[TheForge] Air Hammer Workshop?

Wed Dec 4 14:10:07 2002

        Phil,  I've built three of these previously.  After the materials
and parts have been aquired -I find they take five days to cut all the
parts, drill all the holes, and weld together acurately enough to work well.
To pull off a weekend air hammer workshop you'd have to approach it in two
ways........1) have 8-10 guys building two hammers, or 2) have all the parts
cut, drilled, and ready to just weld together and you may be able to pull it
off with a good crew, but it would basicly be a welding marathon.
        One approach may be to design an air head that could be built in two
days.  Then you  would be able to take it back to your shop and build the
rest of the base, back post, anvil, treadle(or foot pedal if you so
desire).........and fasten the air head to it with six bolts.
        I have been asked to figure a proposal do this for a metalworking
school (possibly next year).  I am making a quick to build head and all the
jigs needed to give 4-6 people jobs to complete that number of air heads in
a four day workshop........this will be cutting and making all the parts as
well as assembling and welding them together.  My rough guess is the
workshop would cost about $1,000 to put on and everyone would leave with an
air head.  The air parts, fittings and hoses etc would be in the $5-600
range........so feasibly you could take this back to your shop and put the
rest of the hammer together for $200-800 depending on how good a scrounge
you happen to be.
        I think an air hammer workshop is very possible, but it would take
some serious planning, a lot of parts making ahead of time, and be in a well
equiped shop with as many welders as there are hammers to build.
        So far I've done workshops in anvil repair, gas pipe forges,
smithing magicians, guilotene tools, and treadle hammers with folks leaving
with a finished piece.  I feel an air hammer workshop is possible, but in
one weekend - I'd have to say it would be way to ambitious a goal.  I'm sure
six guys could build one hammer in a weekend, but to do multiple hammers
would pretty much be a week long deal.

Ralph


----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil" <[email protected]>
To: "Forge, The" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 8:21 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Air Hammer Workshop?


> Has any ABANA Chapter (ooops, I guess we are affiliates now)ever had a
weekend air hammer building workshop?  I was wondering if it was possible to
build a hammer in a weekend in a workshop setting.
>
> Thanks
>
> Phil
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