I am pleased to announce that the final plans for the Grasshopper Treadle Hammer are now available.
The Grasshopper Treadle Hammer has a weightless, vertical-motion ram with a 34-inch stroke. The anvil is free of obstructions in all directions, including 22" above.
The return stroke is provided by a small " kickback"spring which only stretches at the end of the ram stroke (where it is least perceptible to the user). In other words, your leg doesn't have to work to stretch the springs.
The treadle is adjustable to allow for different tooling heights, and the point at which the kickback cuts in is adjusted automatically with the treadle adjustment. Hence, there is only one adjustment needed while hammering, and that is made quickly and easily from the front of the machine - so quickly, in fact, that it can be done during a heat.
The only other routine adjustment of the treadle hammer comes when changing top tools. A weight set is employed to compensate for the weight of the top tool. Weights of equal mass to the top tool are removed from the ram tube, keeping the ram in balance with the springs.
The plans consist of 100 engineering drawings and twenty pages of assembly and adjustment instructions, including stock list, parts lists and recommended tools and machines. The great detail of these drawings makes the construction and assembly of the machine fairly simple.
My website has not yet been updated to reflect recent design changes, but there is considerable background information at that site:
In the USA ONLY, the price for the plans is $25, postpaid. Send your money ordercbor heck (US$ drawn on a US bank) to: Bruce Freeman
222 Laurel Place Neptune, NJ 07753There are three problems selling out of the country: The higher cost of postage, customs problems, and payment. Customs I think I can handle. Postage we can figure out. But I have had no success coming up with a means of payment. (No, PayPal doesn't work. They want a direct line to my bank account. Fat chance I'll agree to that!)
Bruce Freeman