Awesome, yet hilarious, 1955 promo film on drop forging.

[Alan Longmire]

 

 

For that matter, check out this channel.  If you are of a certain age range, you'll remember seeing some of these in high school. 

[Gazz]

Years ago I toured Dixie Industries in Chattanooga TN which made river barge hardware and had big hammers like that.  The guys running the hammers there were all deaf and you'll notice that none of the guys in the film wore hearing protection which I guess was not cool at the time.  I have a manual 50 pound drop hammer in my shop but rarely use it.  It has flat dies and will make small things flat or can do interesting stuff with localized heat to upset something but is kind of a pain to use.  In this video;

   if you go to the 11 minute mark you can see how the hammer like mine is operated but the whole video may be interesting to you folks.  This place is just a few minutes from me and I once had an opportunity to buy a much larger drop hammer from them but didn't do it because it would have required a new building at my property.

I sure would like to have that Studebaker in the first video!

[Alan Longmire]

Yeah, that Studebaker was nice!  The Stagmer brothers used to have a big board drop hammer outside thier shop, because it wouldn't fit inside. It wasn't more than a 200 pounder, but it was about 18 feet tall...

[Dick Sexstone]

I when I was 16 I  bought a Studebaker just like that one at a police auction….I had done all the body work but then life got in the way and eventually my father had it removed from the back yard…It was my First car ….and will forever be my favorite…. Light years before it’s time i think.. 

The way metal “flows” is so fascinating ….. Thanks Alan…. And I do remember that voice in the video….ha ha ha …

And Gazz  I have a No.1 Standard drop hammer made in Providence RI…it fit in my shop with literally a fraction of an inch to spare….