Refining like that is done at a red heat. When you are substantially altering the piece, you definitely want to do that at an orange/yellow, but surface refinements are done at a red heat, in part because its much easier to see and in part because you only want to affect the surface, which is what that lower heats provides you with.
this is kevin-the prof. I love that power hammer you have made. It is just about the best functioning, home-built machine I have ever seen on video. You have great control with it too. Finally, I hope I get to move to the Hill Country some day, and I will come and let you teach me stuff. your work always seems like it could take a hell of a lot of hard use.
Finally a homemade power hammer that actually has power. Seems like 98% of homemade ones hit softer than if you lightly tapped the steel with a small ball peen
Nice hammer, not really a fan of the "rusty" style, but that one seems to work really well. How much faster and harder can it run? Reason I'm asking is I have a 50 lbs tire hammer with the Dupont type linkage and love it, but am thinking of adding a 100 or 150 pound hammer for breaking down large stock.
+forge52100 Gunnhilda has fewer beats per minute than a Little Giant, but hits fairly hard and gives me better control. Gotta say that if you have the technical mind to deal with circuits and a big enough compressor, it's hard to beat some of the air hammer designs out there. I would estimate that running flat out I'm getting about 120 beats a minute.
wow great hammer, im definitely gunna have to build me one of those. you have to have worked with 5160 to appreciate how fast that hammer works it, if i started with stock that thick it would take me hours to flatten it with my sledge hammer and anvil here you did it in minutes! i need a power hammer...
Do you have a way to make your power hammer stop in the UP position consistently? I saw it happen a few times, but gravity makes it stop in the DOWN position more often than not.
Thanks for posting this awesome video. Would you recommend purchasing the plans for the rusty hammer or just wing it? I'm wanting to build one around 50lbs for knife making.
I've seen the plans, and honestly you would do just as well perusing RUclips and the Internet looking at the various guided helve hammers people have built. The dimensions are going to vary depending on how big you build it and what scrap materials you have on hand. I would highly recommend a tire clutch if you build one, but there are changes I'd make to other aspects of Gunnhilda if I were starting over. The die holders and the ram guide, in particular. The ram guide needs some means of adjusting the tolerance to minimize slop.
This is on the upper end size-wise for homebrewed guided helve hammers. Do a Google search for "Rusty power hammer" and you'll find the one that helped inspire mine. It has a ram weight of 15 pounds and doesn't stand as tall as the smith using it. That's one of the advantages to this design in my opinion: it can be adapted to a variety of sizes.
The camera isn't accurately showing the temperature. It looks hotter in the forge than it was and cooler at the end of forging than it was. The hammer's also a lot louder than it sounds like in the video. :)
I never saw the need for a power hammer, but I'd never seen one in action. Now I'm going to pretend that I don't see the need for one, since I can't have one.
and you are already on cutlery how long? courses of you too? which country you reside in, did my first course here in Brazil, very good to make friends in the outside world
Been making knives on a hobby level since my late teens, and full-time for the last several years. I'm in the U.S. I never did take any classes on making knives other than a five hour class with Tai Goo on making integral socket handles.
Jim, I just ran across your video. Great! In the comments below your video, you mention that you might be posting information on your hand made power hammer. Did you post something, and if so, can you tell me how to find it? Thank you. Bob Walsh
I want to be your Neighbor also.. That thing is a Beast. I could watch this all day.. But I cant since I have a Jizzob.... That was Cool to watch.. No Offense it was Funny watching you pound on that Steel right after doing it with the Machine. It looked like you were barely Tapping it
Approximately, not including the weight of the die. It started out at 88 pounds, and when I changed to the die-holding setup it has now, it added about 10 pounds.
Jim, I found your power hammer video by typing "Gunnhilda" into the browser window. Very interesting. Thank you. In your power hammer video, you say the anvil in a power hammer should weigh ten times the ram weight. Your hammer sure seems to work well in the video above. Why do you feel your 600 pound anvil is insufficient? Thanks again. Bob Walsh
With less than a 10:1 ratio, you're losing power in making the anvil bounce around. Even with a 1 1/2" or so thick base plate and 600 pound anvil, it still is flexing at every hit and losing some of the power. It does fine for the work I do, but it could do better. This was struck home with some 100 lb student anvils and hand hammering. Even at that weight, forging with a 3 lb hammer, there was a lot of energy lost in bouncing the anvil around on the stand when it was just sitting loose. I added some angle iron and screwed it down to the base, and suddenly there was a lot more hot steel moving at each hit, and it was a lot quieter too.
