jeremy k Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 No anchor bolts to bolt the hammer down to the footing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted September 2, 2017 Author Share Posted September 2, 2017 Less hassle, in my situation, to place the hammer and drill through, then set epoxy bolts. I don't want to risk any misalignment of the bolts, it being a two piece hammer with the anvil bolts inside the frame, and I don't have a forklift readily available to pick the hammer and set it on a plywood bolt template. I've seen a very good installation indeed recently, of a Chambersburg 3CH with timber pad onto big block, using epoxy and drilled in bolts and that made my mind up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 when you get to the point of cutting the sow block down to new size you mite want to ck into a propane ox cutting set up most scrapers that cut thick stuff thats what they use just a thought I have both & think propane cuts cleaner than ac just slower can't push it Steve's Welding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H. Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Great hammer! Makes a Little Giant seem like a beginners hammer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paradox1559 Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 This thing is a beast, I wish I could find one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted September 30, 2017 Author Share Posted September 30, 2017 Anvil set... 18" long bolts, one end threaded 1-1/4" x 12 tpi, remaining 14" roughed up and set into concrete with Simpson AT-XP anchoring adhesive. Sucker ain't goin' nowhere! Now the hammer can be set over it next. Major day... the hammer is inside on the foundation. Now its true presence and bulk can be truly appreciated...Big, big thanks to my neighbor Michael Danielson... a man with a 6000 lb. forklift that BARELY fit in the building, and a hell of a steady hand with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Your other hammer is jealous and sulking in the corner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted September 30, 2017 Author Share Posted September 30, 2017 We already had a talk... I told him I'd still run him a lot for shape forging and light drawing, but that I'd be delegating the rough use to a younger bigger beast. He enjoys an emeritus position now, if you will. Some of my machines and vehicles are girls, but the hammers are dudes, no question... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sponyta2 Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Your other hammer is jealous and sulking in the corner... I'M jealous and sulking in a corner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaudry Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Nice hammer. Keep us updated on the rebuild. You probably know this already but you want to cut that top die key off flush with the ram once it gets finally fitted , so it doesn't bugger up the guide when it comes powering up to the top of its stroke. A lot of those hammers have damage to the underside of the bell housing from a long die key hitting the guide. I put a punch march on the top of the key when it's fully set sight so I can get a quick visual to see if it's starting to work loose. A thick copper shim on top of the key in the dovetail made all the difference in keeping the die and key solidly in place. Mine has a short locating pin between the bottom of the upper dovetail in the ram and the top of the upper die to keep it centered. Does yours ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 No, mine does not have that. That's a good idea to mark the key for a sight reference, thanks. The key is not fitted quite all the way yet, I ground the taper in rough but have not blued/hand fitted it yet. It has about an inch to go yet to fully cover the dovetail. I've been collecting heavy steel for the motor tower, and have pretty much everything I need now. I'm just finishing up a few knives before putting that together. Went up to my machinist friend's place today with the sow block for him to look at, he said if I can cut the old dovetails off to reduce weight somewhat he'd give the machining a go. His big CNC mills might not like the weight, the tables on them are rated for up to about 700 lbs and this could be a little bit more. We'll see. I have to break out the torch and burn it real soon though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted December 18, 2017 Author Share Posted December 18, 2017 OK, here we go! More progress from the last couple of months, posted up here at once with present tense narrative since it's copy/pasted. 26 feet of 6x6" H beam, dragged home to fabricate a motor tower. Finally torch cut the old dovetails off. Major accomplishment, though a rough cut. 60 psi oxygen through a 3/8" hose to a #7 cutting tip will freeze your reg up! Big doin's... cutting 6" H beam for hammer motor tower. One evening of furious fabrication and loud music later, the drive tower is roughed in. It will be additionally guyed to the building frame on each side to eliminate side twist. Total height of machine is now 10'-8". Top axle is more or less plumb to hammer axle. The 45 joint in the tower will get an added gusset brace welded inside the corner for good measure. The hammer frame had bolt holes in it already, so I mounted to those with heavy channel and build up from there. The H upright bolts to the flat channel in back. Cut at 22.5, flipped and welded back together for a 45 miter. Flat belt path looks good... Put all 860 lbs of the sow block onto my friend's big CNC mill table. Ripping it down flat with a 2.5" carbide insert face mill, .100" at a time. That's a chip guard around the workpiece. Side 2 face milled nearly flat. Lots of blue