[TheForge] Hammer on clay soil (Was: make shift anvil) YAK

Tue Oct 21 02:11:00 2003

Hello Chuck:
We are Just off the Famed Hosgri Fault that runs neatly under  the giant 
Diablo Cyn Nuke plant further down the coast. And we have had 
earthquakes here for sure. The last one knocked the trailers off their 
blocks and  cracks in the earth opened and closed repeatedly. 
Historically they are supposed to come  at about a Ricter 5.5, every 5 
years or so but it's been more than 10 since the last one. We are also 
about 40 miles west of Parkfield, where the San Andreas fault is hung 
up. I don't want to be in the shop when one comes....at all.
It does make the hammer's thump seem dinky in that context.
I've speculated that  a big earthquake at the end of a heavy winter 
could cause whole miles of  Hwy 1 to slide into the sea. Very messy.
As you  point out, if it ain't one thing, it's another.
John N. ..Clearing out enough of my crowded shop to run a mini excavator 
in there is a thought so horrifying that I dare not contemplate it.
Jerry...concrete under a steel slab is what I'll do if I can't find a 
big enough piece of plate cheap enough.
Andrew...I'm assuming wood above the slab to cushon the cast iron as the 
mfg insists..it's a 2 piece hammer with the anvil set lower than the 
frame. The Chinese castings are not confidence inspiring.
Thomas; Following your lead I called  a few local ( 100 mille radius) 
scrap yards and a search is on.
Thank you all.....Peter F

Chuck Robinson wrote:

>Hey Pete,
>Have you checked out the charts of any geological fault lines near you?
>The sine and P waves generated from a near by quake could be much more
>significant than hammer shock.
>Take heart though, just about every area of the country has its
>environmental problems.
>A small tornado that came thru Picayune 2 years ago knocked down several
>95+' pine tress on my property, 2 of which fell on yurt style forge.
>We are now holding our breath hoping we survive another hurricane season.
>We had some trees down from a hurricane on my other shop building about 5
>years ago, and a lightning storm blew out all the electronics when a bolt
>hit a tree 5' from my house last year.
>So from my prospective, your setting looks pretty darn good.
>Chuck
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer" <[email protected]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 12:26 AM
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Hammer on clay soil (Was: make shift anvil) YAK
>
>
>  
>
>>Chuck;.
>>I'll get the McPhee book..it is marine clay that we're setting on where
>>the hammer goes. Being the biggest gopher on the mountain side..I've
>>done a lot of digging here. There is no mesquite growing here now that I
>>know of, but much of the  soil that might have once formed here, is in
>>the ocean now
>>Thanks!...PF
>>
>>Chuck Robinson wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Hey Pete,
>>>Have you read "THE CONTROL OF NATURE" by John McPhee?
>>>The Chapters about the geology of your area, will scare the heck out of
>>>      
>>>
>you.
>  
>
>>>I suspect the Clay in your area is the same Marine Clay.
>>>You might want to dig a couple of test holes to check for the mesquite
>>>creosote layer he talks about.
>>>
>>>For what it's worth, you might consider replacing your power hammer with
>>>      
>>>
>an
>  
>
>>>"H" frame hydraulic press for heavy forging, and a small air hammer for
>>>drawing, etc.
>>>The HP will do an amazing amount of heavy stock reduction with no impact
>>>      
>>>
>on
>  
>
>>>your soil except for the weight of the press.
>>>You might also research the possibility of using a high durometer
>>>      
>>>
>Sorbothane
>  
>
>>>Elastomer matt under the steel base plate to absorbe the impact
>>>      
>>>
>vibrations
>  
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>>>of the air hammer.
>>>Chuck
>>>
>>>
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>>>theforge mail list group photo site is
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>>>Login:  [email protected]
>>>password:  anvil
>>>___________
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>>theforge mail list group photo site is
>>http://www.photoaccess.com
>>Login:  [email protected]
>>password:  anvil
>>___________
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>theforge mail list group photo site is
>http://www.photoaccess.com
>Login:  [email protected]
>password:  anvil
>___________
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>
>
>  
>