Steam hammer video from Library of Congress

[Doc Shipley]

A friend just pointed me at this:

[youtube]p-7bz7bmDg4[/youtube]

 

[Matthew Gregory]

Amazing! Incredible how quickly the steel moves... how much do you think the ram on that weighs? Possibly measured in city blocks!

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Those brooms probably did not live very long.

 

[Doc Shipley]

I was sort of wondering who has that anvil, and if I could talk them out of it....

 

[Sam Salvati]

Doc, hate to break it to you but that anvil is probably still there, but under the foundation of the building that was probably built over that old forge Plus, based on the size of the ram, and the ratio of ram to anvil commonly used on old hammers, if that's say around a 10 ton hammer, with the 20:1 ratio the anvil weighs 200 tons!

Matt, that's wrought iron they are working, IIRC they are building up a drive shaft or anchor from smaller wrought billets using a method called "piling"

 

[Doc Shipley]

Doc, hate to break it to you but that anvil is probably still there, but under the foundation of the building that was probably built over that old forge

Ever watch the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons?

Ah say, Ah say, "It wuz a JOKE, son!"

 

[Sam Salvati]

If you liked that one here is a bit more in depth to chain making and anchor making:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_LA_R4ifYk

 

[Sam Salvati]

Ever watch the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons?

Ah say, Ah say, "It wuz a JOKE, son!"

I read that, and in my mind it was spoken in your voice

 

[Doc Shipley]

Ever watch the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons?

Ah say, Ah say, "It wuz a JOKE, son!"

I read that, and in my mind it was spoken in your voice

Hahahahahaa!

That anchor & chain clip is impressive, to say the least. Hey, did you notice the sledges? (There's a good shot at 7:20) They look like the Japanese style cutler hammers.