if you keep upsetting the nose of the blade you hand forging it will not grow and when you taper the blade , t will grow only as long as you want it to . steel that is at forging tempt is like Bread dough , you have to work it . more work than a P hammer ,
what is funny is I just stated something that is true , and you come at me like a idiot all I did was state a fact , man you have a lot to learn little Boy ,
Robert F. Gaff Y'all play nicely. Don, you may be right about controlling the growth of the length. I stand by what I said in the video that forging with the offset fuller dies stretches the steel in one direction more than in the other. That's basic blacksmithing. I can't tell from your comment whether you're disparaging the use of a power hammer, and don't really care whether you are or not.
ok that's my ignorance , you were talking fuller Dies and P Hammer and I was talking hand hammer when i said upsetting the nose area or the point area beating it back and folding it in I hand work 52100E 1" and to get , the depth of what I want I have to upset the 1" Rod , and work it back into its self . so I accept the fat that my ears weren't that clean when I watched that flick ,, Be safe , and happy hammering .
can't thank you enough just got my hammer running just like yours a 130lbs ram and 5 horse I will be positing something on RUclips if you would like to see it just get with me to send you a phone video
Very nice demo. Your power hammer looks like it has excellent control and action.
I really like the way this hammer moves material. It’s also great to see another south paw smith. Keep up the good work and more power to ya.
Refining like that is done at a red heat. When you are substantially altering the piece, you definitely want to do that at an orange/yellow, but surface refinements are done at a red heat, in part because its much easier to see and in part because you only want to affect the surface, which is what that lower heats provides you with.
this is kevin-the prof. I love that power hammer you have made. It is just about the best functioning, home-built machine I have ever seen on video. You have great control with it too. Finally, I hope I get to move to the Hill Country some day, and I will come and let you teach me stuff. your work always seems like it could take a hell of a lot of hard use.
Come on by sometime, Kevin. :)
Thanks. I have similar dies on my hammer. This video has taught me how to better use them
Haha, I wasn't expecting that thing to hit as hard as it does! Good job fabricating that beast!
Finally a homemade power hammer that actually has power. Seems like 98% of homemade ones hit softer than if you lightly tapped the steel with a small ball peen
well explained, could do a video on your furnace too? i could not see too clearly how it works, ty
Nice hammer, not really a fan of the "rusty" style, but that one seems to work really well. How much faster and harder can it run? Reason I'm asking is I have a 50 lbs tire hammer with the Dupont type linkage and love it, but am thinking of adding a 100 or 150 pound hammer for breaking down large stock.
+forge52100 Gunnhilda has fewer beats per minute than a Little Giant, but hits fairly hard and gives me better control. Gotta say that if you have the technical mind to deal with circuits and a big enough compressor, it's hard to beat some of the air hammer designs out there. I would estimate that running flat out I'm getting about 120 beats a minute.
wow great hammer, im definitely gunna have to build me one of those.
you have to have worked with 5160 to appreciate how fast that hammer works it, if i started with stock that thick it would take me hours to flatten it with my sledge hammer and anvil here you did it in minutes! i need a power hammer...
I would love to see how you made it
Do you have a way to make your power hammer stop in the UP position consistently? I saw it happen a few times, but gravity makes it stop in the DOWN position more often than not.
Do you have detailed pictures of your drive system, turnbuckle arm, and the arm accross the top?
Very nice hamner machine 🤖, but you didn't tell us about clutch and electrical work, thank you so much for vedio
I go over the construction in another video.
Thanks for posting this awesome video. Would you recommend purchasing the plans for the rusty hammer or just wing it? I'm wanting to build one around 50lbs for knife making.
I've seen the plans, and honestly you would do just as well perusing RUclips and the Internet looking at the various guided helve hammers people have built. The dimensions are going to vary depending on how big you build it and what scrap materials you have on hand. I would highly recommend a tire clutch if you build one, but there are changes I'd make to other aspects of Gunnhilda if I were starting over. The die holders and the ram guide, in particular. The ram guide needs some means of adjusting the tolerance to minimize slop.
Thank you for the reply I am wanting it for Damascus steel. My elbow and shoulder joints are calling for it.
I want one!!! Excellent video!
Let me know when the home next-door is for sale. :P
Great tools. Excellent video.
Cheers
yep impressive . doing it by hand takes a lot longer . wish there was a way i could fit and build one in my small garage .
