Most dangerous powerhammer award

[Sam Salvati]

YouTube - blacker power hammer


Clearly the landslide winner!

[HWooldridge]

Blackers are seen more often in Europe and once were fairly common. Not many made it across the pond - I think Gichner's used to have a couple.

[jlw50]

Found this on a google search. Home Page It looks like they are still made unless that is a very old link.

[Finnr]

WOW!! an Oliver on steriods!!!
Finnr

[highlander]

YouTube - JYH-power hammer first test.

posted in chat, makes yours look like nothing.

[inazuma_x]

YouTube - JYH-power hammer first test.

posted in chat, makes yours look like nothing.

wow that is kinda scary...the jumping around is for added accuracy right? :D

[Blacksmith Jim]

Haha, they JYH wins I think!

[Sam Thompson]

I used to have one of these. It was extremely useful, you can use ordinary hand-struck tools and the rate of the blows remains constant (unlike a Goliath etc where the speed drops as the blows get softer). ST

[Sam Salvati]

YouTube - JYH-power hammer first test.

posted in chat, makes yours look like nothing.

FAIL

That hammer in that video only needed to be bolted down (and given a nice coat of paint) as in this video:

YouTube - 100# power hammer

So it eventually was very safe (and VERY well made), the blacker however is ALWAYS dangerous.

[Sam Thompson]

At least the Blacker 'walks' away from you if it's not bolted down. It doesn't chase you round the shed!

[John Martin]

Could you setup a power hammer like that, that would slide on rails to the anvil when needed, and then away when not needed. It could be pretty cool, and safe if done right. Just have to re-inforce the anvil.

[Sam Falzone]

FAIL

That hammer in that video only needed to be bolted down (and given a nice coat of paint) as in this video:

YouTube - 100# power hammer

So it eventually was very safe (and VERY well made), the blacker however is ALWAYS dangerous.

My question is (sorry if it's one of those "duh" questions) is can you make one of those with easy interchangeable dies?
The first video was scary - but it cleaned up REAL GOOD. I really like the simplicity of that hammer. A friend of mine uses a home-built air-hammer but you need a huge compressor to run it.

Sam
... my brain is tingling - my wife's not going to like this ... I'm blaming you all :D

[Sam Salvati]

Sam, first of all.....when you are thinking you KNOW you are alive, the tingling is a good sign:D.

Secondly, look close at the dies in the video, you will see for bolts at each corner of the plate the dies are mounted to, they are interchangeable:D, easily too. I built my treadle hammer with a similar setup.

Edited September 26, 2008 by ApprenticeMan

[Lamey Knives]

Any power hammer not properly bolted down is dangerous. The JYH in the video has a few other issues I would have concern with, one being the open belt right by the treadle.

[Sam Salvati]

Yes there is a sad lack of guards, on such an effective machine too it is like leaving the body off of a racing car. Jeff AKA Ptree would say to put a guard over the spring above as well.

[imagedude]

YouTube - blacker power hammer


Clearly the landslide winner!

And what do you think is particularly dangerous about the Blacker?

[HWooldridge]

The Blacker I saw some years ago was on rails and moved across the anvil so the ram would hit the hardy or the face or the horn...very convenient for a one man shop.

[Sam Falzone]

Secondly, look close at the dies in the video, you will see for bolts at each corner of the plate the dies are mounted to, they are interchangeable:D, easily too. I built my treadle hammer with a similar setup.

I noticed the bolts - I was thinking more dovetailed dies for easier switching out, like on some of the higher-end poer-hammers.

sam

[Sam Salvati]

And what do you think is particularly dangerous about the Blacker?

Noooooooothing . I know you own one ID, I was just being a bit tongue in cheek .

They do look a bit dangerous with the hammer swinging towards you like that, but I guess no more than a LG with the mechanism right in front of your face, just a bit more tricky to get a guard around the dangerous parts.

[Sam Thompson]

There are two types of Blacker: Type B has the traversing head and a 'proper' anvil; Type C has a smaller anvil block which is dovetailed into a cast pillar. Some of these have a square hole to take standard bottom tools. The main selling point of these things was that there was (theoretically) no need to buy new tools and poor people could afford to buy them.
If you think the belt drive on the right is dangerous you should see what goes on on the other side!

[devon blacksmith]

The hammer in the first video is a model b with the moving head,
I have three of these hammers in daily use over 100cwt per strike 120+ hits per min very usefull hammers
The most dangerous part of any workshop is the operator not the tools but I admit thay are a bit wild to look at.

[Ice Czar]

They do look a bit dangerous with the hammer swinging towards you like that, but I guess no more than a LG with the mechanism right in front of your face, just a bit more tricky to get a guard around the dangerous parts.

see Id still vote for the Little Giant,
especially since Ive spent so much time dancing to avoid the flying parts when they break loose :p

now I havent personally seen one put a hole through the guard,
but there where several nice holes in the guard from before I started,
when we got the 100lb LG the guards went from serious wire mesh to thick steel plate