patrick Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 So I bought a 500 lb Bradley today and have been comparing it to the pictures of the one Michael Dillon has. This one is different in that all the bearing surfaces have grease zerks rather than oil cups. The castings don't have the oil cups built in as they are one my 300 and on Michael's 500. Additionally, the anvil is a different style and the sow block is steel. The serial # is 222407. The number on my 300 is 222301 and it was made in 1944. Bradley only made 28 hammers that entire year and since production declined after WWII I suspect this machine is from the late 1940s or early 1950s. I'm trying to confirm that now. Michael- Do you have the serial number/date for your hammer? Also, do you know how much the anvil on you machine weighs? How about the entire machine weight? Based on the way this one looks I think it is heavier than yours. I ran the hammer for a bit just to make sure everything is in good order and it is. Some adjustments are needed to improve the performance but that is simple. Now the bit challenge is to get out of the old run down building it is in and move it to Wisconsin. Currently its near Muncie, IN. Pictures attached Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Makes you wonder what awesome hammers are sitting lonely in run down buildings around the country...so sad. Awesome score though, how did you come across it? Any story of what it was used for in that building? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Looks like it put a beating on that slab! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 The former owner is a farrier and used the hammer to make horse shoes. He got it from another farrier some years back. They think it came out of a forge shop called Broderick in Muncie. I heard about from one of the members my local blacksmith group (UMBA) who is a farrier and knew the owner. He knew I had a big Bradley and mentioned this to me in February at our winter meeting. The hammer is on its own foundation, not the slab floor. The building was set up as the forge shop for the farrier, but he is down sizing now that he's only working part time so he has cleaned out everything from the building already. He rents the building and it sounds like it will be torn down as soon as the hammer is out. The building is in pretty rough shape, but there is nothing wrong with the hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Nice find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 I seem to have misplaced my copy of Pounding Out the Profits. Can anyone tell me what year they finally we sold? I'm thinking it was in the mid-1950s but I don't remember for sure. Thanks. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Patrick Udaman! Saving another, way to go. Yes I would say that anvil looks bigger than mine, never did weigh it but we calculated 5000? Unfortunately mine did not have the number stamped weird... 9 ton for the entire machine from the book we figured the top to be around 8000 and the bottom 5000? Bradley merged with Edlund Machinery Co. of Cortland in 49 and was moved to Cortland in 52 production was probably shut down shortly after the war? Didn't Wallace metal work buy Bradley from Cortland? They tried to sell it to me at one point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Sorry double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Sorry Triple post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Tag photo. Not working :( :( :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 I found my copy of POP. Bradley merged with Edlund Machine in 1952. Sometime later in the 1950s the hammer building business was acquired by Precision Castings Co. Apparently, by 1955, the Bradley name was no longer in use, even though hammers continued to be built. This machine doesn't have the Bradley name cast into it as my other one does and the manual that came with it (though it has the Bradley Logo) states it is a division of the Precision Castings Co. Based on that I'm pretty sure the hammer was made after 1955. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ahh, I didn't read page 75. :) What size is the motor, rpm/hp? Last pat. no. sept. 14, 1909 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griffinforge Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Congrats, that's a great score! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 This one has a 15 HP Westinghouse that runs at 880 rpm. I'll probably increase the pull size a little bit as I like my hammers to run at a about 200 or so blows per minute. patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Hanson Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Very Nice old beast!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 You have 3 phase in your new place Patrick? Looks like you have an original motor stand as well. I'll bet those dies would chop a horseshoe in half pretty quick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted March 31, 2013 Author Share Posted March 31, 2013 No I don't have three phase in this shop so this will be an opportunity to either get a converter or switch to a single phase motor. Most likely I'll go with a converter, though depending on the cost, it may be more economical to just have 3 phase run to the shop. I looked into that when I ran the electric service, and though it wasn't terribly expensive it was more than I could afford at the time. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javan C.R. Dempsey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 No I don't have three phase in this shop so this will be an opportunity to either get a converter or switch to a single phase motor. Most likely I'll go with a converter, though depending on the cost, it may be more economical to just have 3 phase run to the shop. I looked into that when I ran the electric service, and though it wasn't terribly expensive it was more than I could afford at the time. Patrick Doubtful it'll be cheaper to run 3ph to the shop Patrick. You can get a 25HP digitally controlled American Rotary converter (CNC ready) on their Ebay store for around $1500 (cheaper than their website) shipped. At *worst* you'll need a 30hp ($1850 shipped), but I doubt it. I imagine this'll be thousands less than the PC will want to install 3phase, and if you're in an area with 3ph service minimums, you may come out way ahead on the power bill. After I blew up my first phase converter, I bought a 10hp American Rotary, and it's been one of the best equipment investments I've ever made. Only mistake was that I didn't buy a 25HP to start with, wish I had gone bigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 Javan-The phase converters you noted are cheaper than running a line from the pole. When asked about that last year they said they'd do it for $2700, but single phase was only $700 and at the time I just didn't have the extra cash for the 3 phase. I'll look into the converters you mentioned. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Patrick; if I neglected to tell you years ago, let me do so now---you've WON the bigger blacksmithing equipment contest. I yielded over a decade ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Furrer Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Patrick, Did the small bradley you have for sale sell yet? I have a 30HP american rotophase (Gentec) converter. I like it, but that 10% near phase is NOT true three phase and some motors do not like the manufactured phase. I produce near 240 volt on each line (266,239,238 last I checked) and one small motor I run has an odd amp draw.....4.8/6.5/6.8...on a five amp motor. This motor will die soon I think. It would cost me $47,000 to get three phase here so I got the conevrter. I'll soon have a generator for the 480 volt and other larger motors and may re-route it via a 480/240 transformer to the panel fed by the rotary phase. My electrical engineer really likes the idea of a genset and some of the tools I have are unpowered due to the lack of power. If the cost is anywhere near close get the real three phase line...in 480 volt. You can then run smaller wires and get surplus three phase kit for panel and such. If you need 240 volt then get a transformer. As to winning the Bigger Blacksmith Equipment Contest (BBEC)....I'd like to join in that race. Good luck with moving the new hammer. Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Furrer Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 My longer post here two days ago seems to have been erased. In short: I have a 30hp american rotary phase converter (gentec) works good, but still not real three phase. Some motors do not like the manufactured phase. I suggest you get the real line and go from there. Three phase to me would be $46,000 so I opted for the converter and will have a natural gas fired generator making 480 volt this year. In the long run it is better to not have to worry about power...get the true three phase and be done. Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier 2 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Patrick I don't begrudge you another wonderful hammer, but did it have to come practically out my backyard? Great score... See you at the IBA conference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.