Rusty Appalachian hammer build along

A.McPherson said:
So I couldn't tell from the picture, but do you have interchangeable dies on there?
Click to expand...
That was the original plan. First run for the hammer was during my Forged in Fire build. Stuff kept breaking loose, so I welded it all together. I haven't changed them a single time since, lol. Now that my die holder on top is a little more robust, I may have to fiddle with it a bit. The bottom die plate is still welded on to the anvil.
 
I just read "Pounding out the Profits", the book about the development of the power hammer in America. Now I'm looking at my hammer a bit differently, and understand a few things differently as well. May have to make some modifications to see if I can get more out of my design. I've also seriously considered building a fast hitting 25# also, in addition to this 40 that runs at roughly 220 bpm.
 
So I made a few mods to my hammer, rebuilt the pitman and made the top end attachment point adjustable. Haven't run it hard yet beyond the initial test runs, but it seems to be back to hitting hard.

In other news, I made a deal with a local steel distributor and have personally brought home roughly 3000 lbs of steel, plus a buddy took another 1700. With the rate I'm getting, I'll pass on most of it and get mine for free. I was able to get a couple of good power hammer anvil options. One 47" by 6.5 round at 440 lbs, although it will need to be cut down some, and another two pieces to stack, one 275ish lbs 10.5" round with a 6.5 by 18 220 lb on top, 490 lbs total if I remember right. Also got a 30" circle of 1.75" plate at 350 lbs for the base plate. I'm going to build a 50ish pound tire hammer, a mishmash of Clay Spencer's top end linkage and whatever I engineer for the rest. Goal will be a heavier hammer that's more compact.
 
I've been toying with the idea of a tire hammer too... The problem I keep running into is power.

I don't own my house (I live in government housing) and I'm kinda reluctant to spend money on a system that I'm not going to be able to keep, ya know?

Have you watched the YouTube channel "dirty Smith"? They did a big power hammer build a year or so back. It's a really nice hammer from the looks of it. Check it out it might give you a couple of ideas...
 
I've got all the big parts gathered up for the new hammer, just have to start the fabrication now. Ended up with anvil at 490 lbs, sitting on top of a 350 lb base plate, with a 60ish lb head as far as the parts go.
 
Just curious, how big of a motor are you planning on using? Also are you going to have the motor on top or bottom?
 
Got a 2 HP motor. Probably more than I need, but got it cheap. Going to put it up top like the Clay Spencer design.
 
Still haven't found my round tuit for the new hammer build. In the mean time, for no explicable reason, that video on post #21 took off on youtube. Just passed 450K views, with 400K+ of those in the last two months.
 
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