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I tried to post a picture but it didn't work. I'll try some more.
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Looking for Fairbanks hammer operating manual...
- Thread starter Mike Krall
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Dan, how do you copy the danged IMG code for a picture from Photobucket and insert it in a reply here? How much of it do you copy?
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All of it. Copy the entire image code and then click on the button to post an image (in the BF post window). Then just paste the entire IMG Code into the little window. Voila!
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Great looking hammer Mike!!! :thumbup: 
I really like the design of the Fairbanks. There's a local smith with a 75# and it's his favorite hammer. That turns out to be a pretty big deal when you see he has about 35 hammers!!!!
Everything from about 12 LG 25#'s, up to a couple of Wolf air hammers and even a Nazel 2b.
That's some stiff competition for a favorite!
And Dan... that stuff Mike said is just fancy talk to say he didn't feel like cleaning the WHOLE thing!
I really like the design of the Fairbanks. There's a local smith with a 75# and it's his favorite hammer. That turns out to be a pretty big deal when you see he has about 35 hammers!!!!
Everything from about 12 LG 25#'s, up to a couple of Wolf air hammers and even a Nazel 2b.That's some stiff competition for a favorite!
And Dan... that stuff Mike said is just fancy talk to say he didn't feel like cleaning the WHOLE thing!
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It is a really sweet hammer, Nick. It's been a long, long road to this point. The pics are a little older than the progress. It's all together and I've turned it. Had to fuss with setting stuff for awhile and now it's a matter of getting the belt right. The hammer isn't picking up as it should... I need more belt width and maybe more motor pulley diameter to get the grace in hammer bpm Fairbanks are known for.
Ah, history... I, among few, have a hammer with it's history intact (nearly so, at least). Another upside is not having to mentally accomodate the "new car gets old blues"... more time and focus for those things in life that have lasting impact... =]
Mike
PS ~ There were other considerations in this hammer rebuild. A person had to look at the reality of the shop. Totally cleaning, priming, and painting the hammer would have been like putting a white leather wrap-around couch in a shanty town shack. Given "Betty" lives in a refurbed chicken coop her attire fits the decor quite well... =]
Ah, history... I, among few, have a hammer with it's history intact (nearly so, at least). Another upside is not having to mentally accomodate the "new car gets old blues"... more time and focus for those things in life that have lasting impact... =]
Mike
PS ~ There were other considerations in this hammer rebuild. A person had to look at the reality of the shop. Totally cleaning, priming, and painting the hammer would have been like putting a white leather wrap-around couch in a shanty town shack. Given "Betty" lives in a refurbed chicken coop her attire fits the decor quite well... =]
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HaHa, I totally understand Mike. 
I actually would like my LG's to be bathed in oil and happily dirty, but being nearly in the center of my very clean and organized shop makes it hard to let that be. In the next shop, they'll have a cozy corner where they can be dripping in Power Punch, filthy and guilt free!
It's a little ironic that there are hammers with a better design like the Fairbanks and Beaudry (over LG's) but without the popularity of LG's you sure don't have the easy access to parts and info. Us LG owners having Sid around to answer questions and get us parts is such a wonderful thing.
As per history, I agree.... I REALLY lucked out and got a complete history on both of my hammers, right back to the original owners. I wish there was a way to make them talk!!!
I actually would like my LG's to be bathed in oil and happily dirty, but being nearly in the center of my very clean and organized shop makes it hard to let that be. In the next shop, they'll have a cozy corner where they can be dripping in Power Punch, filthy and guilt free! It's a little ironic that there are hammers with a better design like the Fairbanks and Beaudry (over LG's) but without the popularity of LG's you sure don't have the easy access to parts and info. Us LG owners having Sid around to answer questions and get us parts is such a wonderful thing.
As per history, I agree.... I REALLY lucked out and got a complete history on both of my hammers, right back to the original owners. I wish there was a way to make them talk!!!
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One man's patina is another man's grease.
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Another long day on the hammer.
Every single part has been removed from the hammer, degreased, bead blasted and/or wire brushed with an angle grinder. The hammer is clean. I need to qualify that a little. The anvil has not been removed. I just can't get the anvil to budge. I lifted on it with a cherry picker until I was lifting the hammer up a little, and it still would not break free. I used a large pry bar and a porta power spreader attachment, and it wouldn't budge. I admit defeat on that one. So, my hammer has not been completely disassembled. I will forever be a liar when I tell people I took it all the way apart - and after all this work, I am definitely going to tell people I took it all the way apart.
The only useful information to report today is that the anvil has a thicker wall on the left side than the right side. I would estimate that the wall on the left side is about 3 inches thick, and the wall on the right side is about 2 inches. The anvil seems to be solid on the top and then get hollow toward the middle.
I have a bunch of pictures loaded on Photobucket to share with you guys, but I am too darned dumb to get it done. I will try some more. I will also try to remember to lay out all of the parts for a "group photo" tomorrow.
Every single part has been removed from the hammer, degreased, bead blasted and/or wire brushed with an angle grinder. The hammer is clean. I need to qualify that a little. The anvil has not been removed. I just can't get the anvil to budge. I lifted on it with a cherry picker until I was lifting the hammer up a little, and it still would not break free. I used a large pry bar and a porta power spreader attachment, and it wouldn't budge. I admit defeat on that one. So, my hammer has not been completely disassembled. I will forever be a liar when I tell people I took it all the way apart - and after all this work, I am definitely going to tell people I took it all the way apart.
