[TheForge] Anybody out there YAK

[Roger R Degner]

He used mine and another to make 3 striking hammers and a couple of hand
hammers.
They were busy at the shop with other things.  I got some tips on
various things but mostly not power hammer related.  I was allowed to
play as much as I wanted but it was getting lat after a very hot day so
I didn't do much.  His hammer manufacturing looks different than most
demonstrations I have watched.

Hammer related
Kiss blocks through holes in dies either top or bottom
High temp lubricant for the eye punches
Had very close look at hammer eye handle hole cutters and punches.
Tips on keeping the steel square not out of parallel

I did buy a set of radical fullering dies similar to what Uri has for
the Big Blue.  He and John said they are fragile as there is very little
die to die contact if no hot steel is between.  No whacking the dies or
starting hammer with dies together without something in between such as
a 2 X 2.  I plan not to put these in the hammer until I have watched Uri
or someone else demo with similar dies.
He showed how to align the dies X or Y with two steel plates and a C
clamp.  Also showed how dies could be offset to give a 1/2 on 1/2 off
blow
Showed leaving bottom die offset just a little to give a better square
shoulder on a tenon.

Showed the lines on ram that give warning if dies are ground too short
and warned never to give a blow without dies in as this would destroy
parts.

Must have been more but the brain isn't working at the moment.



I will probably go back for a power hammer class next year.  ABANA
conference will take a lot of vacation

Tom changed my hammer to left handed. 4 bolts on the bottom and 6 or 8
on the top then the bottom dies became top and top bottom.  Needed to
remark the die keys. 

Roger R Degner



-

I haven't played with mine yet Roger.  By the time we finished
installing it 
, the time was
4 AM  and we were tired.  Tom slept 2 hours and headed back to his home 
base.  Did he show you any maneuvers with it,  or any tricks?