Need help with my Power Hammer

Bruce Evans

Bruce Evans

Joined
Sep 26, 1999
Messages
4,486
I have been working on my power hammer all day today.It has been setting up and not run for 5 years and I have had it for 2 of those myself.The problem is that now that I have everything freed up and running I can't keep the belt on the pully when I engage the hammer.It tracks fine and sraight when just running on idol.When I step on the cluch it stays on fine until I make it hit hard then the belt tracks off the pully.I have a 2 inch wide flat belt on it.
Any advise would be helpful.
I have the motor mounted on a stand beside the hammer also......
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
I'm assuming its a Little Giant, and that the motor is lined up correctly with the main shaft............
If it's one of the models that has wooden clutch blocks, it sounds as if there is too much travel in the fly wheel. Meaning that there is to much travel fore and aft. Take a look at the clutch blocks. If they are not barely touching at idle, then you might want to try to shim them up. The "spider" that holds the blocks has slotted bolt holes(the holes that go through the clutch blocks) for this purpose. If the machine has the old tapered cone type clutch, that used a brake lining type material, you may have to re-line it. Also look for any parts that may be very worn. I had a hammer once that did the same thing, and could not correct it until I oversized the bolts that held down the main bearing jounal caps, to control all the slop. Let us know how it goes.

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com

[This message has been edited by Ed Caffrey (edited 01-14-2001).]
 
It has the wood blocks and it does have allot of travel in the drum.I will try to adjust this tomorrow,What do you use for shim stock behind the blocks if that is what is needed.
The bar that you step on has a stop on it when you step on it and it was bent down so the clutch wouldnt engage so I bent it up some and I might have bent it to far so I will try rebending it some and see if this helps....
Thanks Ed,
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
Bruce.......
Shims can be any very thin metal stock. When you loosen the clutch block bolts, run the shime underneath the wood clutch block itself. Between the wood and the metal "cradle" that holds it. I cut the foot peddle bar (the bar that leads from the foot pedal to the clutch fork) and welded a turn buckle into it. Before that I had two speeds, wide open, and shut off. Now it has infinate adjustment within the hammer's running range.

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com
 
Thanks Ed,I may try that also.I have another question also,There is old oil that is gummy inside of the drum and the blocks where not grabbing at first but after I worked it and the rest of the clutch loosened up the wood started to grab and make the head run,Do I need to get in there with something and clean that out ?
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
I forgot to tell you that it is a 50 pound Little Giant and I found out that it is a 1927 model....
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
Bruce,
It might sound funny, but I took two cans of oven cleaner and soaked my hammer down! Cleaned out all the old gunk and grim. For the gummy clutch area, spray it down real heavy with WD-40, and then take some rags and wipe as much of the gunk outta the fly wheel, and off the clutch blocks.
Once everything is all cleaned up, use chainsaw bar oil to lube your machine. Especially the clutch block/fly wheel mating surface.

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com
 
Bruce, My 50 lb. hammer had been converted to a different style belt. It was simple, the pulley on the motor had 4 grooves instead of the flat belt kind. It was a 4 in one belt. I put a new motor on it and could only buy a 3 groove pully. I just cut off one of the v on the belt and it still worked fine. The flat pulley on the hammer is left the same, there is plenty of surface area with the 3 v belt and does not slip. I also wonder if there is some worn bushings in the main shaft? Mine had new babbits and grease jerks installed. Bruce
 
I do know that it was running when it was purchased 5 years ago and it didnt have any slop then but then again that was 5 years of just sitting around so I will start checking everything and see what I can figure out.It will probably be tomorrow before I get to work on it again.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
Well I had everything tracking great and it was running great and the belt wasnt slipping at all.I went back a couple of hours later and it started the slipping again and the belt was loose.I have decided that I should get rid of the wood I put under the motor and replace it with a steel plate that won't give like the wood is doing.I figured this out by squeezing the belt and watched the wood give almost a 1/2 inch.
Chuck is going to come up Sunday and bring the tools that he still has from working at a saw mill,He used to work on the saws and delt with the flat belts so maybe he can get it straightened out for me.
I can't wait for it to get running,I feel like a kid with a new toy.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
Chuck came up last week and we got it running.It seems that I wasnt getting the belt tight enough and I put some belt dressing on the belt and now it has been run twice this week and still no problems with the belt running off.It is just to cool having it running,It makes the hammering process allot easier now.
Thanks for all the help here.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
I cant believe what you are accomplishing without the power hammer. I am looking forward to seeing more since the little giant is up and running. Bruce
 
Thanks Bruce,I guess that it is the same as not having the best of the grinders and equipment.You just have to learn to do it the hard way and work up to the easy way.Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
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