[TheForge] Treadle Hammer Springs

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

WMullet:
I had a friend who got into Red China to film around the time 
Nixon went there. One of the things on the film was some Chinese 
guys breaking up rocks with long handled sledges.
As you say, the huge sledge heads were mounted on extremely 
whippy handles and at the first part of the stroke, the hammer 
men had the butt of the handle a good 25 degrees in advance of 
the fore grip. There must have been no transmitted shock at all!...pf

wmullett at bright.net wrote:
> Bruce,
> 
> Your the wiz-bang at the mechanics of these.  Since most of the real force of hammering comes from the inertia of the hammer, why couldn't you use a heavy spring on the treadle connection to the head that will reduce the impact to your leg.
> 
> The Chinese use split bamboo sledge hammers for that reason.  They kind of act like a wet noodle when they swing them.
> ---------------
> From: Bruce Freeman <freemab222 at yahoo.com>
> Date: Tue Mar 20, 8:58 PM
> To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Treadle Hammer Springs
> 
> Do you have any way of adjusting WHERE this stop
> occurs?  It would probably be less jarring if it
> stopped at the floor - where the leg is fully
> extended.  (Another feature of the Grasshopper.)
> <Grins and polishes nails on lapel.>
> 
> Bruce
> 
> --- Marc <marc at ironringforge.com> wrote:
> 
>> Actually, Bruce, the part of the treadle hammer that
>> bothers my knees
>> the most is the sudden stop when the blow hits the
>> work. My leaf spring
>> cushions that blow very nicely.
>>
>> The spring tension affects my own energy level much
>> more than my knees.
>> I find I can draw out some good size stock pretty
>> quickly, but I'm
>> pretty winded after a while. I think using your
>> half-spring idea would
>> help quite a bit there, and I;m anxious to try it
>> out.
>>
>> --Marc
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 2007-03-18 at 19:12 -0700, Bruce Freeman
>> wrote:
>>> Middle aged knees... I know about those.  I
>> sometimes
>>> wonder whether it's worse to exercise or not to
>>> exercise!
>>>
>>> Build a Grasshopper and you'll have NO spring
>> tension
>>> working against your leg!
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>> NJ
>>
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> 
> 
> 
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