E.F. Thumann Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Just saw this pic. Thought I would "pay it forward" to you gents. It's from the Krupp Ironworks in Essen, Germany, obviously long since dismantled/destroyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Yeeesh, I squish you. Looks like they liked a little shape in the arm....err. hammer handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 No joystick on that one. Thanks for sharing... B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Greetings, Thanx for the picture.... I would like to see the punch and the guy that punched the eye... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Greetings, Thanx for the picture.... I would like to see the punch and the guy that punched the eye... Jim Normally those helve heads were cast iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Tim, I know that .... Just a little fun in the AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan P. Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 too small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I'd like to see it going . . .Full TILT! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 somewhere online i have seen an image of a hammer around that size in a park/museum in germany.... with someone sitting on the anvil. i cant for the life of me find it though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Normally those helve heads were cast iron. Are you sure? I would think they would be built up forged like these anchors were done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_LA_R4ifYk They start building up a piece at around 3 minutes into the video. It is done under a hammer but then they do a big forge weld and weld in chunks by hand starting around 5:30. They could weld pieces together leaving an eye open in the middle. Or this forge welding could be done with a smaller helve hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Are you sure? I would think they would be built up forged like these anchors were done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_LA_R4ifYk They start building up a piece at around 3 minutes into the video. It is done under a hammer but then they do a big forge weld and weld in chunks by hand starting around 5:30. They could weld pieces together leaving an eye open in the middle. Or this forge welding could be done with a smaller helve hammer. The only ones I have seen were cast iron often with an integral die. It is possible that some were wrought iron but I have never seen one, not that I have seen more than a 3 or 4. I wonder how a build up forging would have held up in this application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Some are cast iron. There are a few around GA in parks laying in rivers that have clearly snapped in two and look very much like cast iron. Everything ells from the forge is long gone and cleaned up. Only some stone foundation and the big hammer head that fell into the river is left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross Pein Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I don't know size wise, but this one is at the Saugus Iron Works near Boston. Definitely the biggest one I've seen. http://www.nps.gov/sair/index.htm Archiphile and I went there last summer - neat place. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 The most interesting thing about that photo is that it goes so far back that the building isn't even steel yet :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 The only ones I have seen were cast iron often with an integral die. It is possible that some were wrought iron but I have never seen one, not that I have seen more than a 3 or 4. I wonder how a build up forging would have held up in this application. Interesting to hear they were cast. A built up hammer would probably hold up as well as the built up anvil most of us have in our shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 The pivot sure looks like it was cast. Could it be a two part head? It looks like a substantial key holding the head on. Could there be a dovetail in the head holding some steel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Yes many of the heads had top and bottom dies held with keys just like modern power hammers. The few helve hammer heads I have seen were cast but now that I think about it I would not know if they were cast iron, or cast steel? Maybe next time I am at that part I will sneak down and spark test the big hammer in the river bead haha maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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