After years of cold forming sheet metal by beating on it with a 40 oz. ball-peen hammer into a sand bag, my arms needed a rest. ■
My friend Rick in Seattle had a Pullmax P9 that was a fantastic do-damn-near-anything machine. But it had a sign on the motor/gearbox that said "BANG HEAD HERE". After trying it out, the first thing on my wish list was a tool with work visibility, which is how this ended up with the work on one end and power on the other. ■ The second thing on my list was that I wanted it to be quiet, as did my neighbors. It would push instead of hit. Better yet, having a versatile 5HP hydraulic pump in the shop would just be waiting for me to build the log splitter and the shop hoist and 4' press brake and on and on. ■
I looked for used hydraulic tools that could be modified but couldn't find anything with a deep enough (20") throat. I'd had a fair amount of experience with control systems and relay logic and had a collection of that era electrical hardware and so the tool was destined for anachronistic relay logic control. I would now build it with a PLC and a sound generator to make the relay clicking noises that I apparently so enjoy. ■
Its speed in auto mode is adjustable and was first set at what I thought was a slow 1.5 seconds per cycle but it turns out that besides thinking about my fingers I need to plan every stroke. In open/close manual mode its speed is foot pedal controlled. My fingers are fine and I seldom need anything faster. It is good at stretching and planishing but I am still shrinking on the anvil. ■
Calling it a hydraulic hammer is a bit of a misnomer as it pushes instead of hammers but I liked the alliteration. I think it looks like what machines used to look like, and I am only sorry I didn't tool up for building it with cast iron. ■
design criteria: 8000 PSI to push a ¾" dia. dimple into 11 GA. SS ■
Jon's Holmgren's Pratt & Whitney 3B jig boring machine drilling the tool mount ■
Bench testing relay logic and evolving the ladder diagram ■
The tool looks pre-OSHA and is certainly not idiot proof. It has no guards at its pinch points or interlock protections although I don't know where they would be to do any good. ■
After years of cold forming sheet metal by beating on it with a 40 oz. ball-peen hammer into a sand bag, my arms needed a rest. ■
My friend Rick in Seattle had a Pullmax P9 that was a fantastic do-damn-near-anything machine. But it had a sign on the motor/gearbox that said "BANG HEAD HERE". After trying it out, the first thing on my wish list was a tool with work visibility, which is how this ended up with the work on one end and power on the other. ■ The second thing on my list was that I wanted it to be quiet, as did my neighbors. It would push instead of hit. Better yet, having a versatile 5HP hydraulic pump in the shop would just be waiting for me to build the log splitter and the shop hoist and 4' press brake and on and on. ■ I looked for used hydraulic tools that could be modified but couldn't find anything with a deep enough (20") throat. I'd had a fair amount of experience with control systems and relay logic and had a collection of that era electrical hardware and so the tool was destined for anachronistic relay logic control. I would now build it with a PLC and a sound generator to make the relay clicking noises that I apparently so enjoy. ■
Its speed in auto mode is adjustable and was first set at what I thought was a slow 1.5 seconds per cycle but it turns out that besides thinking about my fingers I need to plan every stroke. In open/close manual mode its speed is foot pedal controlled. My fingers are fine and I seldom need anything faster. It is good at stretching and planishing but I am still shrinking on the anvil. ■ Calling it a hydraulic hammer is a bit of a misnomer as it pushes instead of hammers but I liked the alliteration. I think it looks like what machines used to look like, and I am only sorry I didn't tool up for building it with cast iron. ■
design criteria: 8000 PSI to push a ¾" dia. dimple into 11 GA. SS ■
Jon's Holmgren's Pratt & Whitney 3B jig boring machine drilling the tool mount ■
Bench testing relay logic and evolving the ladder diagram ■
The tool looks pre-OSHA and is certainly not idiot proof. It has no guards at its pinch points or interlock protections although I don't know where they would be to do any good. ■