Tommorrow i am going to build a treadle hammer, thanks to JJ2K for posting the pictures on the BP, they helped a ton(i know i bugged yah, i was over complicating things:D). It will be along the same lines but with a few additions:D and changes. I will build it to do mainly forging as opposed to lots of tooling, but it will also be able to be used for tooling as well. It will have changeable dies, with a set for drawing out and a combo set, and if i have enough steel maybe a full flats set. It will have 2 inch wide by 4 inch long die sets, out of mild steel for now but i have a line on some 1045. Also maybe a cool flames paint job if i have time at the end of the day. See you tommorrow night!

your taking on a project like that in one day? I wish I had the juevos for that.. good luck! and definatly post pictures when you're done.. and mabey a few pictures of some plans ;)

http://www.iforgeiron.com/blueprints-400-500/bp0465-treadle-hammer.html

Looks like a decent approach. I've been thinking about a treadle hammer more and more lately, as I know I will eventually build one. An inline stoke is one of the things I wanted to do. These look like great basic plans.

How to build a treadle hammer paper plans in the IFI store

Too tired, only one picture for tonight. more to come soon. Ejoy. That is my best friend and helper James. He is about 6'1".

good luck am-i bought jj's old treadle hammer-still learning it though, congrats, jimmy

Looks like it's coming along well. What changes did ya make? Let me know how it works for ya.

Anyone care to comment on material used for the bearings on these? Plastic? Bronze?

I think I'd want more weight in the anvil than a sand filled tube. You may also want a wider base or bolt it down when you really start jumping on it with weight in the head.

Looks like a good start for one day.

thats real neat sam, i just started my hammer today, its made of 4 by 4 by 1/2 inch angle iron, heavy stuff, got it at scrap prices so about 20 dollars for 20 feet, just migged it to be square tubing, new steel that large and heavy would have cost me 160 from my local steel yard. mine will be the swinging head type, ill just though my smithy magison in the hardy hole if i want to draw with it, would be nice to have a top hardy hole, but trying to keep it all lined up stright is just to much work, i like to keep things as simple as i can, ill have 6 by 4 by 1 1/2 top and botom plates for hammer and anvil, some wair around 50 to 70 lb head, after i poor lead in it. the anvil post is 20 in away from the back bone, anvil post 36 in high not counting top plate, back bone 5 feet tall, and the head is 10 in not counting the face plate. ill post pictures when im done.

ok now, i have been wondering about a good ajustable tool holder for spring swages, i want something i can take off to get it out of the way when im not using it, and i can just bolt on and ajust the hardy hole in it so i can have the spring swages sit nicely under the head when i use them, all my spring swages are diffrent lengths so if the tool hole is set they will not all reach, any good ideas?

thats real neat sam, i just started my hammer today, its made of 4 by 4 by 1/2 inch angle iron, heavy stuff, got it at scrap prices so about 20 dollars for 20 feet, just migged it to be square tubing, new steel that large and heavy would have cost me 160 from my local steel yard. mine will be the swinging head type, ill just though my smithy magison in the hardy hole if i want to draw with it, would be nice to have a top hardy hole, but trying to keep it all lined up stright is just to much work, i like to keep things as simple as i can, ill have 6 by 4 by 1 1/2 top and botom plates for hammer and anvil, some wair around 50 to 70 lb head, after i poor lead in it. the anvil post is 20 in away from the back bone, anvil post 36 in high not counting top plate, back bone 5 feet tall, and the head is 10 in not counting the face plate. ill post pictures when im done.

if you tack weld the top and bottom plate with the hardy holes lined up then weld to the moving head tube and the anvil tube then grind the two apart they will be lined up.
as a side note if you use wheel weights to weight the head don't bother trying to get the metal tab off each weight as they are lighter than the lead and will float to the top of your pot, all you need to to is skim the off

Mlmartin15,
Build a socket that will attach to the support going from the anvil to the main upright. If it clamps on with a large wing-bolt (weld a rod across the head) it will be easy to adjust.

great idea about the heads matching up,
im about to work on the pivoting head, i planed to have to two flat bars the same lenghth, but how do i atach them to the head and to the back bone, simply weld pipe to the ends and run a bolt through them and some plates that stick out, i know some people use something like bronze pipe inside this to make it slide veary easy, but i dont realy know anything about bushings or this type of work, have repaired and taken apart this type of joint on many tools but do not know wair to buy these materials, looked on mc mastercarr but did not realy see what i would need, help please, thank you

I was going ot build a hammer this winter.. but someone from my blacksmith association emailed our email list today selling their treadle hammer, so i'm buying his instead. I should be picking it up this weekend =P Works for me !

My question for you sam, did you build a way to be able to change dies on the hammer face for drawing / etc?

Sam - what was the size material did you use for the frame? 2x2x1/4 tubing? - JK

Sam - what was the size material did you use for the frame? 2x2x1/4 tubing? - JK

Yes i used the same 2 inch square 1/4 thick wall tubing, and it is heftier than i thought, not too much flex or movement really at all.

My question for you sam, did you build a way to be able to change dies on the hammer face for drawing / etc?

You bet i did! I made it so each set of dies bolts to the top and bottom head with 4 7/16ths bolts, and the dies themselves are mounted to seperate 4 inch square 1/4 thick plates.

Looks like it's coming along well. What changes did ya make? Let me know how it works for ya.

JJ, not much just a few stock sizes changed, for the upper swing arm i used 1/2 thick 1 and 1/2 inch wide bar(what i had at hand pretty much:)), and basically just interchangeable dies for flattening and soon to make another set for drawing out. It will also soon have a tool table behind the anvil post, and jam nut hardy-spring tool holder, which will hold the spring tools on the flat of the main anvil(thanks to Jerry Allen for that idea). I used a 3/4 thick plate for the base too it got a bit tall so the super stable base really helps her from bucking about. I think i might try for some more spring tension for a faster action.



Here is a better picture(thanks to whoever brightened that last one!).

Your welcome.

I tried her out today with some tooling, just a straight punch and cold chisel and it worked GREAT! Treadle's are very cool for cold work tooling, stamping and punching and stuff. The forge chimney goes up this week, and then i will be able to hit some hot steel.

I like that hammer a lot. Sweet!

Thanks BI! It works great i have been finding all kinds of neat uses for it other than what it was originally built for(forging).

Sam,
you are an inspiration. Thanks for the pics.

No problem, hopefully i will be able to download and organise the whole in process pictures i got! I'll post those soon too.

I hope that you do as that is a nice simple hammer. thanks for the pics so far.

Hopefully will have them up tonight in order.

Did I miss them somewhere?

Sam,
you could write this up as a blue-print? I like the "simple' idea, and even though many people tell me I "need" a power hammer, when the power is out, the treadle still bangs:D

Paul, i sure will, i am still getting all the pictures organised.