Bolt on power hammer dies

[Jspool]

My dies are set up for a left handed user.  When I turn them 90 degrees they no longer align with each other due to their nor being properly centered when originally fabricated.  I want to make new dies and am unable to locate a process to make sure they are properly laid out when welded up so that they perfectly align.  I am thinking about bolting the top and bottom plates on to the anvil and hammer, aligning the top and bottom dies with the hammer holding them together, and tacking them in place.  Is this this the best way to go about it?

Edited May 26, 2015 by Jspool

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

Whatever works to get the job done, safely, is the proper way.

Rule #1; Doing and Trying, trumps, Not Doing or Trying!!!

Rule #2; If you don't know what to do, Revert to Rule #1

Life is all about finding the "Edge" and Live in it!! Mistakes are lessons of Learning. (or is that Miss Steak, a girl I knew in School)

Neil

[Dave Budd]

depends on the type of set up you have. if they are bolt on plate type fittings, then just put your mounting plates and dies in place, lower the hammer to hold all correct and tack weld them all. If they are dovetails, measure it all and cross your fingers!

[Frosty]

If you post some pictures we'll have a better chance of helping you.

As a quick answer I align my dies by welding and bolting on the top die. Bolt on the plate for the bottom die and use the upper die to align the bottom die prior to welding. I have a couple short pieces of angle iron I can clamp to the upper and lower dies so they're locked together and I tack the bottom die to the bottom bolt plate.

To weld it and minimize warping of the plate I clamp it to a piece of 2" thick plate which has worked a charm to date.

That's just how I do it and not necessarily THE right way. Like I said pics will help.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jspool]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the replies.  I'm not afraid of learning through my mistakes, but am smart enough to try to learn through the experience of others before I make them!

[Frosty]

If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Being able to meet face to face with experienced smiths can be enormously helpful.

Pics, we need pics! where are the PICS?

Frosty The Lucky.

[Matthew Paul]

I just finished making a new set today, and saw this yesterday, so I took some photos. I do it basically the same way as Frosty, but like he said, there may be better ways.

Started with 2" 1045


Cut it to 3" lengths and milled half of the dies to the angle that I wanted.


Radiused the edges with a file


Chamfered the bottom of the dies


Clamped the top die plate and block to another piece of steel to help minimize warpage when welding (Im no expert welder)


Welded the top die, bolted in place, bolted the bottom die plate in place, and tacked the bottom die block so that it lined up.


And here they are, heat treat as required.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Matthew Paul

[Jspool]

Sorry for the delay. I was away for a bit.

here is a picture of my hammer and a close up of the anvil, tup, and die setup.

i am contemplating how to implement larger dies.  One idea is to bolt a wider plate to the anvil, and the new dies would be two bolt and would bolt to the new plate just outside the anvil.  I'm thinking about going to two bolt in order to facilitate die changes.

thanks for the help and ideas.

 

[Matthew Paul]

What size is the current die plate? 3.5" square or 4??? and by bigger, do you mean wider front to back? longer? 

Running the two bolts would allow a deeper die. the angle in which you make the dies has a lot to do with the size of die that you can fit on the plate.For example my upper die plate is about 3 7/8" wide, and I run a 3" x 2" die. 

If I ran my dies at a 45deg angle instead of the approximate 30deg, I could fit much larger die blocks, an extra 1/2 wide. If I were to cut 1/4" from each corner of the die block, I could fit a 4" wide die.

You cant really run larger plates as the hammer still needs to travel up and down in the guides, unless the travel is not enough that the die plate goes within the guides.

[Jspool]

My plates are 3.75x3.75,and you are correct, I cannot fit a larger plate to the hammer as the travel will not allow it. So I think I will go with a 3.5" long by 2" wide by 2.5" tall die top and bottom. Any suggestions on whether it's best to go with S7, T1, or another tool steel?

[SoCal Dave]

You might look at Little Giant Power Hammers for ideas.  I believe they have a system to easily change dies for their Little Giant Hammers.  In the last photo from Wednesday of the dies welded and heat treated, one of the welds doesn't look like it's penetrated to the bottom plate and that you've gone really high up on the other die.  My old eyes could be the problem. One good root pass with good heat to penetrate the dies is what is most important.  Very nice work on the dies.  Good luck.