How big of a hammer

[Sanderson Iron]

He got to where he was going (assuming it's free of center splits, etc.) with what he had available.  But from a technical review, why would this fine blacksmith want to swage at the same speed at which he draws?  Swaging is most efficiently done with fast, light blows.  But a self contained hammer can't hit at different speeds.  Any decent mechanical hammer can hit hard and fast or hard and slow, as well as fast and light for swaging. (We've been over and over this.)  And the "single blow" he made was really one of many blows of which one struck the work.  (That's very different from the one-cycle, one-hit with a mechanical.)  He did it well, I'll say, but that is a bit of a trick with an air hammer, and it's a stunt with the smaller hammers that most shops have, which cycle much faster and have little control.  Yet even the 25 pound Little Giant can pick up its ram and set it down in one cycle.  

Obviously his operation is set up with tooling and so on to do this particular job a lot.  The same can be done with a mechanical hammer so that there would be no need for any setting changes on the hammer for the different speeds that would work best.  

But as for the original question (how big of a hammer?) well, for that job, about that big.  

Thank you for the link, Daniel.  It was fun to watch.  

 

[Sanderson Iron]

This might interest the fellow who started this thread, if he's still in business.

Yesterday my assistant and I were each forging 3/8" round tapered to 1/8" round about 6" long, then bending them.  He was using the 25 pound Little Giant, and I was using the 100 pound Hackney.  We start with a length of 3/8, draw the taper and then bend them under the hammer using a swage and a hand held tool; then we go to the press, sheer them to length, and start over.  He and I were making parts at the same rate--each getting to the sheer at the same time.  The 25 pounder was just as fast as the 100 pounder.  

There are many times when a smaller hammer is as fast or faster than a larger hammer.  As long as you are working within the capacity of the hammer, the faster blows of the smaller machine can be more effective than the heavier, slower blows of a bigger hammer.  I really doubt that the 250 pounder could have kept up with the 25 for this job, and I didn't even try. 

Bigger is not necessarily better. 

[bajajoaquin]

On 11/6/2016 at 5:30 PM, Alan Evans said:

 

 

A bit of a zombie thread here, but Is there any more info on this hammer? It looks like it’s a slick design. 

[Grantstew8]

While looking for inspiration for my hammer I found this video and was a little surprised when I saw it. 

Rather large power hammer

[Jarntagforge]

Related question.

Could a 250 kg, 550 lb air hammer be used for making hammers and axes without the additional weight of the tup being a significant downside? Because you can cycle it down and just tap the work. A bigger hammer is always better, is my thinking. But actually this is my question so I shouldn't answer it myself. What do you guys think?

[ThomasPowers]

All up to how much control you have.

[basher]

15 hours ago, Jarntagforge said:

Related question.

Could a 250 kg, 550 lb air hammer be used for making hammers and axes without the additional weight of the tup being a significant downside? Because you can cycle it down and just tap the work. A bigger hammer is always better, is my thinking. But actually this is my question so I shouldn't answer it myself. What do you guys think?

If it is a well controlled hammer then yes but it may well not be as efficient as a smaller faster hitting hammer.....I use my 110lb air hammers a lot more than my 225lb one they are better scaled for the work I do.

 

[jason0012]

On 3/12/2019 at 11:58 AM, Jarntagforge said:

Related question.

Could a 250 kg, 550 lb air hammer be used for making hammers and axes without the additional weight of the tup being a significant downside? Because you can cycle it down and just tap the work. A bigger hammer is always better, is my thinking. But actually this is my question so I shouldn't answer it myself. What do you guys think?

A bigger hammer will run slower, but to a point will have an advantage in more energy available. There is of course a trade off. The power to run a huge hammer might cost more than can be justified for some work but with a 500 pound or less hammer you probably aren't to the $200 an hour energy bill. After a 28 hr blitz breaking down my 250, I have to say, my enthusiasm for bigger hammers is fading...

[ThomasPowers]

I worked a yard of 2.5" sq stock on a 200 pound air hammer once. (Welded a 1" rod onto it for the "handle"  A larger hammer would have been more effective for what I was doing---if combined with a smaller hammer to deal with certain issues.

A lot of it will depend on how YOU work the metal.

[jason0012]

As for making axes, the bigger hammer will have more stroke/daylight. That is precisely what is needed for operations like punching and drifting eyes.

[Benona blacksmith]

After running my 88# TZ Runfa for a year making hammers and axes it leaves me wanting more....anyone else feel they want a bigger hammer after spending a small fortune on a hammer?

[Latticino]

Yes, I do, but I've only got an Anyang 33.  Of course in my residential neighborhood it is probably best that I don't have a monster that rattles dishes in all the adjacent houses.  No one has complained about my "sewing machine" hammer yet..

[ThomasPowers]

Hammer Envy, like Anvil Envy, is endemic in the blacksmithing population!

[bubba682]

I got a 33 anyang myself its all i'll ever need  well that and my press they make life easier   but i must say there seems to be alot of envy in the blacksmith world lol...

[Frosty]

Yes. Silly question. 

 Frosty The Lucky.