Kozzy Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 I scanned this photo at high res to see if any detail would show up. hopefully, clicking on it will bring up the higher res version. In my test, you had to click twice to get to a version that'd zoom completely. It's the old Krause Machine shop from my little podunk town. Since we are "sort of" trying to pay homage to this shop in our Ag museum, I was hoping someone might be able to ID the power hammer in the photo. If you can't pin down a maker--guess at the weight rating? Looks pretty light to me. Also, if you can figure out what that machine behind and to the left of the hammer is it would help. My guess is a tire roller but it'd be awfully heavy and fancy compared to the tire rollers I have seen. Anything else you might spot and can ID would help. For example, those saw-like hooked things hanging high on the wall behind the hammer. Thanks---consider it the "where's waldo" of the smithing world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammerfall Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 That looks like a Little Giant 100lb trip hammer. The piece in the back looks to be some sort of press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Old style Little Giant probably 50#. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Yeah, it looks just like my old style #50 LG. IIRC the 50 was made to sharpen plow shears. Can't see enough of the machine behind it, could be most anything but ring roller is a possibility. Not a line machine. The hooks on the wall? Tenter hooks, naw probably not? some kind of draw hook maybe. What were the shop's main products? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 What were the shop's main products? Frosty The Lucky. General farm service shop so yes, lots of sharpening plowshares and constructing farm equipment in general. The owner even patented several small engine designs and started a company to make those although it never got beyond the financing stage. The engines were a nightmare (IMO) with cylinders that needed both internal and external rings so they could use both sides as combustion chambers. As to that wooden building you see: Eventually, they built a block building envelope around the wooden one-while still operating daily- and then tore down the wooden one once the block building was finished. It still stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Those "saw" things look like trammel hooks to me. Lots of different farm implements used that same style of adjustment, so it's almost impossible to say what they might be for without being able to see how the ends are formed. Love seeing pictures like this! Makes me really wish I could have a shop that nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 I had originally thought that tool to the front and right of the hammer was a bar shear---because we have the large one from this shop in the museum and it looks quite similar. However, looking more closely, the thing is a bit weird--rack and pinion to move the lower jaw up and doesn't look like it's designed to shear at all. More of a forming tool of some sort. Could use guesses on that one. As to the tool in the back, the main wheel looks more like a "ships wheel"--and searching on large tire rollers I find that most of the really big ones also had that configuration to the wheel. Wish the resolution of the original photo was high enough to read the writing on the casting base. Found several photos yesterday that showed the style but can't find them today at all. FYI, wagon wheel tires around here tended to be at least 1/2" thick with most even thicker. Hauling wheat down the 2500 foot grades to the Snake River meant your tires heated up a LOT and you needed the extra mass to act as a thermal sink. Without that, the tires would expand and pop off. In many cases, they actually double-tired wagon wheels to add even more mass and prevent popping off the rims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Kozzy, thank you for posting that picture. I love seeing old pictures and even more so when they are full of so much detail as this one. Mad a side note does anyone know if there is a topic here showing more of these type pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 It could be a manual iron worker: shear, punch, notcher, crimper/press, etc. Search a rivet crimp on a leather working site for an example of a punch, crimp tool. A farm community shop would do a lot of punching and riveting in general but I'll bet a LOT ironing harness and tack. Bump punch and rivet crimping up a bit and you get to an iron worker. There is no indication of the shaft to make a belt available to the tool behind the hammer. A heavy duty ring roller sounds plausible and the position in the shop seems right, the crank guy is against the wall and the guy feeding and guiding has the floor. It's how slip rolls are set up if there isn't room for a feed table. The guy turning the crank is against the wall out of the way of the floor. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Wonder if the tool in the foreground to the right of the LG might be a arbor press. I noticed several plow shares on the floor beside it (like they are cooling). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokey07 Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 (edited) I h.ad one of those myistery machines years ago . It is a tire shrinker and stretcher. tire was heated in a certain area and laid on its side, clamped in two places and the ships wheel was turned one way to stretch aqnd the other way to shrink ,making it a little thicker and reducing the diameter a little. Not being a wheelwright, i finally donated it to a ag museum in the bay area of C.A.Smokey THe table was a two piece affair which would move back and forth . Edited September 20, 2017 by smokey07 add to post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAllcorn Posted September 24, 2017 Share Posted September 24, 2017 My idea of what it might by. Growing up in Central Texas in the 50's, I used to go to Priddy, Tx (nearest village to my dad's ranch) and would visit their blacksmith shop. Back then the farmers used a lot of "one-way" or "breaking plows". These used large discs to turn the land over, top to bottom, one way. Haven't seen one in years. The discs would wear and the farmers would take the individual discs to the shop for sharpening. They put them into a rolling device and rolled the edge back sharp. Here's a picture of one, if it comes through, or google https://www.google.com/search?q=breaking+plow&tbm=isch&imgil=tI9xfskWx_7KGM%3A%3BU7ycIbL0Tl8yNM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.liveauctionworld.com%252F3-BOTTOM-BREAKING-PLOW_i24719568&source=iu&pf=m&fir=tI9xfskWx_7KGM%3A%2CU7ycIbL0Tl8yNM%2C_&usg=__wh6bEjqPuwnXre5kfMiS1NWPISU%3D&biw=1570&bih=769&ved=0ahUKEwj43ZuB8b3WAhVo8IMKHeqfC8cQyjcIXQ&ei=Cq3HWfiwJOjgjwTqv664DA#imgrc=_nRlIbBmEGw6XM: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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