chips everywhere. Dovetails are next! The guy wires were not enough alone to eliminate twist under simulated belt load, so I fabbed a brace, lagged it to the rafters, and welded it down to the tower frame, with an intermediate bolt plate should disassembly ever be necessary. Roof brace plus guy wires and main standard = solid AF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jspool Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Thats crazy Salem! I gotta hand it to you. You have no concept of what you can’t do!. No gusset going in at the elbow of that upright? Can’t wait to see this hammer do its thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 7 hours ago, Salem Straub said: Put all 860 lbs of the sow block onto my friend's big CNC mill table. Ripping it down flat with a 2.5" carbide insert face mill, .100" at a time. That's a chip guard around the workpiece. You got good friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted December 20, 2017 Author Share Posted December 20, 2017 (edited) On 12/18/2017 at 8:35 PM, Judson Yaggy said: You got good friends! Xxxx yeah I do!! I'm making that dude a gladius to repay him, not that he asked for any payment. Plus I'm learning how to run his CNC stuff, just amazing what it can do. OK, a few more prog pics.Managed to hoist and install the 250 lb. motor without mishap, although it took some finagling. At least the ceiling now has a permanent pick point above the motor. My old 1/2 ton chain hoist, hooked into a heavy pad eye welded to a chunk of channel, which is lag bolted up to three of the rafters. Had no problem with the motor. Also I can route a chain or cable from the hoist, underneath the jackshaft, back to the motor feet, and use the hoist to adjust the motor spacing on the base slots. Triple sheave belt path looks good. Now to size and buy belts! Edited December 20, 2017 by Mod34 Edited for inappropriate language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Fry Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 That thing is exceptionally, ridiculously huge! Very cool, Salem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Top side of sow block nearly finish machined. The bottom dovetail is male and so necessitates more material removal, but is within the Y envelope entirely and thus only needs positioning once for all the cuts.4 full days and counting... This is the angle milling operation, using a tall 1" endmill, to finish the dovetial shape after having milled a rough straight-sided pocket first. Hope to finish it in another couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 More progress! Beaudry sow block, side #2 nearing completion. Beaudry sow block all milled out and ready to install Engine hoists being what they are, I had to drop the sow onto a forklift fork bridge and slide it into place. It worked super slick, not even sketchy. Even though the handling holes are now below the center of gravity, they still work well to pick from with a choke chain setup. The fit on the small side of the key taper. The big side of the key taper. Flippin' perfect perfect alignment. Beast mode. Looks pretty cool with that oversize sow, methinks! It adds about 300 lbs extra to the ram:anvil ratio, which should make it hit harder for its size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Yowza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Wowzer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 You're going to have to be careful while running that beast. The vibrations may set off the San Andreas Fault line or at least wake ausfire up from a sound sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 Making a die key. Measured the dovetail/die gap at both ends with calipers, milled witness steps into the bar for the key at the two levels of taper, die length apart. Now using two vises on the mag chuck to hold the key at the slight angle necessary to grind to the step bottoms simultaneously. Key fit decently off the surface grinder, then I installed and removed it several times, with hand grinding at each step, where friction was visible on the key. Now it fits a little past full depth with some taper left to spare. That's both die keys finish fit. The bottom die will have a thick shim under it- these dies are not stock dovetail height for a #9 Beaudry and I want to keep my options open down the road. V belts and new motor pulley installed to achieve 200 rpm. I measured carefully and was very happy to find that the belts fit nice and tight. 6" wide rubberized canvas belt being trimmed to 5.5" width for the flat pulleys... Flat belt cut to length, laced, and installed. Drive from motor to ram complete. Treadle and brake linkage adjusted a little; idler tensioning, brake timing, and foot height seems good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 You are one of my bladesmith heros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaudry Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 It looks like the top and bottom dies aren't a matched pair in length and width . Is that intentional for a specific purpose or am I reading the picture wrong ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salem Straub Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 Beaudry, I think you're looking at the pic above, with a piece of wide bar stock lying on top of the bottom die at the top of the pic. If you look a post or two further up, you'll see better pics of the dies together. They are both 4" wide by 11" in length, within 1/8" or less in all dimension although the bottom die is 1/4" taller. And Daniel, thanks man, we all stumble forward on our paths in the crazy craft... can't wait to see your 4B smashin' away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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