Guillotine treadle hammer

[FlatLiner]

Interesting take on a treadle hammer.

 

https://youtu.be/BL9vCX74LDA?si=Z3d1lvqt24auZkTk

[JHCC]

Cool idea, and very creative approach. My only qualm is that he’s not getting any mechanical advantage out of his linkage, but that’s a minor detail. 

[Frosty]

And ANOTHER treadle hammer hits the web! Pretty good for a basic treadle hammer but I have a couple issues with the as built machine. As John says there is no mechanical advantage between treadle and ram, I don't want to have to move my leg the full stroke distance. A 1: 2or 3 ratio not only reduces treadle stroke length, it moves the ram 2-3x as fast so it strikes geometrically HARDER. Less work, harder blows with longer strokes. Hmmm?

A mechanical linkage to multiply treadle: stroke distance doesn't need to be 2'+ long. His rear hinges would benefit greatly from a couple $2, 1" weld spacers and hitch pins. That simple mod would make wear to rebuild times many times longer. Greasing the hinge would be as simple as smearing a drop on the hitch pins, sliding them in and turning them. This kind of thing is what hitch pins are designed for, My snow plow hinges on two 5/8" hitch pins since 2011 and once you get the weight off they slide in or out with fingertip force.

Most of what I see are construction details like the lack of even one diagonal stiffener in the entire frame.  UHDP cutting boards cost almost nothing, I bought a package of 4 for under $4 to use on friction surfaces in the shop. Grease collects dust, grit and airborne . . .stuff where UHDP doesn't. Sure airborne . . . stuff gets on it but a careful shot with an air hose makes it clean. You can form fit it easily, I warmed up a piece of the inner tubing in my shop toaster oven to 300f. Laid the plastic on it and wrapped it with cotton webbing, then cooled the tubing with an electric mattress inflator blower. Because I have a number of those yard sale buy list blowers.

UHDP is too easy to work not to use.

I like how he mounts his dies, lots better than many systems but I haven't used one like his so that's just an eyeball estimation and wedging the bottom die so it's sucked tight on the base is just another little construction detail.

I'm not crazy about not being able to pass stock lengthways through the dies either. It may not be an everyday thing but you never know when you'll need to punch a line of screw holes in a rail cap or maybe swage a curved cap rail, fuller a sword, etc.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

He's got a couple of follow-up videos that I haven't watched yet.

[Scott NC]

  I think I may build my own version of this.  Thanks for sharing Flatline.

  Either this or a Nodding Donkey.  I tried to edit and typed out a whole lot and it went "piff" into the ethernothing.  I think the edit window is 15 seconds.

[Pault17]

A group of us here in NC just finished a "build" of a dozen of these. The head weight is something between 50 and 60 lbs. There is no 'mechanical advantage' of any compound mechanical linkages, but there is very little friction anywhere but the treadle pivots and the springs supporting the head. Noise is a relatively mild chain rattle. 

The inertia of a 60-lb head (which has up to 10-inches of vertical adjustment) helps with the chisel and punch work it is kind of intended for, I think.  Not so much for forging candle sticks out of 3" round bar. I will try and get some pictures up in the near future. The total weight is something less than 350 lbs, so relocation is not as laborious. Also, the total size is like 20"x32" by 6' high, so the footprint is relatively tiny. Also, the base is easy enough to bolt or weigh down without affecting the treadle action.  

When scraping enough money together to buy fuel (coal or propane, or the wood to make charcoal) is tough, the idea of spending a couple of grand turns into 'life-time bucket list' material. Not including my volunteered labor, we were able to get these built for below $500.  I will be trying it out on punching hammer eyes in the near (hopefully) future, and will let you know how it goes.