I have just completed the revisions to the Grasshopper Treadle Hammer plans. These incorporate all previous changes, which were principally to the kick-back mechanism (for those of you familiar with the machine).
These new plans come with a slight price increase, the first in a decade: $27 postpaid (by media mail) in the USA. The website currently does not reflect the price increase (I'm having some trouble dealing with the website host.), and the price on the website will not be honored.
These plans are now being sold via ebay, both domestically and overseas. You should be able to find them at:
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For those of you who remember the first introduction of the Grasshopper, the major changes have been in the kick-back mechanism which provides the return force to raise the ram for the next blow. (In most treadle hammers, there's no need for such a mechanism because the springs constantly lift the ram - fighting your leg in the process. But in the Grasshopper, the ram is weightless - balanced by the springs throughout its stroke, so an extra spring force, engaging at the bottom of the stroke only, is needed to return the ram.) In the original plans, this mechanism used a crank turning a threaded rod to adjust a bell crank which in turn pressed against the main spring cables to add the needed spring force. ALL of that is gone now, a very simple mechanism (chain, pulley, spring, and cable) to accomplish the same end AND without a separate adjustment. Now, when you adjust the treadle height to accommodate work of different heights, the kick-back is automatically adjusted to suit.
I'd be happy to answer any questions. For prompt replies, post over theForge (which I monitor more than this group) or email me directly at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com.