Question to Power Hammer Owners

D

Dennis Paish

Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
302
Greetings.
Recently I purchased an excellent shape 50# Canadian Giant Power hammer that has been rebuilt.

Picture located here:
http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u...mer-Email1.jpg

Unfortunately it did not come with any dies. I am in the process of finishing (thanks Jim) my 50 ton press, rolling mill and forge soon. My best guess that I will someday learn to forge knives on the Power Hammer as I would primary use the press and rolling mill for Damascus.

QUESTION: What dies are most common of forging knives. I guess there are 5 choices....

1. Drawing
2. Flat
3. combo Flat and Drawings
4. Drawing Die on top and flat die on the bottom
5. Modified Flat dies

Your advise is welcome.

Dennis
 
Not a power hammer guy (yet) but I just wanted to step in and say CONGRATULATIONS! on the new hammer, and other great hot work toys you will be using soon. That was all.
 
Don't have a power hammer either but would be very interested in seeing pictures of your rolling mill build if you get a chance. That is next on my list. Thanks!
 
I have flat dies on my 100lb, and drawing dies on my 25 lb hammer. I use the flat dies to make damascus, and the drawing dies to forge blades to shape.
 
I like something in-between flat and drawing and use them for everything. Start with flat dies and take a little off the face across the front and back, leaving a 1" +/- flat across the middle. Think very slight drawing die. Then round off all the edges and corners real good. I make damascus and forge blades to shape on these dies, got em on two 100 lb LGs and a 25 lb. Love em!
 
I don't own one but spent a whole long day in the shop with Matt Lamey and Charlie Edmonson.... with dies like Don described Matt and Charlie did minimal hand hammering..... me, ummmm I flattened some steel, well kinda flattened it. :barf: I know it's nice to draw tangs out with :D

I suffer from severe hammer envy :(
 
I mostly draw with a press and planish with the hammer ... so it's flat dies on the hammer for me.
 
Last edited:
i thought I had posted on this but it has disappeared. What I would do is get a set of flat dies, radius the edges, and put a very slight crown on the faces. Basically a very slight drawing die is what you will end up with.

Another factor often over looked is getting the dies true to one another. Take your time and properly shim them so they are coming down perpendicular and the crowns are hitting evenly. This will save you alot of hand hammer work when you drop that choil down, and forge the bevels in etc.... Plus its a huge help if you are going to forge integrals.
 
I have a set of combo dies on a 25lb Little Giant. It works for me. I have used dies like Don has said on a 100lb hammer. I liked that also but on a 25lb I think the more aggressive drawing dies would be better. "IMOP"
 
the only issue ive had with the smaller hammers like this and combo dies is that neither surface is large enough to do what I want. I think alot of this is what you have and what you get used to using.
 
RMLamey said:
i thought I had posted on this but it has disappeared. What I would do is get a set of flat dies, radius the edges, and put a very slight crown on the faces. Basically a very slight drawing die is what you will end up with.

Another factor often over looked is getting the dies true to one another. Take your time and properly shim them so they are coming down perpendicular and the crowns are hitting evenly. This will save you alot of hand hammer work when you drop that choil down, and forge the bevels in etc.... Plus its a huge help if you are going to forge integrals.
Click to expand...

Yep Matt, matching dies that line up top to bottom is very important when forging blades to shape and a must when forging bevels.
 
hi Don, im surprised at how many folks have otherwise decent set up power hammers only to have the dies coming down catty-wampus, hence me posting on that topic.

Dennis, if you get time post up some more pics of that Canadian Giant.
 
I shaped mine with Don's advice.
I have a 50# LG.
Flat running down the middle with some taper going off the front and back.
Guess we could call that the "modified flat".
Works great for every aspect of hammer work. I especially like it for forging blades!
 
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