Come along as I figure out how to put new dies on the 50lb Little Giant trip hammer. firecreekforge.com / firecreekforge #littlegianthammer #powerhammer #blacksmithing
The joys of owning your own shop. My dad made cement (marcite) steps as a side business when I was younger amd he a,ways had to have molds, gallons of acid, tools and pigments. Plus he worked a grueling job finishing pools before he came home and did that. Every time something broke or he had to replace it, I think a part of his soul died. He eventually stopped doing it, but I know that made him even sadder.
My 50# LG was made in 1904 and the Keys are double tapered.Tapered along the X and the Y axis.. They were several early years that were like that.. My dies wouldnt stay correctly until I fit them with dykem and hand filing. It was a pain and took hours but now mine stay put.. I know what a pain ill fitting keys/dies are..Great vid..Thanks
I had a 1892 Bradford lathe for a few years and that thing was a beast. Old tools can be a pain to do work on but they will last forever if you take care of them.
I think u made a good choice with the combination dies, they should work better for bladesmithing than just flat dies 👍 you’ll have to forge an axe head or something out of the old dies!
I've had similar issues with my 25# little giant, top die receiver isn't parallel to the bottom one, had to modify my freshly face milled dies for it to work properly. The keys also aren't quite large enough so they travel too far in side and out the other. Enjoying the shop related content as opposed to the strictly knife making. Keep up the good work
It sucks when you have to modify brand new things so they work. I've been their and done that. You're cussing a lot less (at least on camera) than I would have. Respect for your endurance.
It always sucks when you get into something that should be straight forward, but then there always ends up being that one thing that mucks it all up making it take way longer than it really should. Seems every time I work on my vehicle or something there's always that one bolt that turns a 15 minute job into an 8 hour extravaganza and comedy of errors. Like, thanks Murphy for inviting yourself to the party. haha
That looks like a REALLY early little giant. I have never seen one with the ribbed frame. The early 50s had weird dovetails. You can fit keys and dies with a grinder, and if you don’t have fresh machined dovetails it’s about the only way to get a proper fit. There are good instructions on the company website. Look for “ fitting die keys” in the menu. The little giant company had a nasty habit of changing things every few years.
yea some of the real early 50 pounders had double tapered keys. I had to hand file and check fit with dykam and it took me hours to finally get them fitted.
@@FireCreekForge awesome I’m going to check it out later on today! It was very fascinating watching you figure out those new dies. I love everything you do. I can’t wait to see the first project with the new dies!
Just shows the quality of things made in yesteryear, built to last. I’m sure you’ll get many more productive years out of the old girl yet despite her age, and save your joints into the bargain. Regards from Down Under.
I wouldn’t use those dies the angles and sizes are to far off. You can crack your hammer or sow block. Spoke to soon I guess you could of bought a mill for the price of the dies. I have a couple milk crates of dies or I seen some flat ones on eBay
The joys of owning your own shop. My dad made cement (marcite) steps as a side business when I was younger amd he a,ways had to have molds, gallons of acid, tools and pigments. Plus he worked a grueling job finishing pools before he came home and did that. Every time something broke or he had to replace it, I think a part of his soul died. He eventually stopped doing it, but I know that made him even sadder.
My 50# LG was made in 1904 and the Keys are double tapered.Tapered along the X and the Y axis.. They were several early years that were like that.. My dies wouldnt stay correctly until I fit them with dykem and hand filing. It was a pain and took hours but now mine stay put.. I know what a pain ill fitting keys/dies are..Great vid..Thanks
I completely thought the hammer was going to hit the camera when removing the old dies.😂
I had a 1892 Bradford lathe for a few years and that thing was a beast. Old tools can be a pain to do work on but they will last forever if you take care of them.
That's cool
Great job! Having an antique Little Giant is on my bucket list.
Thanks for watching and commenting, you won🏆inbox the above name on Telegram to redeem your Prize. 🎁
Crazy how different those new dies sound! Excited for a full video of them working z.
great work around there MacGyver... :)
I think u made a good choice with the combination dies, they should work better for bladesmithing than just flat dies 👍 you’ll have to forge an axe head or something out of the old dies!
Thanks man
I've had similar issues with my 25# little giant, top die receiver isn't parallel to the bottom one, had to modify my freshly face milled dies for it to work properly. The keys also aren't quite large enough so they travel too far in side and out the other. Enjoying the shop related content as opposed to the strictly knife making. Keep up the good work
Way to adapt and overcome!
It sucks when you have to modify brand new things so they work. I've been their and done that. You're cussing a lot less (at least on camera) than I would have. Respect for your endurance.
It always sucks when you get into something that should be straight forward, but then there always ends up being that one thing that mucks it all up making it take way longer than it really should. Seems every time I work on my vehicle or something there's always that one bolt that turns a 15 minute job into an 8 hour extravaganza and comedy of errors. Like, thanks Murphy for inviting yourself to the party. haha
It does look like you are getting better hits out of it.
Qitters never win, and winners never quit.... you win!
That looks like a REALLY early little giant. I have never seen one with the ribbed frame. The early 50s had weird dovetails. You can fit keys and dies with a grinder, and if you don’t have fresh machined dovetails it’s about the only way to get a proper fit. There are good instructions on the company website. Look for “ fitting die keys” in the menu. The little giant company had a nasty habit of changing things every few years.
yea the early 50 pounders had double tapered keys. I had to hand file and check fit with dykam and it took me hours to finally get them fitted.
yea some of the real early 50 pounders had double tapered keys. I had to hand file and check fit with dykam and it took me hours to finally get them fitted.
This one is a 1927, old style but not super early..
I think the long key goes in the bottom
So I have a question… What is the first video you uploaded with the power hammer after you purchased it? I’d love to watch that one! 🙂
I have a video called first knife on the power hammer..
@@FireCreekForge awesome I’m going to check it out later on today! It was very fascinating watching you figure out those new dies. I love everything you do. I can’t wait to see the first project with the new dies!
Just shows the quality of things made in yesteryear, built to last. I’m sure you’ll get many more productive years out of the old girl yet despite her age, and save your joints into the bargain. Regards from Down Under.
Thank you sir
Not gonna lie. I thought the thumbnail said “CRACKHEAD” 😂🤦🏻♂️
Try driving a shim in from both sides and have then overlap each other.
@@text-5721 Your welcome.
Where did you buy the dies from
The new dies came from Little Giant, they're online
Where did you get the dies?
From the Little Giant company
It certainly sounds better, before when you were hammering something sounded loose, at least to me.
Doesn't fit like any dovetails I have or seen?
Might want to check looks like you've been hacked
Scammers have been using my channel logo and posting comments, it is a pain for sure.. I try to report and block as many as I can
I wouldn’t use those dies the angles and sizes are to far off. You can crack your hammer or sow block. Spoke to soon I guess you could of bought a mill for the price of the dies. I have a couple milk crates of dies or I seen some flat ones on eBay
First one again man😅😅 am i getting this razor when we hit 100K 😅😅
where can i buy one of those little giants that size . without over paying , and also getting something that is a un useable machine.
Facebook marketplace seems to be the place
thanks.