[TheForge] Period power hammer?

Wed Jan 2 14:02:53 EST 2008

Speaking with friends about what *could* be done without electricity....
I've come to like the idea of a counterweight.  That is, raising a
mass to store its potential energy, and then lower it, possibly in
combination with a fly wheel, seems like a good approach for a small
shop (w/apprentice or mule!) or even a solo smithy, where work can be
done in sessions.  Any number of power sources could raise the mass,
be it wind or water or mule, or block and tackle.

There is an old style of power hammer, which I think came across
TheForge not long ago, which is I think a style of helve hammers,
where a large wheel with two rachet-like gears raise the hammer in
between strikes.  Think of the rachets as inclined planes wrapped
around 1/2 (each) of the circumference.  The hammer then "falls off"
the end of the inclined plane and strikes the anvil.  The one I saw
had a very rustic look, like a log with a big lump of hammer on the
end :)   Well, maybe it was *three* rachet/inclines... heh heh....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZSp3K-jiF4  (thanks Jim!)

On a related note, there is a foot-lever-driven sledge in the
background of one of those old silent videos on youtube.  Anyone have
any notes on their geometry and/or construction??  That would only be
in the 5-to-10 pound range, so ... slightly off-topic for this thread.
 But in a "period" of its own since I haven't seen anything like it,
since.
Found the video again:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLIbObCltfQ
the interesting treadle design I need to know more about is visible
from 2:26-2:41 in this video.  I think there was another variant I saw
in another video, that looked even more simple, mechanically, however
most of the details were on the far side of the anvil, blocking the
view...  anyone?

thanks & good luck,

Ben

On Jan 2, 2008 10:38 AM, GRAF <adveniam at att.net> wrote:
> Okay, historic shop....
> When was it built?
>
>
>
>
> Mike Graf
>
> robert hensarling wrote:
> > Mike I really don't know the periods, places, etc.
> > I've got a neat mule operated laying around in the weeds.  A mule
> > would be hooked to a long pole or branch, which was attached to 4 foot
> > in diameter, with teeth on the bottom side.  Another gear meshes into
> > the big gear, and it's attached to a long drive shaft.  This long
> > drive shaft is then turning a flywheel and gear, which operates a
> > walking beam.  I've always wanted to put that thing together and
> > restore it, but will probably never find the time.  I was told once it
> > was worth some $$, but that's not usually my luck :o)  That's all I
> > can remember as to how it works, but I don't think it would fit your
> > application anyway.  If you could find a windmill that drives a 90
> > degree shaft from a gearbox at the base of the tower, that may be the
> > trick.  They existed, but Probably about 1850's +, but heck, I don't
> > even know that for sure.
> > rh
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "GRAF" <adveniam at att.net>
> > To: "Sponsored by ABANA" < theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:12 PM
> > Subject: Re: [TheForge] Period power hammer?
> >
> >
> >> I was thinking of the horse also.
> >> The first questions are where and what period?
> >>
> >> The second is what standard? What you can document as having been
> >> done or what someone could have done with materials and technology at
> >> hand?
> >>
> >> I saw a nice fly wheel driven metal spinning setup, turned by an
> >> apprentice. It was supposedly "period", but it was also at a Ren
> >> Faire so the standards were pretty loose.
> >>
> >> Mike Graf
> >>
> >> robert hensarling wrote:
> >>> I've seen photos of horse and or human powered tread mills that in turn
> >>> operate a line shaft.  Wind power, water power, there's probably more.
> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Hirst" < saltydog335 at aol.com>
> >>> To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> >>> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:47 AM
> >>> Subject: [TheForge] Period power hammer?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> I have the opportunity to take over a historic shop, on one
> >>> condition: no
> >>> electricity.  This is fine with me, as 90 percent of what I do
> >>> anyway is
> >>> hand work  (can do my electric welding and grinding off site) but I
> >>> have
> >>> been hoping to get into some heavier stuff with a small power
> >>> hammer.  Is
> >>> there any period technology (other than water or steam) for say a 25 lb
> >>> hammer?  Treadle and flywheel maybe?  Just starting to research this
> >>> so any
> >>> help is much appreciated.
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