Zeevik Gottlieb-style Swing-Arm Fuller

[JHCC]

I was watching Zeevik Gottlieb’s “Making of a Hand Bell” video and noticed an interesting swing-arm fuller. Here’s a screenshot:

I like the adjustability, but mounting it in my  vise (as shown here) would be uncomfortably high. I therefore decided to make one that would mount in my hardy hole. 

I started with some pieces of flat, round, and hex bar, a scrap of angle iron, and a bit of pipe that already had some flat bar welded on the side. 

The angle iron is welded onto the hex bar to form the shank:

The swing arm has extra width welded on the end to form the joint, and holes are drilled in it and the outer plates of the hinge:

The hinge plates are bolted onto the swing arm (with a bit of thin cardboard for clearance) and welded onto the pipe:

The flat bar on the back of the pipe is drilled and tapped for a thumbscrew (made from an old eyebolt out of the scrap bin, cut short and threaded to 7/16-20 UNF), and a piece of round bar is welded onto the working end of the swing arm:

The base arm is welded onto the shank, and the round bar is welded onto the business end, as on the swing arm (the weld beads on the bottom of the base arm are to fill the gap between it and the sway in the face of The Undisputed King of Anvils):

A gusset of flat bar is welded in to reinforce the joint:

Et voila:

I may weld a striking button on top of the swing arm, but that’s a decision for later. 

On a side note, the clamping stock support I made a while back turned out to be very convenient for holding pieces for welding:

[George N. M.]

Jennifer, cool.  I like the adjustable hieiht which eliminates the scissor effect.  How do you like it as opposed to a guillotine tool?  Do you thing there would be an advanteage to putting the hardy insert under the fullers so that it dould be more easily used under a tradle or power hammer?

Thanks,

George

[JHCC]

On 6/1/2023 at 2:24 PM, George N. M. said:

Jennifer, cool. 

John, actually, but I’m honored that you’d confuse me with Jennifer. 

On 6/1/2023 at 2:24 PM, George N. M. said:

Do you thing there would be an advanteage to putting the hardy insert under the fullers […]?

If you look at the video or the screenshot, you can see that the original of held in the vise by a downward extension of the fuller, so yes, you could certainly set it up that way. 

On 6/1/2023 at 2:24 PM, George N. M. said:

so that it dould be more easily used under a tradle or power hammer

I might give that a try. The striking button is a bit off-center on the head of the nodding donkey, but I think it should work nonetheless. 

From which one can deduce that I did indeed add a striking button:

[George N. M.]

John, sorry.  I must have been confused by Js.

Years ago I saw a similar fuller but the hinge portion was a series of holes to adjust the height of the swinging arm.  I think this is better because it is infinitely adjustable. The only possible downside I can see is if the vibration of striking causes the hinge to jiggle loose.

G

[Latticino]

You want to really enhance that, throw a torsion spring on the pivot that opens the jaw back up after striking.  Just enough to open it a little and counter the weight of the top arm.