The Metal Artist Forum

This treadle hammer has been given away to a local Alabama blacksmith. Thank you for inquiring.

[attachment=12445] [attachment=12446]

Nice job on it could you send me the plans for it at stevereishus@yahoo.com please

---

It looks simple to build then I can drive my neighbors nuts lols

(01-04-2010 07:45 AM)Spears Wrote: [ -> ]This is a treadle hammer I constructed incorporating an anvil-on-stand underneath the hammer. The treadle hammer works well for certain operations in forging. Due to the construction of my air hammer, I no longer wish to keep this. I would like to keep my anvil with it's stand and give this hammer attachment away for free. The hammer could be fabricated to a post or block of one's choice with a little bit of work. If someone would want the entire thing with the anvil and stand I would have to have $600 to replace my anvil. Otherwise its for free! Thank you for reading my ad. Spears.

[Shock]Wow....Spears...........mighty generous of you to offer a treadle hammer(that only needs an anvil) for FREE. You should have a looooooooong LINE forming outside your door. Can't imagine you having any trouble finding it a new home....considering all the Alabama smiths. A treadle hammer is an invaluable tool in any shop, IMO. Even one with multiple power hammers. Especially any one man shop. Even though you've built a power hammer....hope you don't miss this treadle hammer when it's gone.

Anyone in the area.........if you pass this opportunity up..............you'll regret it.

The treadle hammer was constructed from plans that can be obtained from the following link: http://www.spaco.org/trdlhamr.htm.

I mailed a $5 check to Pete Stanaitis and using those plans as a guide you can build a treadle hammer that can practically shake planet earth. I altered the plans to my liking for the height of one of my anvils and using structural steel I had lying around. This treadle hammer isn't quite the magnitude of the one in the plans and it can take 3/4" square down to 1/4" thick in excess of an inch long in one heat easily. Not too bad for ~60lbs coming down on 135 lbs anvil. It was mainly used to make flats along round rod for twisting. I just don't do enough of the type of work in my artwork the treadle is really useful for. If I could strike 3 - 4 times a second with this thing, I wouldn't need the air hammer I'm constructing. Like anything else I get rid of, there will probably be that one or two times a year where I kick myself for not keeping it.

PLEASE.... don't take offense, Spears. But if that was all you were using that treadle hammer for..........you BARELY, and I mean barely..... scratched the surface of it's potential. Equivalent to using a computer for just "email", IMO.
I can understand your approach......when I first saw one.........there was no way that I "needed" that.....I had the powerhammer. Not until I got to see someone that really knew how to get the most of the tool....(George Dixon was the first or many, Clay Spencer has to be the "wizard" with one) did I have the "Aha......lightbulb" moment. The list of uses and potential.....is vast. Now.........I wouldn't have a shop without one. I find new ways to use it all the time. I just made some tooling that "drops" into the bottom hardy hole to make "Jack" handles for working hot glass...
[attachment=12447]

I first saw an example of this tooling being used with a Fly Press(another incredibly versatile tool).....but since I don't have a fly press, YET, I just went ahead and adapted it to work with my treadle hammer.

so......guess what I'm sayin.........the powerhammer won't take the place of a treadle hammer. There is a place for both in most shops. I wish I was closer......I'd take that puppy off you in a heatbeat. MATTER of fact.........if you don't get a taker SOON.....I may have to make an excuse to come see ya . LOL

I'd hang on to it. I'm building the power hammer but at some point still plan to build a treadle hammer. The guy I took lessons from has both and says he uses both regularly.

(01-04-2010 11:22 AM)Tony Mertens Wrote: [ -> ]I'd hang on to it. I'm building the power hammer but at some point still plan to build a treadle hammer. The guy I took lessons from has both and says he uses both regularly.

fwiw, Tony. When you get ready to build your treadle hammer.....I'd suggest making the "modified" version. Much more versatile, IMO. The ability to not only change the height of the head......but to "plug" in.......a ton of different top and bottom tooling....makes it more versatile than is apparent or imaginable.

Hello everyone,

I didn't mean to discredit this tool with an air hammer build. I just do certain welded metal and forged artwork that doesn't call for the use of this tool in its wide range. Blacksmithing is a percentage of what I do for my art hobby. Yes, it is completely correct to say I haven't used this tool to it's potential. With it's capabilities and few limitations, I feel it would be better suited for the folks who are a bit deeper into Blacksmithing than I am. Since it does need some fabricating to bring it up to a proper anvil arrangement, I would be fine to pass it on at this point. I have a hydraulic press and a few things to get me by for a while. I believe the work someone does with this in the future will out weigh any regrets I may have concerning the donation. Thank you for your comments. Spears.

Spears......don't think the TH will feel discredited at all....and I KNOW that the new owner will be forever grateful. I wish I lived closer.......I'd have been there this afternoon and taken it off your hands. Your a gentleman and a scholar.....the blacksmithing community needs more folks like you. I hope some "up and coming" blacksmith, that otherwise couldn't afford or build one.....gets this......it will really benefit someone.
Pleasure to know ya...as a side note.....if you post a notice on the Alabama Forge Council site(http://www.alaforge.org).....I know you'll find a home for it local. Might even be a local chapter meeting site that could really benefit from having it....just another thought. That way MANY could benefit. I've done that with FABA sites.

Man, I wish I lived closer. I can understand your thinking.

Bill - if I ever get around to building it I'll contact you for ideas. I had figured on doing something to be able to mount different tooling. I also have a different design in mind where the hammer goes straight up and down but if I lived closer to Alabama....