New (to me) power hammer

D

deker

Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Messages
3,496
So, a lot of folks were watching the EBay auction of that whole blacksmith shop a while back. Well, a friend of mine contacted the winning bidder who apparently didn't want everything in the shop. My buddy bought the screw press, and I got the power hammer :)

I wasn't able to go on the road trip to pick stuff up due to work, but loading day was today and I managed to con this friend of mine into picking up the hammer since he'd be there anyways getting his screw press.

I got a brief visitation with the hammer after he got home this evening. It's a 30# Kerrihard power hammer. We were both amazed at the size of it...it's TINY. Can't be more than 4 1/2' tall. He got to see it run before it was loaded and he said "it hits like an angry man with a 3lb sledge". No powerhouse, but it sure will keep me from getting tired at around 200-230 strokes/minute :)

It's moving bits are all a bit sloppy (original babbitt bearings wore out so somebody put zerks on it and just started greasing the hell out of it). It runs fine, but will eventually need to be torn down and have either new babbitt bearings poured in or I may just ream it and put in bronze bearings.

Here's a pic:

kerrihard_1.GIF


If there was a "cute" category for power hammers, this would lead the pack. It looks like it has a lot of adjustments that can be made, so I'm sure I'll have fun figuring it all out. Now I just need to figure out getting it home...

More pics next time I get down there...I forgot the camera today...

-d
 
The Kerrihard has got to be one of the sexiest hamer made. Congrats :D I bid on one late last year at an auction 20lb or so. Pretty beat up I quit at what I thought was reasonable. :D
 
Sweany said:
The Kerrihard has got to be one of the sexiest hamer made. Congrats :D I bid on one late last year at an auction 20lb or so. Pretty beat up I quit at what I thought was reasonable. :D
Click to expand...

It must've been a 30#...I can't imagine anything smaller than this :D You'll see what I mean when I get pictures with something for scale alongside of it. I'm going to have to build a base under it just to get it to a reasonable working height!

Man I can't wait to get it home and unloaded!

-d
 
Kerrihards are nice little hammers, and that one may be able to do in an hour what would take us a day to do. :) I have worked on a couple in the past, and if you keep the bearings good, there is litle maintenance needed. I would, however, build a cage around the arms and spring. Like a little giant, that coil spring is under a great ammount of pressue, and if it were to break, those pieces could come straight at your head.

congrats, and good luck with the hammer

Ken Nelson
 
IronWolf said:
Kerrihards are nice little hammers, and that one may be able to do in an hour what would take us a day to do. :) I have worked on a couple in the past, and if you keep the bearings good, there is litle maintenance needed. I would, however, build a cage around the arms and spring. Like a little giant, that coil spring is under a great ammount of pressue, and if it were to break, those pieces could come straight at your head.

congrats, and good luck with the hammer
Click to expand...

You're the second person to suggest that I build a guard of some kind over the spring. I'll have to do something "blacksmithy" that fits the feel of the hammer I think. As for the bearings, they're all shot already, so I'll likely have to either re-pour babbitt at some point, or have some bronze bearings made up.

I'm figuring on using it a bit while I figure out how much work (and downtime) it'll be to clean it up, rebabbitt it (since that will be the cheaper option), and get it back on track. I imagine I'll have to re-turn the shaft as well given the rattletrap nature of it currently (another reason to use babbitt for bearings).

Do you happen to know where I can find any info on the various adjustments? Also, has anybody here ever paid attention to where the two castings meet? It looks like there may have been a babbitt "cushion" there that is gone now on this one which apparently makes it rock a little bit (I haven't seen it run yet...it was still in the back of a truck last night).

Thanks!

-d
 
You may want to try the book "the little giant power hammer" by Kern, I don't think it has any specifics for the Kerihard, it has information on pouring babbit, and some information that should translate well for tuning in the hammer.
Also, Sid Sudemier is a wealth of information about powerhammers in general. I believe he has bought the patterns for the little giants.
 
Nice score on the hammer ! Thanks for the post I'll be keeping my eye out for one of those.No one bothered to warn you about that big shop,Its like buying a bigger tacklebox you'll just keep buying stuff till its full.
that hammer makes this thing look like a sewing machine :D
smallhamer2.jpg
 
valimas said:
Nice score on the hammer ! Thanks for the post I'll be keeping my eye out for one of those.No one bothered to warn you about that big shop,Its like buying a bigger tacklebox you'll just keep buying stuff till its full.
that hammer makes this thing look like a sewing machine :D
Click to expand...

Is that a rivet setter or snap setter or something? Sure looks like it. (It actually has me thinking "old school Bedazzler" :p )

Honestly, this hammer isn't that big. Somebody on another forum gave me the folowing info:

Doug Freunds "A Blacksmith's & Hamerman's Emporium" has about 7pages on the
old style Kerrihard. No parts list but these specs;

30-Pound Size
Height............ 55"
Floor space..... 18" x32"
Anvil height .....31"
Drive wheel......11"
Dies upper........1 7/16"x 4"
lower.........2 1/2'x 4"
Speed...............250 to 285
Forges stock......1 1/2 or 2"
One horse power req.
Weight...............700lbs
Click to expand...

Even compared to a 25# Little Giant this thing is tiny. The good bit is that all of that seems to add up to "knifemaker's hammer" in my mind :D

-d
 
Congrats on the new addition. I hope to hear more if/when you come to the CBKC meeting this Monday.

Larry
 
deker said:
Is that a rivet setter or snap setter or something? Sure looks like it. (It actually has me thinking "old school Bedazzler" :p )
-d
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what that is it was listed on ebay as a small powerhammer.I just thought it was cute so i saved the pic.
you still have a dirt floor in your shop? you might be able to make a concrete footing for it to sit at a better working height.put some heavy rubber in between the hammer and the footing.I think i saw that tip on ABANA's shop page.
 
Decker, congradulations on your score buddy!! I also have one of those, but it's still at Sid's place. I'm trying to con him into bringing it down on his next ttrip to Texas. Sid all buy gave it to me, and it needs a restoration, but I'll enjoy that. Now I'm looking for a helve type hammer. (I think I collect trip hammers, but don't mean to, so far I only have 7) I figure it's part of my retirement fund :o)
 
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