j.w.s. Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Anyone know of any plans floating around or a good detailed description for a Japanese style belt hammer? These hammers aren't too heavy, from what I understand, but make up for it in hits per minute. I've got the bug to build a new hammer, and my 135lb Kinyon just isn't great for blade work where I'm dealing with thinner stock, typically 0.25" and less. Just really want something controllable that will help expedite my work. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will. K. Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Have a look at this thread on another forum: http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=23168 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 I've seen Dan's build before and have seen the videos he put out. He did a great job, marrying a tire hammer to the belt hammer idea, but I'm actually looking for pictures of the ones used in japan. Unfortunately, I don't know what the Japanese term for this exact hammer is so google isnt being super friendly at the moment. I have the opportunity here in the fall to possibly have a few disabled vets in the shop for knife making classes. Disabilities present problems for a number of reasons around the forge, but I'm at the least wheelchair accessible. The reason why the belt hammer is so appealing is the fact that they're designed to be operated sitting down and typically it just acts as a swifter version of what you can do hammering by hand, unlike a lot of the mechanical and air hammers we normally see here stateside. I don't want something that makes it easy to get carried away with. Light and speed variable, maybe in the 15lb range, nothing that's going to cause any real shock one handed if something goes off kilter. There's a lot of other things to overcome, but I've got a buddy of mine who's technically a quadriplegic (limited use of his hands but totally paralyzed from the waist down) who's also a whiz of a metal fabricator when it comes to building hot rods and he's already got me covered when it comes to things like grinding stations and how to overcome some of the problems they might present. Anyway, back to the original point. There was one here pictured in the tailgating section in 2009, yesteryearforge posted links to it but they seem to not be working anymore. Every video I find seems to focus on the smith and not his tools (who makes these videos anyway) and i havent yet come across any decent images or drawing in an image search but that could just be because the internet is dumb and cant figure out what i mean and not what i think i mean. lolJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Note that many european hammers are also worked sitting down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 There are several youtube videos of the belt hammers as well as some photos but I can't seem to find any reference to building that covers the details of the spring. The rest seems pretty darned simple to deal with. One of the youtube videos shows a much simpler spring in use in Japan that isn't even leaf spring style--just a single flat bar spring. Seems doable And dang, working in a Japanese-style forging pit all day would kinda suck. Might be efficient but it's a little like the tools being the master of you rather than you being the master of the tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will. K. Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I've seen pics of scaled down tire hammers.https://www.flickr.com/photos/hotiron/3541497394http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11662 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Shoot around 15 years ago a SOFA member designed, built and demonstrated small powerhammers that sat in the hardy hole and used the anvil as the anvil. Had weights like regular forging hand hammers. Designed as I recall to deal with basic forging by smiths as they had hammering issues as we age... Might want to ask around there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcostello Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 He's rich, rich I tell You. He's using a tire with good tread on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Look up murry carter. He forges in the Japanese style and I think he's running on of those hammers. Another option would be a yoder or pettingell style sheet metal hammer. If you can find one both Bradley and beadry made small hammers for the cuttlery industry. I know of two Bradley 15# strap hammers but they are both project hammers. There are probably more out there I've just never seen them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Furrer Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 you want fast...look at the old "Ryder forging machine" five work stations. Figure out how that was made and I'll take one too.I've never seen nor heard of one for sale and know of only a few that yet exist....one in a shop in UK and the other in UK museums.There is a video of one being used making "Wood Auger Bits", but the system here will not let me link to it.Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Stupid forbidden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabib Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 With one of my kids being a quad as well I think its beyond great that you're working to bring the opportunity to do this kind of work to people that most would write off as not being capable of it.I've never seen one up close, but I have seen that the Chinese power hammers exist all the way down to a 6 kg size. That sounds like it could fit on a sturdy table or maybe a cantelievered shelf that a chair could roll under. With a heat proof apron or blanket on the lap you could set up a tool like this for safe use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan P. Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Note that many european hammers are also worked sitting downJapanese strap hammers are really just slightly wobbly versions of European hammers. Round and round it goes. The pizza effect, I believe it's called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 IMPROVED RYDER'S FORGING MACHINE, with strong compact framing, steel eccentric shaft, for working the upper swages, which are generally four in number.The upper swages are depressed and raised by the eccentrics, and the springs formerly used (frequently causing inconvenience by breaking) are dispensed with. The lower swages are raised by screws and wheels to the required height, and any one or more of them may be raised during the swaging of a piece of work, so as to form taper work. These machines are applicable to the forging of small articles which are numerous, where the cost of the swages (which in general are made of cast- iron) forms a small item in proportion to the entire cost of the articles to be forged. They are made of two sizes, A and B. The machine exhibited, being the B size, will admit a piece 6 inches square.Found this in a catalogue of an 1862 exhibit...the pictures are....daunting. Also found pics from the 1843 patent....still daunting. Beyond me. Maybe a good project between ulfbrechts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 I've seen pics of scaled down tire hammers.https://www.flickr.com/photos/hotiron/3541497394http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11662That little tire hammer is brilliant. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.