My Tire Hammer Project

[PHILIH01]

Hi guys, after few month of nothing to show, I show you my project about the design
and build of my tire hammer.
I began with choice of power hammer type, and I searched for on Internet.
My room space and financial limits, brings me to choice a design that total weight can't
exceed 120 Kg., and in that searching, I found an Idea developed by Sam Salvatti, and shown
in this forum in SEP'12, a "Wheel hammer project" or similar.
Sam's project match with all my limitations, even though it was few defects or wrong manner
of make it simple, that I tryed overlap it, perhaps my own "wrong manner of make it simple"
(LOL).
Primarily I obtained in a scrap shop, a part of an hidraulic press column long 1.07 mts. , dia 85 mm that weight about 45Kg. then I cut up to obtain the anvil and mallet.

Then I bought a Fiat 600 wheel (Popular car in 60's and 70´s in soud América and Europe), a plate for base 60 x 80 x .9 cm steel and other components that I show in the following pictures
and a video that replace a lot of words to explain it.

 

I'm awainting your comments. 
Regards.
Hugo.

Edited June 13, 2015 by PHILIH01

[Brad L]

I'm no expert but it looks great to me. I like the tire and motor low like that good job

[mofokaye]

Clever twist on a proven design. I'm impressed!

[stroupe63]

PHILIHO1 I like that design it seems to be very stable. I would like to see a video of you forging with it.

Nice work.

[Leeknivek]

YES. I came to the same design, later saw Sam's hammer, and am working on building mine (though much larger, 45lb ram). 

I was worried that the concept wouldn't work efficiently. More proof that it does. 

Thank you for sharing. It looks like it hits plenty hard - and I like your idea for bracing in the back, I think I'm going to do that with mine. 

[Dodge]

I built the Clay Spencer-ish type tire hammer and I like it but had I seen this tire-at-the-base type I would surely done it this way. Nice job, Hugo

Scott

[monstermetal]

Looks great man.    Solid build and from the video I bet a real workhorse

[kevan]

Very impressive, well done.

[ianinsa]

Looks like a nice action! Sterling job.

[ForgeMan32]

Looks really nice I also built clay Spencer tire hammer but I made 65lbs. Of lead in my ram and it's a beast. That hammer has a nice whipping motion,which will hopefully make up for the lighter ram.

[PHILIH01]

 

 

Clever twist on a proven design. I'm impressed!

​Short and juicy sentence. Thank you. Regards. 

 

PHILIHO1 I like that design it seems to be very stable. I would like to see a video of you forging with it.

Nice work.

​I promise you make the video. Regards. Hugo.

 

I built the Clay Spencer-ish type tire hammer and I like it but had I seen this tire-at-the-base type I would surely done it this way. Nice job, Hugo

Scott

​Thank you Scott. Regards.

 

Looks great man.    Solid build and from the video I bet a real workhorse

​You don't will lose your bet. Thank you.

 

Very impressive, well done.

​Thank you Kevan. Regards.

 

Looks like a nice action! Sterling job.

​Thank you very much. Regards. Hugo.

 

Looks really nice I also built clay Spencer tire hammer but I made 65lbs. Of lead in my ram and it's a beast. That hammer has a nice whipping motion,which will hopefully make up for the lighter ram.

​Thank you for your comment. Regards. 

[PHILIH01]

In order to achieve a member requeriment, I show my Dupont style linkage design, and 
if you have any question, don't hesitate to ask me. 
The linkage is builded in 4x4 cm pipe, 3.2 mm thin, and have two types of join.
1- Welded hubs in extremes of arms, with shafts fixed with tighten screws, that  pass throught pipe.
2- Floating hubs and shaft inside pipe, fixed with tighten screw.

[Leeknivek]

I like your idea for adjustability, looks like another clever design. I would run a couple passes more over some of the welds - those holes in the bead (porosity) are weak spots and something with this much momentum might cause them to break. What kind of welder are you using? 

