Sorry if this has already been posted, it was new to me:

 

 

Pretty neat video of a BIG forging operation, looks like in England.

Oh, now that hammer would get even my neibors to complain!

I love the "little" hammer. My favorite scene of it was the almost imperceptable impact when they stamped the finished ring. Just cool that the thing could be so gentle after seeing it's power. My favorite image was the big hammer with the light beams coming from behind. Thanks for sharing this.

Forging that ring on the smaller hammer is the definition of teamwork and experience.

 

Does anyone know what the "sand like" material is that they are throwing in between blows is?  A flux to prevent oxidation?

I was wondering about the 'sand' too... maybe it is sand... I swear I've seen posts on here mentioning sand being used for flux. Hopefully someone with actual knowledge about commercial forging will enlighten us.

Awesome!   epic music, almost horror movie-like.  The teamwork on making those rings, yeah that is skill..

If I remember correctly from a previous discussion somewhere on the interwebs, he is throwing sawdust to act as a release agent to keep the forging from sticking in the dies.

Looks like white silica sand, which can be used as flux - but sawdust might be a better lube.

I saw rings being forged at Mare Island Naval Shipyard during a family day. The first punch was around 4-6 inch diameter, and about 3-4 inches thick. One tap to set, and the next drove it flush with the top of the billet. I was also there when they got auctioned off after they closed the yard.......

I like the operator sitting behind the smaller hammer. His motion was duplicated by the hammer, never seen a hammer controlled in that manner. Yep you can tell those guys have been doing that for a while. No substitute for experience,

Yes they are throwing saw dust into the dies, helps to prevent sticking, also works as a sort of scale release, you can use coal dust too, or grafite some times, saw dust is cleaner. The hammer driver is driving the same as our steam hammers drive, I cant figure out why you guys in USA have the 2 handles, all ours and all the hammers I've seen from the UK work with one. 2 Handles just seems to complicate the operation. I did like the flip in ringing tool though, flip it in use it flip it back out. I like the timing of the guy flinging the saw dust, he gets it in just as the hammer is halfway through its down stroke.

Dont know if anyone else noticed it but the little hammers frame is fabricated, all plate and fillet welds, makes you wonder if it was an upgrade from a broken frame, or it was a new hammer made from an old design, (the open frame in slides design is fairly old).

Phil

looking at the credits it mentions Firth Rixon.

If memory serves me right this company used to supply us with drop forgings for axle shafts and ring gears when I worked for Case IH at Doncaster.

This was before we started getting cheap 'stuff' from Italy.

We have a large drop forge here at Lincoln but I have not had chance to see it, its at one end of Lincoln called stamp end.

On a clear night you can hear it across the city.

Wayne

 

 

 epic music, almost horror movie-like.

 

Reminds me of Tangerine Dream or maybe Fripp and Eno's "Heavenly Music Corporation"

Two hand control for safety

                           Ironmike

As iron mike said, keeps your idiot cusions on this side of the pond from sticking their free hand in between the dies. Remember we are the peaple that have to have warning labels to explane that coffee is hot (we serve tea cold around here) and it should not be placed between ones legs wile driving. ;-)

Great vid. Cool touch to add the gentle stamping at the end.

The 2 hand control they speak of is not 2 hand no tei down but a throttle and direction control.

The sawdust is very old school, In the forges I worked in we sprayed in alkaline salts that leave a solid film are used and work so much better than any other lube that the dies last way longer. On very slow hydraulic presses with very heavy cross sectional change we used graphite mixed with road tar to a toothpaste consistancy. Smoked like heck but worked.

The big steam hammer is a counterblow hammer, both dies move.