[TheForge] power hammer

[Ries Niemi]

Not  a single person has bid on that Nazel 5B on ebay, with a starting 
bid of $8500.
Not actually surprising, when you realize that it would probably cost 
another $8500 to get it running in your shop, and that is assuming you 
have a shop where you could fit a hammer that big, no neighbors would 
complain, and you have enough power available to wire up that 20hp 
motor.
In reality, there are always more of those big Nazels and Chambersburgs 
for sale than there are people who are willing to take on a project 
that big. I could find at least a half a dozen of em for sale within 15 
minutes on the internet. Weldon Stump Co (www.stumpco.com) Yoder, 
(www.yodermachinery.com), and Hoffmans, (www.hoffmanmachinery.com), 
three big used industrial machinery dealers, always have a few in 
stock, Bob Bergman at Postville Blacksmiths often has one- I think he 
has one now, and Wallace has one too, I think.
While a lot of people may fantasize about a hammer that big, there are 
not very many people in the country who can really justify the cost of 
buying one, shipping it, building the foundation, making dies, wiring 
it up, and then maintaining and repairing it. A 30,000lb tool is a big 
committment. Much less have enough forging work big enough to actually 
need a hammer that big.
And the going price for a Nazel- anwhere from $5000 to $20,000 
depending on size and condition, does tend to separate out the weekend 
hobbyiest types. Although, for a machine which if you could buy one new 
would cost over $100,000, as the last chambersburgs did, the prices are 
pretty darn cheap. You cant buy a rebuilt, low mileage $150,000 ferrari 
for $8500.
I know Grant Sarver of Off Center Tool just picked up a 5B, a few miles 
from his shop, for less than half of the price of that one on EBAY. And 
I am sure the seller was glad to see it go. But Grant has owned lots of 
those big hammers over the years, and has a realistic attitude about 
what it will take to get it running in his shop. And Russell Jaque of 
Nimba forge is just getting his 750lb Chambersburg going. But I would 
bet that there are less than 50 500lb or bigger hammers running in 
artist blacksmith shops in the whole country, and even if there were a 
hundred of em for sale on Ebay, not many more shops would have one 
running.
It is one big committment to own a tool that big.

ries

PS-
I just looked- Hoffmans has 2 big Beche hammers- a 1500lb and a 4000lb.
and
Weldon Stump has a Nazel 4B, 5B, and 6B, and 1000lb and 3000lb  
Chambersburgs, and an 800lb and 1500lb Erie
those big boys are out there, just waiting for you to ask em to dance.