May 30, 201313 yr I have started my second heavy duty 150 this year, the first one delivered in February. By using 10" channel rather than 9" stuff, and using an 18" long cabinet rather than 16", I can use an 8-7/8" facet diameter on the octagonally shaped hammer heads and thereby use the longest S-7 dies made by Brian Russell in Arlington, TN. Those will also fit in the standard 150's 7-7/8 hammer head's dovetail slot, but the 8-7/8" also allows for custom wider and even longer dies. The anvil is shaped from three billets capped with a fourth billet. Back in 2002 I built 150s with 12" channel and an anvil 12.75" wide and 18" long. The new HD 150 and the old 150s are 20:1 machines when the base plate is added to the anvil weight. I recently bought and rebuilt an old 150 into octagon configuration with all the new features, then sold it. I no longer want to build machines bigger than 150 because my fork lift grunts too much and so do I. The parts strain every machine in the shop, and I've got big stuff. Someday I want to tour the shops in Europe to study their machinery.
May 31, 201313 yr Looks awesome! Grant showed me the hammer he bought from you and it was an amazing piece of equipment.
May 31, 201313 yr Author Grant's machine was a 75 at 20:1. Very nice unit that is possibly my most demanded unit. Absolutely superb control and snap. Knife guys love it because they can draw out their Damascus billets and can do the heavy crunching with a hydraulic press. Press power cannot be matched per dollar, but they are always a tad slow and even an experienced pro draws out better under any hammer than under a press IMHO. Today I built much of the stepped anvil for the 150 and will complete that tomorrow. The bottom block is 22 high, 18 wide, and 18 long. I bevelled the three 6" billets and welded them together. Required my best forklift skills to manipulate the block.
June 1, 201313 yr Author Completed the 150's anvil today. The front face's weld beads were sanded to the surface. The edges were bevelled for the top billet. The top is 6"tall, 12" wide, 18" long and welded in place as well as bolted to the tower. All was cleaned up--the spatter blocker does indeed keep the little pebbles from sticking, but then it has to be cleaned off with solvent. The price of using solid core wire is spatter and all the things done to cope with it. I also installed the plates that are welded to the bottom of the anvil and bolted to the base plate. Again cleaning and painting was done. Now to the cabinet construction.
June 4, 201313 yr Author The cabinet is mounted. The back channel was predrilled and tapped for the spool valve, for the throttle valve brackets, and for the bracket for the Humphrey valve. The 1x10x30 top plate is mounted.
June 22, 201313 yr Author After a two day detour with a home improvement contractor, I now have the plumbing in the 150 completed and the machine was reciprocating last night. I now have to work on die mounting stuff and the treadle assembly.
July 3, 201313 yr Author This machine ships on Friday. Have an order for another just like it. Also orders for a 75 and a 100. What happened to my summer of freedom?
July 6, 201313 yr The machine shipped to Austin TX today. Hurray!!! Are you at liberty to say whose shop bought it? I live about 40 minutes from Austin and would like to see it in operation, if possible.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.