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I Forge Iron

Cam hammer build


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I had someone tell me about a video on YouTube showing a guy using a cam hammer and how easy it looked to build so I did some looking and decided to try. It may be a spectacular failure but I'm gonna give it my all.

For those who don't know, the cam hammer was designed by Leonardo da Vinci around about 1500. It works by using a cam turning on a shaft pushing a rod that is attached at the far end of a sledge hammer perpendicular to the face. The rod rides around pushing the hammer up until it reaches a spot on the cam where it cuts back sharply towards the center. The cam looks almost like a snail shell as viewed from above or another example would be a nautilus shell or the golden ratio. Feel free to do some more reading and follow along if you want.

On to the build. Today I started with the frame work for the hammer. Before anyone asks, no I don't have a set of plans other than what I'm seeing in my head as I go. I know it's not the best way to do a build like this but it helps my creative process to not be tied to any specifics. I'm using only scrap/reclaimed materials, I don't plan on buying anything for this build unless I can't find what I need in my collection of resources I have. I built a box with a base from 3/4" plywood and sides made from 2x4 lumber. I divided the box so that I could mount the anvil on one side and collect the scale around the base and the other side will be where the motor mounts. For the uprights I again used 2x4s and I added some lintels I got from a house remodel I did a couple months ago. The anvil is pieces of 3/8" mild steel plate that I drilled 4 holes in each corner and used a 16d nail for a countersunk rivet, I then came back and welded them together around the sides. I still need some more welding and the some grinding to level out the face of the anvil. I might even use a scrap piece of hard enable steel for a face if some presents itself before I finish this project. The anvil measures roughly 3.25x4x7" and is supported by 2x4 and plywood and I have 2x8s on the outsides providing a spot to set the anvil down in.

I'm sure that I didn't answer all the questions that you guys will come up with so fire away and let's see what happens. This will probably be a slow build because I'm using only reclaimed materials so please be patient with me. :) 

Anyway, here's a couple pictures showing what I managed today.

 

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6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Tilt hammers have been around at least 500 years before Leonardo if you decide to do a variation on the cam.

Oh at least that old. Weren't the Chinese using tilts to: pump water, pulp paper and felt wool a couple thousand years ago? I think they were in use in Rome too but I'm foggy on that one so don't quote me. <_<

Frosty The Lucky.

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If you built a tilt with a proper crank shaft that is mechanically connected to the arm or hammer weight you have a mechanical power hammer that isn't just a falling weight on the blow but motor driven for a lot more force. Smaller and not really any harder to build.

I wouldn't build a tilt unless I had a stream within flue distance and needed a big HEAVY slow hammer say for refining bloom. Were I running a bloomery and forge I'd use the water falling off the pen stock to drive an induction air blast and lastly run a generator. Lights, compressed air, line shop ACTION!

Frosty The Lucky.

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I planned on making some modifications for a stronger hit. I know that gravity alone will not make for a very useful hammer so I will be attaching some springs to help pull the hammer down.

I'll do some more reading on a trip hammer and how to implement it in small scale. I do appreciate the suggestion.

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Gravity hammers have been in use for over 1000 years so someone found them useful.  I have seen variants that use a wooden "spring" to give it the starting acceleration for the down stroke---using a board mounted securely at one end (sort of horizontally), the other is pushed up by the helve.  Might look at some of the water powered hammers used in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, etc.

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I guess I should clarify my statement. I didn't mean gravity only was useless just that it is on such a small scale as I'm going with. I'm probably gonna be using an 8lb sledge hammer which is really too big for the anvil I made. That said gravity only on 8 pounds isn't gonna be much if any more effective than me using a 2.5lb hand hammer. Granted I don't have a background in physics so I haven't run any calculations or run any simulations, I'm just going on observations I've made by simply dropping the head of the sledge.

Ive watched some videos the last couple days of a couple different trip hammers one of which I know was water powered (you could see glimpses of the waterwheel through the siding of the old building). I actually like the simple nature of those hammers but I don't think the motor I'm planning on using could provide enough power to do what I need.

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