[PHILIH01]

I like your idea for adjustability, looks like another clever design. I would run a couple passes more over some of the welds - those holes in the bead (porosity) are weak spots and something with this much momentum might cause them to break. What kind of welder are you using? 

​You are right about weak spots in welding, but there is a generous security factor in design of thins. My welder type is electric welder with common electrode. I´m using 3.2 mm dia electrode in most cases. 

[Quarry Dog]

  It may be just your safety at risk, in which case that's your choice, but as soon as there is someone else around, or if someone depends on you(wife and kids), they are jeapordized as well.  

  I have seen bigger and better welds fail under less tension and shock than your power hammer will produce.  It may not have happened yet, maybe not tomorrow, or the next day, but those welds have a good chance of premature failure due to porosity and tie-in, maybe even penetration.

  I was once told that every weld ever done will eventually fail.  The difference in when they fail is based on every possible variable from the factors we can control(penetration, profile, porosity, inclusions, proper reinforcement) to those that we cannot (tension, pressure, shock, heat, weather, flex).  The better we do at controlling what we can, the longer those welds will last.

  I don't mean to be a jerk, but those welds are definitely structural, and if it were something I had made,  I would make sure it was right, even if I had to ask a friend to do it.

  All of that said, I like the design of your hammer.  I haven't seen one set up like that before, and it looks to have an extremely effective movement.

[tdriack]

Hi Phil! 

I've been quietly reading through a lot of information on power hammers for a while now, and after seeing your posts and pics - I am going to use this design style also. Very simple and effective. And also relatively inexpensive compared to other styles.  Thanks for sharing your progress!

I see that you have had some concerned input on the welded threaded rod - I think that is the weakest link possibly. The welded plate looks like 1/4" ? Seems less robust than the rest of the design - but that is only my opinion.... 

There are substantial forces on that joint.  When I start building mine - I will "borrow" a lot of your design, but I'm thinking that pivot I will tackle differently. I will either make a fork end (3 sides of a piece of square tubing with a heavy threaded bushing welded on) - or I will go with a manufactured ball joint rod end either from automotive sources or from McMaster Carr. I will also use grade 8 bolts at all the pivot points.

Thanks again for sharing - your input and research will save me countless hours of thinking and staring at prints and steel parts in my shop.

[Leeknivek]

tdriack - I would implore you to research other power hammer linkages. I have found that, while effective, this style linkage is more complicated to build than the leaf-spring types. Especially if it is a strap hammer. Much less welding, minimal bushings, easier to design as a home fabricator. 

Phil - do you know which welding process you're using? MIG, fluxcore, stick ... tig? I was leading up to offering advice on how you might achieve better welds. 

[PHILIH01]

  It may be just your safety at risk, in which case that's your choice, but as soon as there is someone else around, or if someone depends on you(wife and kids), they are jeapordized as well.  

  I have seen bigger and better welds fail under less tension and shock than your power hammer will produce.  It may not have happened yet, maybe not tomorrow, or the next day, but those welds have a good chance of premature failure due to porosity and tie-in, maybe even penetration.

  I was once told that every weld ever done will eventually fail.  The difference in when they fail is based on every possible variable from the factors we can control(penetration, profile, porosity, inclusions, proper reinforcement) to those that we cannot (tension, pressure, shock, heat, weather, flex).  The better we do at controlling what we can, the longer those welds will last.

  I don't mean to be a jerk, but those welds are definitely structural, and if it were something I had made,  I would make sure it was right, even if I had to ask a friend to do it.

  All of that said, I like the design of your hammer.  I haven't seen one set up like that before, and it looks to have an extremely effective movement.

​I read carefully your considerations, and you are right about security to prevent accidents. My tire hammer is in test period and I thought for normal production, put a jail style protect for all parts with movement. But in reading your comment i thought that could be an accident before normal operation, in example a collapse weld in any of two join that could be collapse. I deside for now, add a security chain between the principal arms of linkage. It prevent shots of the arms outside linkage and reduce probability of accidents. 