The only useful information to report today is that the anvil has a thicker wall on the left side than the right side. I would estimate that the wall on the left side is about 3 inches thick, and the wall on the right side is about 2 inches. The anvil seems to be solid on the top and then get hollow toward the middle.
I have a bunch of pictures loaded on Photobucket to share with you guys, but I am too darned dumb to get it done. I will try some more. I will also try to remember to lay out all of the parts for a "group photo" tomorrow.
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Guys, I am trying to post photos. Does this one work?
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Is this size better?
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Trying a third size.
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Birdog mentioned Roger Smith. Here is his Fairbanks pictures I got from the ForgeMagic site where Robert posted them publicly... a 100# if I'm remembering what Bruce told me. There are some interesting ideas here.
If anyone can figure out how his home built treadle works, I'd like to hear it.
This is the link to all of Roger Smith's photos on Forge Magic... he seems to be a pretty busy fellow... no other hammer shots there http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgview.php?by='R.Smith'
Mike
If anyone can figure out how his home built treadle works, I'd like to hear it.
This is the link to all of Roger Smith's photos on Forge Magic... he seems to be a pretty busy fellow... no other hammer shots there http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgview.php?by='R.Smith'
Mike
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Robert,
That anvil ought to come... ours has a fair amount of free space between it and the frame with the only anvil/frame contact being vertically at the back. Do you see space at the front and sides of the anvil/base juncture? If the anvil is seated to the frame well and proper, there should be no space there. Might be, if there doesn't seem to be any space at anvil/base (like it's full of history), and if you get hard headed enough, you could cut the anvil free by hand with a hacksaw blade... Oh, I suppose a sawsall would do it, too. A hacksaw blade would be a lot quieter, have less suprizes and give you more time to think about the meaning of it all... =]
Thanks for starting the pictures... I especially like the whole hammer shot... be sure to save back some money to get yerself a white leather wrap around couch for hammer-use viewing once that honey is up and running... it'll fit right in with the decor... =]
Mike
That anvil ought to come... ours has a fair amount of free space between it and the frame with the only anvil/frame contact being vertically at the back. Do you see space at the front and sides of the anvil/base juncture? If the anvil is seated to the frame well and proper, there should be no space there. Might be, if there doesn't seem to be any space at anvil/base (like it's full of history), and if you get hard headed enough, you could cut the anvil free by hand with a hacksaw blade... Oh, I suppose a sawsall would do it, too. A hacksaw blade would be a lot quieter, have less suprizes and give you more time to think about the meaning of it all... =]
Thanks for starting the pictures... I especially like the whole hammer shot... be sure to save back some money to get yerself a white leather wrap around couch for hammer-use viewing once that honey is up and running... it'll fit right in with the decor... =]
Mike
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Robert,
I should tell you, the laminated plywood motor mount doesn't work without a piece of steel between the mount and plywood... mount bolts pull the motor base into the wood. And the feet on the jackshaft mount (not a motor mount like Dan's) are only at the top... you can sort of see them in one of the pics of our hammer.
Mike
I should tell you, the laminated plywood motor mount doesn't work without a piece of steel between the mount and plywood... mount bolts pull the motor base into the wood. And the feet on the jackshaft mount (not a motor mount like Dan's) are only at the top... you can sort of see them in one of the pics of our hammer.
Mike
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You're dern tootin the thread title is misleading. I never bothered to check it...until I noticed it kept growing. So I thought I better check it out because there must be something else going on beside just talking about a manual. Fascinating, just absolutely fascinating.
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OK Guys, get ready for the photo tour of one worn out Fairbanks 75# Model B being reborn. I will start with views of the complete hammer for use as reference and comparison in case mine had anything different on it than yours.
Here is the back with the motor held in place as previously mounted, without a support bar that went diagonally from bottom of frame to motor.
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Here is the motor held in place, again without the diagonal support brace. I later was told that they had placed a large wedge up against the hammer on the top of the mount to tilt it down and take up this slack!
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Here is a side view of the hammer, after I have used the needle scaler to remove the paint from the bottom. Notice the paint line at about the electrical box.
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Here is front view after needle scaling.
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Back view after needle scaling (paint removal).
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Side view after complete paint removal and electrical box gone.
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Well, that's enough for now. I have some more of the complete hammer, I believe, and I will try to upload them. After that, I will start showing you the pieces.
Here is the back with the motor held in place as previously mounted, without a support bar that went diagonally from bottom of frame to motor.
Here is the motor held in place, again without the diagonal support brace. I later was told that they had placed a large wedge up against the hammer on the top of the mount to tilt it down and take up this slack!
Here is a side view of the hammer, after I have used the needle scaler to remove the paint from the bottom. Notice the paint line at about the electrical box.
Here is front view after needle scaling.
Back view after needle scaling (paint removal).
Side view after complete paint removal and electrical box gone.
Well, that's enough for now. I have some more of the complete hammer, I believe, and I will try to upload them. After that, I will start showing you the pieces.
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- 162
Bruce, I almost forgot, I haven't named the hammer yet, and I have no idea why you called yours "Big Greenie!" Sunglasses may be needed around there.
Mike, that anvil block is in there. I have space in the front, and I dug the "history" out of there down to metal, but the sides and back are pretty tight. I never thought about a Sawzall, but that may be the deal. It just seems that somehow it is mechanically fastened still, but I sure don't know how. I would like to get it out.
Mike, that anvil block is in there. I have space in the front, and I dug the "history" out of there down to metal, but the sides and back are pretty tight. I never thought about a Sawzall, but that may be the deal. It just seems that somehow it is mechanically fastened still, but I sure don't know how. I would like to get it out.