to make it run smoother. If you are on Facebook you can see pictures of it. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=152819868091131&set=pb.115645565141895.-2207520000.1359090303&type=3&theater Don't try anything without first looking at the original plans. Jerry Allen and the Appalachian group put a lot of work tweaking this. Jerry will answer almost any question you have about it. If you aren't an accomplished welder/ fabricator, I would suggest you get help there also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rberry1911 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Thanks for the input and the plansi didn't mean to sound like a jerk or anything i guess i was looking for plans to those specs i guess ill probably just buy plans for the rusty and mod it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rberry1911 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 so Jeff you build that from the rustys plans... that looks like a nice hammer. How long did it take you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Seelye Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Hi Rberry1911, I spent about 6 months gathering, asking a lot of questions (Like you are) and about a week assembling. Most of my parts were cut ahead of time just waiting for some good assembly time without interruptions. I have about $275.00 into it, $125.00 was in getting someone with a 17" lathe to cut the groove for a D belt because I use the flywheel as the pulley also. The rest was from a scrapyard or TSC for the shaft. Today I was working on an end table that is getting a log top (someone else is doing that) and I made 4 short legs from 2 1/2" pipe put into my forge and used my "Rusty" to distress the legs. Saved me a lot of hand hammering. Here is a video I took drawing a 1" bar down to 3/16" that I made a wine bottle holder with. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150409426958059&set=vb.115645565141895&type=3&theater I have used more powerful hammers, but if you have the time, the price is right! I might eventually upgrade but this works well for me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I built a Rusty type, and then have upgraded several times. I started at 32# then up to 45# now at 70#. I also changed to a spare tire type clutch and that MADE the machine. Like Jeff Seelye's flywheel my compact spare gives a smooth even control. I am a good scrounger and my original cost about $42 in 2002. Now with improvements I am at maybe $200. Last upgrade was a 70# ram running in the slide design from the Tire hammer. I now have a very controllable, hard hitting hammer with changable dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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