[TheForge] FW: Power hammer workshop- guys, take a look and help me with any additions, corrections or amendments. Tkx, RC

[Ron Childers]

                    Tire Hammer Workshop

 

We completed the Clay Spencer 3 day Ray Klontz tire power hammer workshop at
Mike Bettinger's welding shop in Tallahassee on May 28. We built 14 hammers.
The "3 day work shop" is a slight misnomer. We did it in 3 days because of
the several weeks of preparation and preliminary work done by a number of
participants.

 

We cut, drilled, punched, sawed, ground, fabricated and welded up what
seemed like thousands of parts. The measurements and alignment of parts such
as the toggle linkage and spacing is critical as is center punching,
drilling and tapping the holes in the ram and anvil.

 

We had most of the parts fabricated by the time the assembly began and were
fortunate to have a couple of guys who are professional welders working
almost constantly. We were pouring lead, fitting parts, welding and heat
treating the dies, re-packing the wheel bearings, cutting the crank plates
to fit the wheels and numerous other chores that kept every one busy. Mike's
son did the electrical wiring for the motors. There was no room for slack
and the successful completion depended upon everyone working.

 

It was hot, noisy, stinky, tiresome and dirty- it doesn't get any better
than that. Best of all, no one was injured, no fights and it was fun working
in such a sprit of cooperation with so many people. 

 

The most time spent on the preliminary work was done by Troy Brown who also
got his friends from Oklahoma in to weld the large parts such as the anvils
to the bases, etc. We also had people from Homestead, Tampa, Alabama,
Arizona and north Georgia. 

 

Some points to remember in a project such as this:

 

Publicity: I put notices in The Clinker Breaker, Theforge, Anvilfire,
Bituminous Bits and several blade forums.

 

Facility: We were fortunate to have Mike Bettinger's welding shop with every
thing we needed including an overhead crane and a forklift, an Iron Worker
to punch the numerous holes, drill presses, mag drills, Band saws, a track
torch, mig welders and other equipment.

 

Preliminary work: Several of us spent afternoons and Saturdays working on
the small parts. This is an absolute necessity.

 

Scrounging: We cut the bases out of 5/8 I beam that Mike had scrounged and
used his track torch which was faster and easier than cutting with a
hand-held torch.

 

The more stuff that can be scrounged, the cheaper it is to build. It still
cost a little over $1000 each for the dirty dozen. Clay and Mike get a
hammer in the deal.

 

Dealing with junk yards, at least around here, is a real trip. The miserable
sob's don't have any idea unless you show them a parts manual and in one
case where we got 7 assemblies, they didn't include the lug nuts and left
out the bearing keepers- Junk yard mentality= don't know, don't care; watch
'em.

 

Precision: The parts must be punched and drilled to exacting specifications;
Clay furnished jigs for this and we used transfer punches to center punch
the plates and the anvil, etc.

 

Mechanical aptitude: This project pre-supposes a modicum of mechanical
ability. Some adjustments will probably have to be made (Clay discussed this
at the debriefing) and you will have to radius the dies to suit you.

 

                Plans: Clay said plans will be available soon. Remember,
though, we had jigs for almost every 

                part and assembly process so the critical measurements were
close. If you do it on your own, you     

                better measure twice ....    

 

There are probably some aspects of the work shop I've forgotten, but I think
the above covers most of it.

 

Ron Childers 




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