Hi! I need some help from more experienced smith's with some tips on what to look for when buying a power hammer. Tomorrow I will go and see this power hammer that I have no details about who made it and what ram weight it has. What should I be looking for?

I think my main concern would be how broken or worn out the dovetails on the anvil are. Might be a bad picture but they look squirrely. I'd check and see how much slop is in all the pivoting/bearing surfaces too. 

Look at everything. The dovetails are important and it's hard to tell what the one in the sow block looks like in the pic. Might be drops of oil, or chips. Take a good look for sure and don't forget to look at the dovetails in the ram!

Check all the pivots for movement sideways or lengthways. (lash) There will be a LITTLE BIT and it can be repaired but knock off a bunch on the price if they move more than a mm. or so.

Have him plug it in and turn it on at least see if the motor runs. Check the plate on the motor and make sure the electricity is compatible with what you have where you're going to use it.

Please take better pictures and post them here.

Frosty The Lucky.

+1 to setlab's comment.  Push and shake every moving part as hard as you can by hand, if something is easy to shift by hand it's probably worn.  

If you could provide some basic dimensions (total hight, size of dies, etc) we could guess at the tup weight.  Comparing it to the tires in the second pic and the size of the spring, I'd roughly guess less than 75 kg.  

So I went and bought the hammer

It has some problems, the major one being the springs. The top one has been welded on both sides. I have to replace that. 

One other problem that first I thought was serios was the dovetail on the anvil,but after taking the die out it does seem soo bad. It's fixable in my opinion.

And the last one is the motor. No ideea if it works but not really a concern since it's 3 phase and I will replace it with a single phase. Its a 2 horse power motor. 

The ram dovetail is ok. Very very little slop. And if i grab the spring and try to move it back and forth there is some slop but not what I would consider an issue. 

Also there are some welds on the thing that the ram goes in. No idea about those. 

Some dimensions :

The ram is about 50 cm (20 inch) tall and 13.5 cm (5.3 inch) in diameter. 

The Hammer has 150 cm (60 inch) overall height. About 600 (1322 pounds) kg weight 

I'll attach some photos. Please give me advice about the anvil dovetail fix and springs. Is it ok if i fill the dovetail gap with welding? 

 

Also forgot to say no cracks, the rest of the parts seem in really good shape. Little little play in the round piece that the motor spins with the belts(sorry that i don't know the name of it, English is my second language) 

Your English is wonderful for someone who has it as a second language.  The round piece that the motor spins with the belts is called a pulley or sheave (if we are thinking of the same thing).  I would not fill the gap in the dovetail with weld at the sow block.  It is most likely cast and designed to keep the bottom die in place with a tapered wedge (like the one with the interesting locking mechanism you show in your photos).  That area will be under tremendous stress from the hammer impact and any welding, even by an expert, may create embrittled zones.

You also might want to look for alternatives rather than replacing the motor, if it is in good condition.  Single to three phase VFD are pretty cheap, and phase converters are sometimes available used, which will give you functionality without changing something that already works.  If you go with a VFD you can even adjust motor speed and/or starting ramp up, which might prove to be a nice extra.

Good luck

No advice to give, but checking in to say that looks like a great find (especially with no cracks). Keep posting photos as restoration progresses!

6 hours ago, Latticino said:

Your English is wonderful for someone who has it as a second language.

Thanks! Yes, I was referring to the pulley. I would rather buy a new motor since they are not that expansive here and with a VFD I would get about the same cost. Also with the VFD  I will lose power, up to 40% it's what I've read.

If I make the spring from spring steel but won't heat treat it after will it work?

If this were my machine I would certainly replace the spring bundle (or at least the top piece), based on the rewelded break in the top spring shown in your photo.  Most likely this will involve bending up spring steel stock using heat to the correct configuration.  Symmetry in manufacture and correct heat treatment afterwards will be critical to success.  Please make sure you take great care with this part of the renovation, as the spring will be expected to flex countless times and appears to be set right at head height with no safety guard.

I don't see any kind of oiling system for the tup.  I wonder if the slide the tup rides on is some kind of bronze bushing.  There are power hammer restorers with much more experience than I have.  Hopefully you can get info from them.  There is a facebook group just for power hammers that is pretty helpful.  I suggest you contact them.

You definitely want new spring bundle and I'd have it made by a spring shop.  I don't want you thinking I k now more than I do but that spring bundle is ringing a bell in my head. The main spring is broken about where the maximum stress is applied at the top of the upward stroke. At that point the spring is the ONLY thing reversing the direction of the 157 lbs / 71.5 kg. ram. That's a LOT of force and it's all being taken right where the spring broke. I'm wondering what a professional suspension expert would say about putting a short or medium length leaf on top of the bundle to distribute the force. Something longer than the bottom leaf, it lines up almost perfectly with the breaks. Maybe make that one a little longer too.

Like I said, I am NOT a suspension expert so I'm just guessing here. My logic train may be very wrong but I'd ask an expert.

The dovetail is worn but I think it's still okay. As Latticino says welding on cast iron is risky and might do more damage than good.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks a lot for the advice! I will start the restoration process and keep the post updated

Go to a shop in Romania which specializes in car springs, and have them replace the entire set of springs.  Shops specializing in springs will heat treat them.  That's what I would do.  My hammer had the same needs, so I replaced mine from a car spring shop.

I got in touch with one that does that. I'll send the springs and they'll send new back. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have them. 

Excellent. For some things (especially things that involve mission-critical components whose failure would pose significant risk to life and limb), it's best to leave it to the professionals.

Very cool machine. Very different. It is fun seeing the machines from other places that never turn up here. Any idea where it is from?

It's an Italian power hammer, Maccaferri,50 kg ram. They still make new ones, same principle, a little different look and motor placement. This is an older version.

I've changed the spring, put new ones. The motor is replaced. I only have to make dies and fix the dovetail.  

I put a video, hope it uploads