Thread: Wortley Top Forge (2): Forging Machines

Massey steam hammer. Note that the front is clearly identified. It’d be a pest to have installed it only to find that the handles were on the wrong side.

This is an appetizer for the next batch of photographs. I’m keen to air more pictures without the delay which comes with writing words.

For the background, see:-

Wortley Top Forge (1)

Massed massive Masseys from Manchester.

I don't recall who made this one:-






F H Stacey’s patent, Sheffield


Davy Bros., Sheffield, 1907.

I wonder how much steam one of these would consume? Would a massive boiler be needed ? (Psi and lbs/hr)

Could they be motivated by compressed air for display purposes?

John,

The hammer would no doubt work with air, but wouldn’t produce as much force with air instead of steam at the same pressure. To use these big hammers they’d need a massive foundation, and I can’t see them being moved from where they stand!

Moving to an indoors forge:-


200 lb Bradley hammer from Syracuse. This was used by William Ridgeway of Sheffield for flattening augers before they were twisted.


A very old hammer. Not sure how much is original. The stone base certainly is, and was found in a wood. It probably used a tree branch for a spring originally.


Spring or Goff hammer used in cutlery making.


Greenwood & Batley (Leeds) upset forging machine.

Originally Posted by SouthBendModel34

I wonder how much steam one of these would consume? Would a massive boiler be needed ? (Psi and lbs/hr)

Could they be motivated by compressed air for display purposes?

Would takes lots of air... The drop hammer I was trying to buy out of our facility used a 4" feed line to a 24" id cylinder with a 36" stroke.

Rule of thumb for air is 20 cfm per 100 lb.s of falling weight at 90 or 100 psi on forging hammers I'm not sure if it would be the same for the drop hammers.

Asquith,

Does the old hammer with the stone base shown in post #4 have any power assistance, or does it rely purely on the strength of the blacksmith's leg?

franco

Franco,

Yes, just foot power. Presumably the aim of the spring was just to raise the hammer for the next blow, but perhaps in practice it helped stablish a sort of pendulum rhythm which aided the process.


Now here’s a nice compact tilt hammer:-



Used at the works of James Dixon, silversmiths, for re-flattening serving trays after distortion resulting from soldering on the galleries. Tilt hammer, tin trays? Not a job for someone nursing a hangover.

Those big hammers would make great backyard ornaments! I saw a smaller one in a workshop in NZ some time ago, but they are rare here.

The tinsmith hammer is cute, and something I could probably handle. Some modern metalshapers have made helve hammers using air drills and leaf springs to drive the helve.