Little Giant in Nebraska

Karl B. Andersen

Karl B. Andersen

Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Messages
5,699
I took my 50# over to Little Giant to have her re-built.
Sid Suedmeier is a top flight guy and great to deal with. And, his daughter, Keri, is a peach, truly knows her way around the shop and around hammers, and I'm sure he couldn't get along without her!
Here's a few photos of his place. that's my green "Sweet Pea" hangin' from the fork lift. There's a bunch of hammers awaiting re-pair, the shop, etc.


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Now in this last one, pay special attention! (I wish I had known this info when taking the picture, I would have done a better job!)
The small 25# on the left is the FIRST! hammer ever sold by Little Giant in 1895!! There is another one to the right, slightly facing us with the clutch assembly removed, but it is the LAST! 25# ever made and sold by Little Giant!
Now, see that gray one? That's a 100#-er. Not only is it the LAST 100# hammer made by Little Giant in 1984, but, it is just now completely assemebled!! It is BRAND NEW! Never used!
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Cool place to hang out for a few hours.!
 
A veritable museum!!! Does Sid ever sell any rebuilt hammers?
 
Is it just me, or does everyone have a power hammer BUT me? =) Still looking for a mechanical power hammer 25-50lbs in my area =P

Thanks for sharing the pics =) I love looking at pieces of blacksmithing history
 
jdm61 said:
A veritable museum!!! Does Sid ever sell any rebuilt hammers?
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Joe, selling rebuilt hammers is a big part of their business. They sell lots of parts also.

Karl, Sid, Marry and Keri are good friends of ours and super people. Sid and Marry have spent a few days at my shop making damascus. I've been to their shop a couple times and own a Sid built 25, I've also bought a number of parts for my 100. One of those NEW 100 lbs frames outside has my name on it :D

Great photos Karl, thanks for sharing.
 
Justin, it's just you. Better get one quick :D

BTW Sid will have the first and last 'Little Giants' (and other hammers) at the BAM conference next May 08, here in Missouri. I will be a demonstrator in the 'Little Giant' area, which will be geared towards damascus and blade forging. This may turn into a large event.
 
Don Hanson III said:
Joe, selling rebuilt hammers is a big part of their business. They sell lots of parts also.

Karl, Sid, Marry and Keri are good friends of ours and super people. Sid and Marry have spent a few days at my shop making damascus. I've been to their shop a couple times and own a Sid built 25, I've also bought a number of parts for my 100. One of those NEW 100 lbs frames outside has my name on it :D

Great photos Karl, thanks for sharing.
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What does a 50 lb rebuilt hammer usually cost, Don? I figure if you only have one, that it probably the one to have.
 
Don Hanson III said:
Joe, I believe a rebuilt 50 (which is beter than they were new) is around $4500.

Here's a link the their site. http://www.littlegianthammer.com/
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Hmmm....that is a fair bit more than some of the used ones tha I have seen but that is still about 1500 less than those 88 lb Chinese air hammers. I have seen 50's used for 300, but you would eventually eat that up easily and then some with just the round trip shipping and a simple repair/rehab with Little Giant:D
 
jdm61 said:
Hmmm....that is a fair bit more than some of the used ones tha I have seen but that is still about 1500 less than those 88 lb Chinese air hammers. I have seen 50's used for 300, but you would eventually eat that up easily and then some with just the round trip shipping and a simple repair/rehab with Little Giant:D
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If a US company started making Little Giant style hammers today, they would cost around 5 times what Sid charges and probably not work as good.

I've used most of the air hammers and would rather have my Little Giants:D If I were to get an Air Hammer, it would be one of Tom Clark's 110 pounders.

I rebuilt a couple LGs and started to get very involved with them. Sid once asked me, "do you want to rebuild hammers or make knives". I really would rather make knives than rebuild or make equipment, so I buy tools and build knives :D

I hope to see ya there, Karl :thumbup:
 
Wow I enjoyed the pictures Karl. Sid's and Marry have been to my shop also. One of these days I need to go up there, to get my LG 500#'er. It was outside amoungst the other frames and so on. Oh, ok, it's not really mine, but I have a 25, 50, 100, and 250, and would love to have a 500!!!
Tracy, get busy!
 
That is wonderful,that they have the first and last of the 25's. It is nice to know they are still around.

Even though I love the 100lb. Kane&Son air hammer that I bought new in 02
I wouldn't baulk at sitting a Little Giant next to her. :thumbup:

Fred
Thanks for sharing:thumbup:
 
I know that the LG's are old fashioned and not exactly up to modern safety standards as they came from the factory and they don't do the clamping thing like the Phoenix air hammers, but to seems to me that there at least one or two fewer things that can go wrong on a mechanical hammer as compared to an air hammer and for somone like me who has no mechanical inclination, that can be important:D
 
jdm61 said:
I know that the LG's are old fashioned and not exactly up to modern safety standards as they came from the factory and they don't do the clamping thing like the Phoenix air hammers, but to seems to me that there at least one or two fewer things that can go wrong on a mechanical hammer as compared to an air hammer and for somone like me who has no mechanical inclination, that can be important:D
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I wouldn't say there are more things that can go wrong, on an air hammer!

Different things, maybe. A mechanical hammer has many more moving parts

than an air hammer. An air hammer consist of a hammer attached to a two

way cylinder. Other than the activating switch, and the cylinder, there are

no moving parts. I believe; buying the best cylinder you can afford is were

to put your money in an air hammer.

The Big Blue hammer has great control, The cost for this one was 4500,

that was in 02.

Fred

ahq.jpg
 
Awesome, thanks Karl-


I have been in contact with Sid and his daughter and they are great people. I'm almost tempted to just send my 50# to him... but then again I think it would be an extremely satisfying project to rebuild it myself.

Luckily there are only a few minor tweaks needed on my 100#

That 500# sitting outside is a beast!!! It makes the 50 and 100's sitting around it look like babies! :eek:

I've got the Little Giant book, but I didn't realize they made 100# ers right up to the 80's. Crazy.

Thanks for the pics!!! :D
 
Nick, after seeing what Sid does to them, I wouldn't even attempt to rebuild one myself.
When I go to pick it up, except for the motor, it'll be better than new!
My 50# is numer 7303 and they only made 7363 up till they closed their doors in '84.
 
Fred.Rowe said:
I wouldn't say there are more things that can go wrong, on an air hammer!

Different things, maybe. A mechanical hammer has many more moving parts

than an air hammer. An air hammer consist of a hammer attached to a two

way cylinder. Other than the activating switch, and the cylinder, there are

no moving parts. I believe; buying the best cylinder you can afford is were

to put your money in an air hammer.

The Big Blue hammer has great control, The cost for this one was 4500,

that was in 02.

Fred

ahq.jpg
Click to expand...
Very nice.......but as my Grandfather used to say "things have gone up since the war" And I'm sure that even in '02, the $4500 did not in include the price of that rather LARGE air compressor that I see in the background:D
 
Well, depending on the air hammer, there's the air compressor. I had a Blu for a while, but my compressor really struggled to get the thing to work good.
With the Clark air hammer, the air compressor is internal, comes with the machine.
 
I've had the compressor for quit a while and did not have to purchase it as part of the air hammer set up. It would have altered my choice if I had not already had it as part of my shop equipment.
It's a real beast and will operate at the 120 psi that the Big Blue machine requires.
What ever your approach and what ever the type of hammer, it is, that you buy, it's a major outlay of dollars.
Fred
Kayne and Son does not make this hammer anymore. I think they may have sold the design to someone else.
 
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