September 7, 200718 yr Howdy! Ok I have had my treadle hammer for about three and a half years now...use it for all sorts of stuff..veining, die work, straightening and other "top/bottm" use...I decided what the heck, and I tried to weld under it. Man it's fast..faster than by hand and the welds are solid.!! So, i am asking myself..why didn't I do this before?? Hummmmmmmmm..What usually takes me 40 minutes took me like 15...and I get decent control too... oh well..live and learn...I am welding up a serpent pattern short sword..will post a photo or three when I get it done later this week... JPH
September 7, 200718 yr Hey JPH, I have been developing an interest in building a treadle hammer. I have copied the plans in the blueprints to word so I can read and read and memorize. Would you happen to have a picture of yours in the galleries? would love to see it for reference. thanks
September 7, 200718 yr Author Paul: I didn't build mine..I bought it from Jere Kirkpatrick over at Valley Forge and Welding in Nothern Cali...He was a pleasure to do business with too...very helpful indeed..Jere Kirkpatrick's Valley Forge & Welding I love mine....very easy on the legs, gives a brutal whammy on stuff and the control is quite nice...Made welding the cores up a breeze. Knocked off a whole lotta time... JPH
September 21, 200718 yr I've been wondering if you could make a treadle hammer with no welding at all. but just bolts and stuff like that rivets maybe. Son
September 21, 200718 yr Yes though the vibration will tend to work the bolts loose and with all the drilling of pretty good sized holes you might be better off spending the bucks for a used buzzbox and welding if you know how to weld. I would *not* say that a treadle hammer is like a power hammer with VERY good control--try breaking down a couple of feet of 2" diameter tool steel with a treadle hammer and then with a decent powerhammer. A treadle hammer is a treadlehammer and very good for what it's good at. it's not a replacement for a powerhammer; or a screw press; or a hydraulic press; or a hammer and anvil. Each tool has things it excells at and things it is OK at and things that are possible but much harder to do with it than other tools. Every powerhammer I have owned has cost *less* than a store boughten treadle hammer yet people still suggest them as a replacement for one. I have the powerhammer and the screw press and have scrounged most everything to build a treadlehammer---500#anvil, 1" baseplate Heavy I beam for the rear column that I will box in. I hate the sound of hydraulic pumps so I will probably never get a press.
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