Power Hammer Project

Re-acquired and torch setup today. Drove to Payson, Az and got O2 and acetylene regulators with hose,
$100. Went by the gas supplier on the way home and had them test the setup. Torch SPEWED O2 even with
the vales closed. The valves (2) were $40 ea or they could send it for a whole rebuild for about $50. The rebuild made sense
so I'll have it back in a week. Just in time for the blueprints to get here.

More as it comes.
 
Shop called today and the cutting torch has all new parts in it. Ready to rock. Called the place with the power hammer plans to insure they had received my check... they have.
(I had to check this as I shipped a knife form Phoenix to somewhere in PA on the 7th of this month. It's STILL sitting in Denver!)

Anyway, likely that I'll have the plans very soon and be able to start detailing the build. I am SO looking forward to it! ;)
 
Finally moving on this one! First step is the anvil post. Acknowledged formula says the anvil should weigh at least 10 time what the hammer does. Anvil post is 8" dia, 3/8" wall pipe that I will fill with lead wheel weights and sand.
Used to be a vise and grinder stand. I've cut off the top piece (shelf) and ground off the excess weld material so it's flat. I failed to get an original photo, so I've propped the cut off piece up with my rebar chipping hammer to show before and after. The 1" piece of steel on the lower shelf will remain for added strength and as a place to mount interchangeable dies.

AnvilPost1.jpg

AnvilPost3.jpg

AnvilPost2.jpg
 
As for filler materials for the pipe, you might want to consider packing it as tightly as possible with lengths of rebar, then filling the spaces with sand. Or you could melt the wheel weights and pour the melt into the spaces for a more solid fill (might have to heat the rebar a bit, to keep the lead from solidifying before it got all the way down). The reason I mention rebar is that it's ABSOLUTELY FREE! Just go out on the day after the election. There'll be a brazilian political signs all over the place, required by law to be removed soon after the election. And here in AZ's clay soil, they're all supported by 5' to 6' lengths of rebar.

I've always considered political signs fair game after an election, and figure I'm doing all those candidates a favor! I've talked with a police officer, and he pretty much said he'd have no problem seeing somebody removing the signs.

I carry a pair of Vise-grips, clamp them on the rebar, and use them to rotate and lift. The corrugated plastic material of the signs themselves is also useful.
 
Today, picked up a 30" piece of cold rolled 1 1/8" round stock that will serve as the crank axle and for the axle for the leaf spring at the top of this contraption that not only moves the hammer but also
absorbs lots of the shock, helping to prevent the machine from tearing itself apart. Went to another fellows house over in Scottsdale that has built a hammer. His machine is tearing apart all the welds
and getting stress cracks in the steel in many places. Hammer is set too tight. Unless at full speed, the hammer and anvil should just "kiss", rather than do full force smacks.

Good to see all the things that can go wrong, NOW, before I experience them. That way, I can build around these potential problems.
 
Welding question...
Frame for the hammer is primarily 4" X 8" X 3/8" wall. My mig is on the light side for welding this kind of steel so I'm going to borrow the Lincoln buzz box from a
neighbor. 60 series rod or 70 series rod? should I be going for shear tensile strength or slightly more ductility here? My thought is 70 series will be slightly more prone to cracking due to the impact related nature of this machine and so 60 series might be advised.

Comments and thoughts?
 
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