Power hammer pointers needed.

[Matthew Stone 4]

So I've wanted a small power hammer for a while, but wasn't really looking for one. Not a need, just a want. Last week I stumbled into a a nice Mayer brothers 25# in plug and play condition for a price I was willing to play & local too. Got it home & into the current shed over the weekend. Played with it some & came to the realization that I don't really know how to run it effectively.  I've only got flat dies right now & I'm going to replace the clutch  canvas in the next few days ( I tore it up some in uploading. Still works, but I'm nit picky). 

 

Can folks give me any pointers on using these machines. Mainly gonna be for welding up & drawing out billets, still plan on forging to shape by hand.

 

Thanks for any advice.

[Zeb Camper 780]

I would have to say keep it oiled and greased and inspect it prior to each use. You may want a shroud in case of "little giant grenade". Other than that, insert metal; depress pedal . 

[Geoff Keyes 520]

The shield Zeb is talking about goes between the operator and the coil spring on the tup.  Those are known to shatter under certain conditions.  A screen of metal mesh or a solid plate works well.

g

 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Geoff Keyes

[Matthew Stone 4]

I've read of the guards & think it's a good idea. 

 

What type of dies are those?

[Jeremy Blohm 511]

Those are combo dies. Made for drawing out on one side and square dies on the other.

[Dan P. 39]

I'm not crazy about combo dies myself, they can gall the work if you put it in sideway.

Very shallow crown fullers are good, but again limited.

Flat dies are probably most versatile, also much easier to use with tooling, top and bottom, and to make shoes for for gauges, etc.

[Matthew Stone 4]

Changed the clutch material. Went with some leather instead of canvas. It works right well once it got broke in a little. Can hit with a slight tap to faster than I can keep up almost. 

 

First bar with the power hammer. 40ish layers of 15n20 & 1095. 

 

[Alan Longmire 2,746]

Looks good!  And yeah, those 25s can run up to 300 bpm.  Almost scary fast!

[Matthew Stone 4]

Thank you. There's definitely a learning curve with it. But the wife ordered me a bunch of 15n20 today, so I'll  be experimenting with it a lot. 

 

Yes, it does give me a fright on occasion. This should keep me from getting cocky & tearing something up. 

[John N 265]

I like the look of the baby little giants. So cute! 

What is the strap thing around the neck of the anvil ? Tool holder, or cracked block repair ?

[Matthew Stone 4]

Tool holder. But of a poor design in my opinion. Can't change a bottom die without removing it first.