Stopped by that old forge in Colonial Williamsburg and noticed something

I visited Colonial Williamsburg last weekend and watched their blacksmith demo for like 20 minutes. What caught my eye was how they were using a water-powered trip hammer for drawing out stock, not any modern power hammer. Has anyone here tried building a water-driven setup for their own shop?

3 comments

3 Comments

shaneb168d ago

Man that's awesome, I tried building a little water hammer off an old mill wheel design and it was a total pain but so worth it when it finally worked... the vibration alone almost shook my shed apart before I got it bolted down right.

hugo_schmidt8d ago

Yeah I actually messed around with a water hammer setup in my shed a few years back. The key thing is you need a real steady water source, not just a trickle. I used a 12 foot overshot wheel from some old plans I found online, but the bearing setup was a pain. Had to weld up a frame from scrap railroad track to stop the vibration from shaking everything apart. If you're thinking about it, I'd say start with a smaller tilt hammer first, like a 50 pound head, and work up from there once you figure out the water flow and gearing.

mark_thomas8d ago

Actually the part people overlook is the hammer head material itself. Most folks go straight to cast iron or steel, but I had way better luck with a forged head made from an old truck axle. The ring changes when you strike with a softer metal, you get less bounce back and more energy transfer into the work. Also that railroad track frame is smart, but you want to bolt it down on a concrete pad with rubber pads underneath. Otherwise the whole setup walks across your floor after a few hours of running. Had a buddy lose a wall when his hammer got to wobbling and took out a support beam.