Thank you for open my eyes, I appreciate that. When I'll build the jail style protector, I'll pass trough all weld, remaking if it is necessary 

I'm glad about you like my design. 

Regards.

Hugo.

 

 

[PHILIH01]

Hi Phil! 

I've been quietly reading through a lot of information on power hammers for a while now, and after seeing your posts and pics - I am going to use this design style also. Very simple and effective. And also relatively inexpensive compared to other styles.  Thanks for sharing your progress!

I see that you have had some concerned input on the welded threaded rod - I think that is the weakest link possibly. The welded plate looks like 1/4" ?  - but that is only my opinion.... 

There are substantial forces on that joint.  When I start building mine - I will "borrow" a lot of your design, but I'm thinking that pivot I will tackle differently. I will either make a fork end (3 sides of a piece of square tubing with a heavy threaded bushing welded on) - or I will go with a manufactured ball joint rod end either from automotive sources or from McMaster Carr. I will also use grade 8 bolts at all the pivot points.

Thanks again for sharing - your input and research will save me countless hours of thinking and staring at prints and steel parts in my shop.

​It is truth that you observed in two join of linkage. "Seems less robust than the rest of the design", I agree. But It is a little power hammer. The "substantial forces" that you mention are only  just (no more) to acelerate a 8 - 10 Kg (16-20 lbs) and the efford is only traction. The plate seccion is 3/8" x 1". Dinamical traction efford could be double (40 lbs). However, I have'n confidence in that welded threaded rod, and if you are interested, I invite you to read my response to a similar considerations of  Quarry Dog, where I show in a picture with a posible solution of the problem. Do not hesitate to copy any part of the design or all. I'm glad that you like my design. Regards. Hugo.   

[PHILIH01]

tdriack - I would implore you to research other power hammer linkages. I have found that, while effective, this style linkage is more complicated to build than the leaf-spring types. Especially if it is a strap hammer. Much less welding, minimal bushings, easier to design as a home fabricator. 

Phil - do you know which welding process you're using? MIG, fluxcore, stick ... tig? I was leading up to offering advice on how you might achieve better welds. 

​Hi Leeknivek. I have used standard welding rod of 3.2 mm dia, There is no secrets, I promise remake the welded threaded, but after make tests that satisfy me. I have a security chain shown before in this post. Regards. Hugo.

[Quarry Dog]

  I'm glad you didn't take me the wrong way, especially since it is so easy to sound like a raging "center punch" on the internet.

  I like the idea of the cage style guarding.  I use similar guarding at work for conveyors and whatever else needs people to stay away while in motion.

  I'm glad to hear that you plan on making another pass on those welds, and that you've put the chain on to try to limit the chaos if things go bad.

  I wish you much luck with your research and developement.

[Leeknivek]

Hi Leeknivek. I have used standard welding rod of 3.2 mm dia, There is no secrets, I promise remake the welded threaded, but after make tests that satisfy me. I have a security chain shown before in this post. Regards. Hugo.

if you are using MIG (with shielding gas) make sure you have electrode positive. If you are using fluxcore (wire - but no gas) make sure you have electrode negative. This should make a big difference in the quality of welds you can achieve.

If you are using stick, SMAW - practice! Run a pad of beads. Burn a few pounds of electrodes at once. Get your technique down. 

Always play around with amperage settings. You will learn to recognize when you have too much or too little.

Welding isn't hard - but, like anything, it takes a bit of practice and experimentation to get it right. Invest the time and it'll pay off. Good luck with your hammer - I think this design has a lot of great benefits. I don't mean to belittle your project through your welds, only trying to offer some advice! I'm thoroughly impressed otherwise. 

Edited June 17, 2015 by Leeknivek