DanielC Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Just bought a 50# Murray power hammer yesterday. Will be moving into my shop next weekend. I looked it over and everything looked and felt good. Has been inside all of its known life with little to no rust bryond what accumulates in a shop setting. Has flatter dies on it now. No cracks anywhere. Pleased with the $2500 transaction that came with a 5" post vice as well. Pics to come later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Sounds like you got a deal. Now looking forward to pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 Bad pics, but all I had was my phone and some so-so lighting (It is not painted green, but gray). It is parked in my family's shop at the moment until I build the base this week. Also the motor is not pictured, but it is already at my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Looks like a great hammer, congratulations! I like the Murco tag, nice nick name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Edgar Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Hope you have lots of fun with your hammer, the dies look like new. How old is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Thanks guys. She feels solid. Quick question though.. I havent pulled out the feeler guage but how much play is "tight" at the ram way? I have a very slight play in it when i pull the toggle arms back and forth towards me. It has adjustable shims at the top as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 When you get it set up and running, remember that too much oil is just about right. I oil my hammer even when I am not using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 1, 2014 Author Share Posted December 1, 2014 I'm almost ready to set up. Still at my family's shop (More tools and, fab equipment, and helpful hands there). Spent the weekend doing everything I can to be ready. First, me and my brother on Friday cleaned this thing down of grease, grime, dirt in every nook and cranny with used Varsol, wire brushes, and rags (There is a lot of GOOD paint under all of that grime, and nothing is really rusted at all!). Took the dies out and cleaned them up. Cycled new grease in the front and front/side grease port. It was originally grease, so I am sticking with it. Every bit of the old stuff was still soft, and pushed out with Mobil One Synthetic red grease. Inspected for cracks more thoroughly and found none. Saturday I had my father in law who is an electrician, figure out the motor and how to wire it up. It's an older motor that the previous owner had completely re-built. I also dont play with electrical, especially when I have family who are professionals with it. Got the motor (87' GE Motor) running with ease, and it sounds like any brand new Baldor I have ever heard running. Greased both bearings at the bearing zurks as well. Today, we figured out where the motor needed to sit with the expensive belts I bought. They are really nice belts, but $34 a piece hurt a little bit. Oh well. Kevlar coated belts from NAPA. Any way, drilled through the huge motor mount and set it in place, and lowered the bracket to tighten belts. Also set the foot pedal. Then this evening after I was extremely happy with the progress made and nearing completion, we decide to tighten the ram way/guides using the adjustable shims that are found on Murray hammers. They didn't want to move at first but eventually did with a few spurts of WD-40. Howevever could not get the ram guide to not be too tight once it was time to bolt them on. For the life of us, we could not figure out why the ram ways were getting over tight. So we took the guides and the shims off, and I went to the varsol tank and started to scrub with scotch brite and 220 grit sand paper. Old grease stuck to it and rust here and there came off. Cleaned the ram guide at the hammer as well. Cleaned it all up, shiny as new and re-oiled. Had a time getting the bolts to tighten and not get something crooked, which resulted in a tight ram way. Figured out that the trick was to push out of the guides as they were being tightened after the shims were set where we wanted them. Managed to take some of the play out while leaving a tad left to keep control at its peak. Either way, got to really know my machine in that regard. Was scary at first, but very fulfilling and much needed. Upon inspection, the guides have little to no wear or grooved. Looks like the hammer was barely used. Was impressed Everything else on the hammer is tight and smooth. Also replaced the bolts on the ram ways with new grade 8 bolts to replace the originals, and replaced a jam nut on one arm to match one I had to add that was missing on the other. Now I need to figure out my base. I am not digging a foundation for it, and it is going to be on a 4" slab. I want to build a short wooden platform for it to sit on, with rubber on top of that to absorb more noise. I have understanding and relatively far off neighbors, but I don't want to push the issue. Once the base is decided and built, it is getting hoisted into my shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Nice job with the cleaning and adjusting. Your hammer looks like it will give you many years of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks nj. Fabbing the base tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkmas Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Nice hammer. I have a 50# Moloch (which I believe is an older version made in Kaukauna Wisconsin) . Everything looks the same on your machine as on mine. I don't see any cast numbers on my toggles and ram like yours does but the parts look like they are from the same mold. Some one at little giant told me that my machine dated back to the 1920s. You got your machine for a much better price than I did. I did not have to do much to my machine but make some minor adjustments and I made a brake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share Posted December 12, 2014 This is a reply on a FB group. I had built a 4'x4' platform, and found I didn't like it so I am making an overkill foundation. Just wanted to update. I have decided to go with a separate foundation. Tried out the hammer today on the wooden base, and the hammer really moved. Picked up the sides even. Could honestly tie the base down, but we feel it is too much for my unknown thickness garage floor. Given a few things I have noticed in the past, I doubt it is over 3-4" thick. Don't really feel comfortable with that thickness. I have free access to gas powered chop saws with 14" diamond blades, gas powered tamps, plenty of rebar, and my job already requires me to dig ditches and holes by shovel, and use all of this equipment already. So I am going to dig a 3'x4'x32"(depth) hole. Pour in and tamp 6" worth of gravel, build a cage and possibly make a sleeve for the Grade 8 threaded rod to go into described here at post #4, (that way I can slide hammer into place without having to pick it up over threaded rod, or if a bolt breaks): '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> I really wanted a foundation originally. I have felt my floor vibrate and even things fall off shelves in my shop when swinging my 12# sledge for striking. The isolation will further help with sound. I also plan on using the same stall mat between hammer and floor given the cast line. A lot to ponder on the next few days. Plan on using 5000psi concrete with the fiber and superplasticizer. Had to also order a new motor for the hammer today. The motor that came with the hammer was bunk for the size. I should have tested it before buying. On the other hand the price was very fair with or without the motor. Now I have a re-built pre-1952 1.5HP 1740rpm GE motor to sell, and a heavy duty, double capacitor 3hp 1750rpm Marathon on its way with a 1.125 shaft. Today's finding were a PITA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share Posted December 12, 2014 The clicking is the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Some work done today. 27" for the night. Going to around 32-34 tomorrow. Overkill is my middle name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Congrats on PH Daniel !! This should make pounding out those blades little easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Thanks Eric! How's the smelter coming along? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I've got all my material except 1 ingredient, time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastRonin Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Eric S. : When you find that last ingredient... if you have any extra left over please pass it my way. I too need more of it to finish some of my projects. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Still had some energy today so I went to 36". I hear ya Eric. Never enough of that ingredient! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Over built is the way to do everything! Why go just "good enough" when you can just do a bit more and make it worry-proof. Adding a bit more concrete is cheap in the long run. More rebar is cheap in the long run. Peace of mind knowing that you will never have to wonder if you did enough: Priceless. Nice job. I look forward to the installed photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Made my cage and welded on sleeves for 3/4" threaded rod. Fit into hole well, of which I lined in plastic. Poured in 5000psi concrete with fiber thrown in the mix. Everything lines up perfect with minimal grinding where the forms were. Now the 30 day wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Nice job on the hole, rebar cage and pour. I like the fact that that hammer 'might' have spent time with a machinery dealer in NJ. Amazing how all this heavy stuff has traveled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Waiting on concrete to cure. Tried out the new motor. Need to adjust the belts a bit more to reduce the sideways travel of one. Hammer is a bit floppy on this platform. Also will know for sure once it is bolted to my floor, but i hear a little bit of slop at the front bushing on the drive shaft. May need to see about getting some bronze machined out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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