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Please show me your Little Giant brakes


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Ok here is a moment of truth.  I bought my 100# LG 8 years ago.  While owning it I have worked in shops that had power hammer, not mechanical though.  So, why should I put wear on mine when I didn't need to.  I was just collecting equipment for the day that I would go out on my own.  That day came last October and I am not looking back.  Once I got my power hammer on a pad I could not get it to work properly.  Seeing that I did not have much time on a mechanical hammer, I could not figure out for the life of me why.  Yesterday, I figured out the problem.  The person that rebuilt the hammer never used it, they just rebuilt it and sold it.  I am very grateful of the work they did, but they didn't work the machine to figure out any bugs.  So, I noticed yesterday that the brake that they installed wasn't on correctly.  Basically it was applying the brake on the side of the wheel while lifting on the top.  My machine was trying to go and brake at the same time.  When I noticed this, I took the brake off and my LG ran better than it ever has before!  I am going to just take it off for now until I know how to install it correctly.  I am wondering if anybody could show me their brake system, so I could have a better idea of how they should be?

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I tried to type out a reply with some links but got the forbidden error.

Try using Google to search I Forge Iron for little giant & power hammer breaks (site:www.iforgeiron.com). There are some good pictures of band style breaks in some posts and in members galleries.

If you posted a picture of your current brake arrangement someone might be able to help you get it working properly.

Edited by Will. K.
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Here's what I put on my 50lb. LG.

The first pic is from the front, the brake band and arm are red. when I get around to rebuilding it I'll make the band cover more of the crank plate so it stops more crisply. The brake pad is an old leather belt.

Brake_band.thumb.jpg.20f66f3cd061a45a228

The second pic shows the lever that converts the downward motion of the treadle into a lifting motion to release the brake. The treadle clutch spring applies the brake when you let off the treadle. More brake band would be better, there isn't a lot of spring tension.

Brake_lever_and_push_rod.thumb.jpg.89e82

The third pic shows how I mounted the static or anchor side of the brake band. I just used longer bolts on the bearing caps because I'm a lazy guy. It was ENOUGH work drilling and tapping the hole for the pivot on the brake lever!

Static_band_mount.thumb.jpg.e50395ad53f5

The last pic is the spring scatter shield. I painted red, all the potentially dangerous moving parts OR the ones to pay close attention to in a pre-use eyeballing. I used the grizzly screen in the guard so I can visually inspect the spring. The paint is an important safety feature where metal fatigue is a factor. Paint doesn't stretch NEARLY as much as the sides of a crack or failing weld. If you see pealing paint on a piece of machinery take a CLOSE look at the spot it may be getting ready to fail catastrophically. It's easy to see the back side of the spring but I wanted a window on the front too. If it breaks in use the screen will stop or deflect the pieces and I'll be several steps away before it hits the floor.

New_spring_guard_02.thumb.jpg.56471ac7fc

Frosty The Lucky.

 

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I took off the brake to use the hammer for now. I put it back on to show the original setup. The first photo the treadle engaged. Then the second one is the hammer at rest. The last is the other side with the treadle is engaged. You can see the top rises and the sides pull in.  

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Edited by Metalsculptingben
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That looks the same mechanically as mine though uses a different mechanism. Is that an oxymoron?

Anyway, it looks to be hooked up correctly. You can adjust the brake with the turn buckle tie rod end on the actuator arm side. The right side as you face the hammer.

Not being able to lay hands on it or watch it run; it looks to be within adjusting range to me.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Frosty, It is EXACTLY the same, except Different.

Leather Belt, Pivot connected to the foot linkage, Spring to put tension on the Leather belt (applying foot pressure, releases the spring tension on the Belt). Make an adjustment place, that is easy to get to. The longer the belt the more contact area, the stronger the spring the more tension on the belt. Exactly the same!!:D:D

Neil

 

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