This is on the upper end size-wise for homebrewed guided helve hammers. Do a Google search for "Rusty power hammer" and you'll find the one that helped inspire mine. It has a ram weight of 15 pounds and doesn't stand as tall as the smith using it. That's one of the advantages to this design in my opinion: it can be adapted to a variety of sizes.
what do you call the guide , that the vertical hammer shaft goes through ?
which the steel material that you used on the head of this hammer?
Brutal man , very impressive
The camera isn't accurately showing the temperature. It looks hotter in the forge than it was and cooler at the end of forging than it was. The hammer's also a lot louder than it sounds like in the video. :)
any chance of getting some still pics of your power hammer
Thanks for the video James
I never saw the need for a power hammer, but I'd never seen one in action.
Now I'm going to pretend that I don't see the need for one, since I can't have one.
DAMN!! WHAT A HAMMER!! Can you say "Ouch that hurts!"?
i built mine just like this i have a few questions is there any way i may contact you?
and you are already on cutlery how long? courses of you too? which country you reside in, did my first course here in Brazil, very good to make friends in the outside world
Been making knives on a hobby level since my late teens, and full-time for the last several years. I'm in the U.S. I never did take any classes on making knives other than a five hour class with Tai Goo on making integral socket handles.
I'm going to walk on their land day 22-04, where is your workshop?
That hammer is the boss!
Jim, I just ran across your video. Great! In the comments below your video, you mention that you might be posting information on your hand made power hammer. Did you post something, and if so, can you tell me how to find it? Thank you.
Bob Walsh
wow! now thats power!
Look at my next video. It's a look at the power hammer's design. Very simple design, which is a major reason I used it.
I want to be your Neighbor also.. That thing is a Beast. I could watch this all day.. But I cant since I have a Jizzob.... That was Cool to watch.. No Offense it was Funny watching you pound on that Steel right after doing it with the Machine. It looked like you were barely Tapping it
i think that corners on the hammer make it look dangerous.
is that a 100lb head on your power hammer?
Approximately, not including the weight of the die. It started out at 88 pounds, and when I changed to the die-holding setup it has now, it added about 10 pounds.
Thanks for the info
were you on forged by fire
Yep, Season 4, Episode 3: The Katzbalger.
I bet you could weld nice w that thing!
Best Credits Ever!!
;-))
Jim, I found your power hammer video by typing "Gunnhilda" into the browser window. Very interesting. Thank you. In your power hammer video, you say the anvil in a power hammer should weigh ten times the ram weight. Your hammer sure seems to work well in the video above. Why do you feel your 600 pound anvil is insufficient? Thanks again. Bob Walsh
With less than a 10:1 ratio, you're losing power in making the anvil bounce around. Even with a 1 1/2" or so thick base plate and 600 pound anvil, it still is flexing at every hit and losing some of the power. It does fine for the work I do, but it could do better.
This was struck home with some 100 lb student anvils and hand hammering. Even at that weight, forging with a 3 lb hammer, there was a lot of energy lost in bouncing the anvil around on the stand when it was just sitting loose. I added some angle iron and screwed it down to the base, and suddenly there was a lot more hot steel moving at each hit, and it was a lot quieter too.
Jim, Thanks again.
Bob
killer, i had to sub!
if you keep upsetting the nose of the blade you hand forging it will not grow and when you taper the blade , t will grow only as long as you want it to . steel that is at forging tempt is like Bread dough , you have to work it . more work than a P hammer ,
It must be tough being Gods gift to this world.?
what is funny is I just stated something that is true , and you come at me like a idiot all I did was state a fact , man you have a lot to learn little Boy ,
Robert F. Gaff Y'all play nicely.
Don, you may be right about controlling the growth of the length. I stand by what I said in the video that forging with the offset fuller dies stretches the steel in one direction more than in the other. That's basic blacksmithing. I can't tell from your comment whether you're disparaging the use of a power hammer, and don't really care whether you are or not.
ok that's my ignorance , you were talking fuller Dies and P Hammer and I was talking hand hammer when i said upsetting the nose area or the point area beating it back and folding it in I hand work 52100E 1" and to get , the depth of what I want I have to upset the 1" Rod , and work it back into its self . so I accept the fat that my ears weren't that clean when I watched that flick ,, Be safe , and happy hammering .
voy a construir uno.
What can I say? I just live recklessly.
that bitch is badass!!
now taper you rang
can't thank you enough just got my hammer running just like yours a 130lbs ram and 5 horse I will be positing something on RUclips if you would like to see it just get with me to send you a phone video
L