Beaudry hammer questions

[SGropp]

I've just finished rebuilding and installing a number 7 Beaudry Champion motor driven hammer. This is a 200# hammer with the original clutch and brake. The hammer hits hard with good control.Among many other things, I relined the brake with some kind of rubberized canvas belt material I had on hand, which seems to provide a good ''grab''.
I am looking for some general guidelines for the tension on the spring arms. I have not changed this adjustment since I got the hammer. It hits hard and true as it is, but at some point I plan to replace the rollers in the ram and will need to reset the spring tension. As it is now the tension nut on the left is flush with the outside of the spring box and the one on the right is in about 1/4''. The Beaudry literature says they should be equal and no less than it was recieved from the factory. [?]
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

I have a set of the original Beaudry literature for both the motor driven and belt driven models, complete with parts list. If any other Beaudry owners need a copy,contact me. I also have the original motor and cast motor mount for sale or trade. The motor is an induction motor 3ph,550 volts 850rpm 5 hp about 500 #, comes with original switch

[HWooldridge]

I have a #4 or a 100 lb hammer.

I oil everything so nothing is binding and turn both tension nuts in until the hammer "chokes" or stops throwing the ram, then I back off until it start making full travel again. Don't loosen them much beyond this point or the ram may start slapping the crank body. The rollers should be at or slightly above midpoint of the ram, where the ellipse is widest.

I had new rollers built for mine because the originals had flat spotted due to lack of lubrication. A machinist friend turned them from H13 and heat treated the parts to about 48 Rc. In the last 15 years, they have burnished to a bright polish but are not worn. I also made a new bronze bushing for the crank box shaft because the old one was dry.

I have a thread or two mismatch on the tension nuts but they should be close so you may want to crank one in and the other out.

I dribble "way oil" into the oil weep holes on the ram and also on the rollers so all bearing surfaces are well lubed. The best thing you can do to one of these hammers is have oil dripping off everywhere.

A 200 lb is a banging son-of-a-gun and good sized for serious work.

PS - You can see a pic of mine under the "mechanical hammer" thread going on right now.

[SGropp]

Thanks for the quick response to my spring tension question.
As for lubrication, I'm curious if anyone else on this forum owns or has used a Beaudry like mine that was built with the mechanical clutch. I suspect these are relatively rare, I know Beaudry made a lot of changes over the years.
My question is; does the clutch need to be oiled like the Little Giant? The only provision for lubrication is a grease cup [now changed to a zerk fitting] to grease the flywheel which is constantly driven by the motor pulley. The flywheel is engaged to the main shaft and crank plate by the movement of the clutch plate. Both the clutch and the brake are controlled through the linkage from the foot treadle; as the treadle is depressed the brake is released and the clutch is engaged, driving the hammer. With everthing properly adjusted ,the action is very smooth and positive. There is a roller on a bracket arm behind the clutch plate that I keep squirting oil on,assuming that is what it needs. I keep everything else well oiled.
Does anyone know how Beaudry rated thier hammers? By weight of the ram or the combined weight of the falling parts below the pitman? This hammer seems to hit way more than twice as hard as my 100# LG.
I'll try to post a picture of the hammer soon.

[HWooldridge]

I know the type of clutch you are describing but have never seen one up close and personal. It may not be lubed like an LG if it's metal on metal or some sort of synthetic material driving the crank. Can you tell what was on it before?

The nice thing about a grease or oil pressure cup is that it should keep a weep of lube in the bearing while it runs. A zerk sends a shot and then nothing until the next one.

Beaudry's are famed for their hitting ability - I think their spring arm roller design developed more snap than the toggle machines and they more easily digest changes in die height for tools and different thicknesses of material.

In the end, it all boils down to the physics of speed and weight on the ram - I do not know how they rated them but I suspect it was simply by ram weight.

[SGropp]

Thanks for the insight on the advantage of the grease cup. I put the original fitting back on the machine with a grease fitting in the screw on cap to make it easier to pack it with gresae without the risk of contaminating the grease with shop grit.
I put a drip oiler on the oil hole on the main bearing so I can be sure that it is getting oil on a regular basis. I did the same with the top bearings of my Little Giants, a close fitting cap over the open bearing resevoirs with a drip oiler feeding a steady flow of oil throughout the day . The drip oilers with a little spring lever that locks the flow adjustment seem to work best in maintaining the flow setting with the pounding vibration of the hammer.
Everything else is lubed with oil through the weep holes twice a day. I usually use bar oil or way oil as it stays in longer. If the machine has sat idle for a while I run something thinner through for the first hour to flush out any accumulated dirt. I use kerosene or WD40 on the clutch surfaces of my Little Giants which really improves the smooth take up on the clutch. The clutch surface on the Beaudry is metal on metal. I figure any oil is better than none and oil is easier and cheaper to find than parts for these old machines.
I use my hammers hard on a daily basis. They've already served for several generations and with care and maintainance should last for at least several more after I am done. I am constantly amazed at the mechnical ingenuity that the original designers and builders put into thier work. Time will tell if the current generations of new hammers on the market will last as long.

[tilton fine metalsmithing]

i would love to get a copy of your company info-i had a really bad 5th gen copy that was nearly unreadable.
i have been running my #150 for about twelve years now
cheers
matthew

[Glenn]

SGroop, Tilton
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