Preventative maintance

[Glenn]

I am told this wear to a Little Giant power hammer was caused due to running the machine loose.

A shot of grease and tightening that loose bolt is a small price to pay. This one cost the air hammer that was purchased to keep the shop running while the LG was being repaired, the cost shipping the LG both ways and the cost of the LG repairs. And throw in the time to tear it down and bolt the LG back together.

[frogvalley]

If your mechanical hammer doesn't have oil and or grease dripping out of the ways/guides/bushings/fittings (insert appropriate orifice here) then you are under lubricating. If your hammer/ram/piston (insert appropriate banger here) doesn't go up and down in some kinda straight line , then you ain't adjusting it right.

I personally lubricate and check the working of every machine that use. If I use them daily then daily, if once a week then weekly, if monthy or longer then monthly and before each use for sure.

The owner of that hammer should be drawn and quartered. Well at least given a very big blister on his hammer hand.

How long of running loose did it take to do that to the guides? 2, 5, 10 years?

[HWooldridge]

I think there was something else dramatically out of whack on this hammer besides being too loose. That is a really weird wear pattern - I'd be surprised if it hadn't made a whole bunch of bad noise when it was running.

As Clifton Ralph said, one needs normal common sense to work in a blacksmith shop. Tactfully put, I should think this owner was not paying attention... :oops:

[Glenn]

It was used in situation where 2-3 day classes on blacksmithing were taught. There were some week long classes, but those were not the norm. The wear period was 18 to 24 months I was told.

As different instructors taught different classes, it went without any serious attention until it became a real problem.