[TheForge] Re: forging steel bamboo

[craig.schaefer at verizon.net]

Two weeks ago, I went to an 'open house' at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA.  Got to see large forging hammers, both steam and hydraulic and a big natural gas fired forge.  The chain and beam method of moving large pieces of metal has been replaced with the 'billet holder'.  Basically a big shock absorbing clamp mounted to a vehicle similar to a Bobcat loader.  It could pick up a 1-2 foot square billet and place it under a hammer, and rotate it.  The cranes and chains and trolleys are deemed too unsafe to use any more.  Similarly the steam powered Chambersburg hammer is being converted to compressed air because steam is too dangerous any more.  Worked well for about 100 years though.  Don't know how many workers were burned by steam over the years.   
I wish I had some pictures of that place, but cameras and cell phones were not allowed.

CraigS
Gresham, OR



>From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
>Date: 2007/10/29 Mon AM 07:04:21 CDT
>To: mspencer at tallships.ca, Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: forging steel bamboo

>Use of an overhead crane with a heavy link chain sling is a common way to 
>support very heavy industrial forgings.  At Lehigh Heavy Forge, in 
>Bethlehem, PA (Formerly Bethlehem Forge) they can support up to 300 tons 
>this way for forging in their 10,000 ton forge press.  This is the way very 
>large backup rolls can be forged for heavy plate mills.
>
>Matt Walker up in Bristol, TN uses a small tool balancer made to support 
>"air tools" and such in production assembly lines to support knife billets 
>he forges.  He can move them from his gas forge to his hydraulic press with 
>a lot less work that by hand.  When you forge billets all day it make a big 
>difference.
>
>Dave Smucker
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>
>To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 12:04 AM
>Subject: [TheForge] Re: forging steel bamboo
>
>
>>
>> Ben wrote:
>>
>>> Bruce's suggestion reminds me of the old forging videos I've seen
>>> where a huge bar is suspended by crane and made able to roll on its
>>> support;
>>
>> I saw one of a yellow-hot [1] billet maybe 2 or 3 feet in diameter
>> supported by a chain loop that went over a pulley which in turn was
>> suspended from the big crane.  I think the pulley was powered so that
>> they could rotate the billet with the sling.
>>
>> When I had to draw long tapers on 8' 1x2, I made a (tiny and of course
>> not powered :-) version of the sling with loop of 3/16 chain and an
>> old pulley rope-pulley wheel.  I just put a eye bolt in the ceiling
>> where I needed it but if you had a crane, track or whatever it would
>> be more versatile hung on that.  It worked much better than a stand
>> support because the chain accommodated the rectangular shape more
>> smoothly.  I'm guessing that a sprocket and a piece of roller chain
>> would be even better.
>>
>> I have a whole bunch of 1" black pipe.  I'll have to give this bamboo
>> trick a try.
>>
>> OffTopic: For those who're keen on gardening or the like, building
>> this tiny greenhouse is what's kept me away from the forge a bit this
>> summer:
>>
>>    http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/tmp/gazebo-1.jpg
>>    http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/tmp/gazebo-2.jpg
>>
>> There have been various improvements, including infrared heat, since
>> the photo was taken.  A neighbor gave me the six thermopane doors and
>> I just natchurly hadda do this. :-)
>>
>> - Mike
>>
>>
>> [1] Okay, so it was an old, jittery, black & white movie but, you
>>    know, you could just *tell* it was yellow-hot. ;-)
>>
>> -- 
>> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>>                                                           /V\
>> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
>> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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