[TheForge] Re: Weightless Sledge - Your Feedback Needed

[Bruce Freeman]

I'm calling on this group for encouragement (or not) on a project I've =
started recently and am having some trouble coming up with the enthusiasm =
to spend time on.  The problem with enthusiasm has little to do with the =
merit of the project, and everything to due with other things going on in =
my life that makes me too busy, too tired, or too unmotivated to spend =
time on it.  Please read the following and give me some feedback on =
whether you consider this project one you personally will receive with =
some enthusiasm - meaning you'll want to run right out and build one for =
yourself!

The project is a weightless (sledge) hammer.  Ideally, the result of this =
project will be a massive (e.g., 16#) hand-held hammer rendered weightless =
so that one man can swing it one-handed.  I want the hammer to be =
"swing-able" in virtually any direction, so that it could be used (almost) =
as freely as a smaller, hand-held hammer.  There will be no built-in =
directional limitations like those of a treadle hammer.  In other words, =
you'll be able to grab this hammer, bring it down on work on the top of =
the anvil, swing it around and clobber something on the side of the anvil, =
or even up against the bottom side of the horn or whatever.  (Watch that =
your anvil can take a whack from a 16# hammer, though! =AF I almost =
knocked my poor little Southern Crescent off its stump when I hit it from =
the side!)   The catch, of course, is the mass.  You'll never swing a 16# =
hammer, even a weightless one, as easily as a 2# hammer.  Still, when it =
makes contact it does some >serious< work!

My progress to date is thus:  I've built two prototypes, the second a vast =
improvement over the first.  I have at least one more improvement in =
store.  Using the second prototype, I can swing the hammer up and down and =
at some limited angles, at about one blow per second, and can keep it up =
indefinitely.  I might not be able to improve much upon that speed, but I =
plan to improve upon the versatility of the hammer and the "feel" of it in =
your hand.  I plan to make the hammer usable anywhere within a fair =
working area (maybe an area of 50 square feet or so), and I plan to make =
the whole apparatus portable, so you can move it to a different location =
in your shop, or to another shop, with little trouble.  The second =
prototype weighs about 200# total, but the next should weigh less than =
50#, hammer included.

The disappointing aspect to me is that the project turns out to be too =
simple.  I thought I had an engineering challenge on my hands, but it's =
becoming so simple that it looks like any competent person is going to be =
able to build one of these things in two hours time for less than $50.  =
Frankly, I'm surprised this thing hasn't been invented already.  (Or has =
it been and you guys have been holding out on me?)  Because this is =
turning out to be so simple, I've abandoned the idea of selling the plans. =
 If I ever get my act together on this, I'll send the plans - a few pages =
at most - to our chapter editor to be published in the newsletter.

I will >not< discuss the mechanism of this hammer in a public forum.  My =
reason for this limitation is some of the negative feedback in my earlier =
discussions of the concept of the Grasshopper Treadle Hammer.  Don't need =
any more of that crap on a public forum.  If anyone is interested enough =
to want to discuss it with me privately, they may email me at freemab@hotma=
il.com (NOT at the address from which I sent this!) and I will discuss it =
one-on-one. =20

(BTW, if anyone doubts my ability to design this weightless sledge, please =
settle your doubts by visiting http://www.monmouth.com/~freeman/bmf/grashop=
r.htm , where I show a >weightless< treadle hammer.  The weightless sledge =
is a >lot< simpler than that!)

Thanks for listening.  Now give me your response!

Bruce

P.S.:  For those not too used to the terminology of physics:  All matter =
has mass.  Mass acted upon by gravity equals weight.  A 16# hammer has 16# =
mass.  On the surface of the earth, we perceive it as "heavy".  In space, =
it would be weightless.  But weightlessness can be achieved in effect by =
artificial means as well.  This could be done, for example, by a see-saw =
('teeter-totter' to some of you).  I am using such a means to remove the =
effect of gravity upon a 16# hammer.  Turns out there are more ways to get =
the thing to work than you can shake a stick at, some of them >very< =
simple.