Salem Straub
Cast Iron
- Joined
- May 22, 2012
- Location
- WA, USA
This is the sequel to my 2016 thread, Steam hammer wanted.
It took me four years, in which time I acquired and overhauled a nice big 300 lb Beaudry mechanical power hammer... but I finally got one.
I actually nearly bought this hammer in 2013 but the deal fell through at the time. Well, it came back available a few months ago so I sold my small hammer, a Little Giant 50 lb, to fund an upgrade.
I finally got all my ducks in a row and went to haul it home, three days ago.
I drove 250 miles across the Cascades from Tonasket, WA to Tacoma, in my 1988 diesel F350 pulling a trailer I converted to flatbed from a travel trailer... two mountain passes and some mounting apprehension later I rolled up to the welding shop it was at.
An hour and some creative forklifting later, the hammer frame, anvil, and sow block, as well as a 120 gallon air storage tank, a 25 hp rotary screw compressor, and some foundation timbers had been loaded onto my truck and trailer amid looks of misgiving from all concerned, and exclamations about the weight...
The shop crew vanished and I was left to bind the load. Chains, straps and cleats ensued until I rolled slowly out. I had a daunting journey ahead and it was increasingly clear that my worn auto transmission would perhaps fail entirely on the way back.
After spending the night at my brother's place not far away, I headed up the pass yesterday morning... lucked out on a parts store along the route and bought some Lucas Trasmission Fix, heavy thick transmission fluid to help me limp along. It helped a lot.
I spent a couple of hours pulling in first gear up snoqualmie pass on I-90 to the top of the Cascades... the sun rose on a beautiful day as I crested the top, and I knew at that moment that I could indeed make it home with a little more luck.
Another steep mountain pass and seven more hours of driving later, and I pulled into my driveway and up to the shop, parked, and looked in my truck mirror... my hair had gone snow white during the drive.
OK, that's an exaggeration but you get the idea- blessed relief to have succeeded. And, today it snowed over a foot on the passes, and quite a lot here as well...
So now, I have a steam hammer that will actually run on the large compressor that was part of the deal! It's a 250 lb. Niles Bement Pond, on the small side as far as steamies go, but just right for my shop. I'll be working on it over the winter and hopefully pouring it a foundation block right after the spring thaw.
Check it out!
It took me four years, in which time I acquired and overhauled a nice big 300 lb Beaudry mechanical power hammer... but I finally got one.
I actually nearly bought this hammer in 2013 but the deal fell through at the time. Well, it came back available a few months ago so I sold my small hammer, a Little Giant 50 lb, to fund an upgrade.
I finally got all my ducks in a row and went to haul it home, three days ago.
I drove 250 miles across the Cascades from Tonasket, WA to Tacoma, in my 1988 diesel F350 pulling a trailer I converted to flatbed from a travel trailer... two mountain passes and some mounting apprehension later I rolled up to the welding shop it was at.
An hour and some creative forklifting later, the hammer frame, anvil, and sow block, as well as a 120 gallon air storage tank, a 25 hp rotary screw compressor, and some foundation timbers had been loaded onto my truck and trailer amid looks of misgiving from all concerned, and exclamations about the weight...
The shop crew vanished and I was left to bind the load. Chains, straps and cleats ensued until I rolled slowly out. I had a daunting journey ahead and it was increasingly clear that my worn auto transmission would perhaps fail entirely on the way back.
After spending the night at my brother's place not far away, I headed up the pass yesterday morning... lucked out on a parts store along the route and bought some Lucas Trasmission Fix, heavy thick transmission fluid to help me limp along. It helped a lot.
I spent a couple of hours pulling in first gear up snoqualmie pass on I-90 to the top of the Cascades... the sun rose on a beautiful day as I crested the top, and I knew at that moment that I could indeed make it home with a little more luck.
Another steep mountain pass and seven more hours of driving later, and I pulled into my driveway and up to the shop, parked, and looked in my truck mirror... my hair had gone snow white during the drive.
OK, that's an exaggeration but you get the idea- blessed relief to have succeeded. And, today it snowed over a foot on the passes, and quite a lot here as well...
So now, I have a steam hammer that will actually run on the large compressor that was part of the deal! It's a 250 lb. Niles Bement Pond, on the small side as far as steamies go, but just right for my shop. I'll be working on it over the winter and hopefully pouring it a foundation block right after the spring thaw.
Check it out!