Little Giant Power Hammer Help...

[HarlequinKnives]

Hey guys,
I finally picked up my first power hammer, a 50lb little giant last week. I got a smoking deal on it that I just couldnt pass up. I found a nice 3hp baldor motor to run it along with a double groove pulley for 2-belt etc. What I wanted to get some help with was mounting the motor. I have seen the kit that is sold for mounting the motor on the frame and wanted to try to make my own. What im an a little unsure of is what to use for mounting points on the frame. I see alot using the spring bolt for the peddle being used to attach a support arm, but short of that bolt I dont have any other holes/bolts on the frame to go off of like I have seen on other machines. Im extremely nervous to drill into it and would rather avoid that. I have seen some people mount the motor on the wall next to the machine with a hinged shelf so the weight of the motor keeps the belt tight, or building a stand next to the frame to support the motor. Im just unsure on how to mount the actual steel to the frame the motor attached to. I have attached a few pics of my hammer to help get a visual. Im getting there with finishing sealing and painting (its not finished in the pictures), and i want to have it all done and running this weekend so i figured I would ask for advice before mounting the motor this weekend. Thanks again!

Stripping off years of grease and build up took me days!!!


Prime and sealing


Painted angle 1


Painted angle 2

 

[bubba-san]

very nice job . I had a chance to buy 25lb a few months ago and it was in too bad of shape . you did a stand up job on that one . I would be proud.....

 

[HarlequinKnives]

Thanks so much, it was sitting in a barn in upstate new york not being used, I could not believe how hard it was to get the mix of grease and black dust mixture off of it. It literally took about 3-days and a couple big bottles of degreaser and a scraper, you can see the piles coming off in the picture. I didnt find out till about a day into it that it was actually painted green! lol so anyway, yes I have it looking nice, now that the motor is here i need to get her running.

 

[Doug Lester]

Are you thinking about putting a shield in from of that spring just in case it breaks and comes flying at you?

Doug

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

That hammer is what's known as a "line shaft" model (the pulley is located between the bearing journals, and was built to be run off a line shaft)

I owned both a 25 and 50lb hammer for years of that type. I replaced the rear journal bearing bolts with longer versions, and built a motor mount that attached to those two bolts. I also had a "tension rod" with a turnbuckle in it. and hooked to the back of the motor mount, with the other end anchored to the treadle pivot (for keeping the motor level and the belt tension tight)
Here's the best pic I have of the setup:

I ran both hammers with that type of motor configuration for nearly 20 years, before I made the move to an Air Hammer, selling the Little Giants to pay for the Air Hammer.
About the only drawback is that you must lift the main shaft out of the bearings to put on the V-belts...but after the first time, I would always "hang" an extra set of belts over the rear frame when I had the shaft off.

I am with Doug on installing a shield..... DO NOT use that hammer unless you have a shield in place! When (not if) the spring on a Little Giant breaks, it most often breaks into three pieces.....on goes down left, one down right, and a shard the size of a quarter will shoot straight out, right along a path that corresponds to where a user's face would be. I personally feel a "screen" of expanded metal IS NOT good enough....the shield needs to be solid to prevent shards from maiming the user.

 

[HarlequinKnives]

Thanks Ed for the awesome response! I really appreciate you taking the time to give such detail for me. This hammer is something new To me in aspect of working on it. I've used one a few times but this is my first time owning one and beige responsible for it. I'm glad you guys (Doug and Ed both) mentioned the cage because I've had a few discussions about putting one on since I've been warned about the spring going. I definitely was planning on putting one on, though if I'm being honest with myself it would have been hard not to try it out without one. But Ed your comment really got it home with me to get it one BEFORE using it. Even once. And from what I've see. I probably would have done more of a cage without your comment to.

Now as far as the motor mount, I came out to look at it compared to your picture and description and I understand what you were describing. Now I do have the original motor, pulley, and belt, which the belt is extremely long and wide, as wel as the pulley. But after talking to Sid at little giant he recommended getting the 3hp if I was going to get a new motor which I did. And run the double pulley/belts. Should I continue with that route, or try to mount the existing wide pulley on the new motor and use the existing belt? Which would avoid needing to pull the shaft etc. I could just wall mount the motor and use the wide pulley. So I guess what I'm asking is there significant improvement with the double pulley and belts? Ok last question (sorry for all these) if the answer zis the latter with new belt and pulleys. Is there anything particular I should know or do when pulling and rej stalking the bearings and shaft?

Thanks again for all the help!!!

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

Although you can shorten those large flat belts, they don't work nearly as well as the dual V-belts like in the pic I posted. One of the 25lb Little Giants I had (I've had about 7 different 25lbers over the years), came with the motor, which already had a flat belt pulley on it......I spent the money to get the flat belt shortened....thinking it would work great, but I could never get to stay on the motor pulley...as soon as I started "working" the hammer, the belt would slip, and jump off the motor pulley. I fought with it for a few weeks, thinking I would make it work one way or the other.....but finally went with the double V-belt pulley on the motor, and it was pretty much trouble free from then on. Keeping in mind that I ran those hammers 4-5 days a week, for 6-8 hours a day, one set of V-belts would last me about 3 to 3 1/2 years. No doubt it's a pain to put the first set of V-belts on, but for me the benefits were worth the extra effort.

 

[HarlequinKnives]

Ed thank you so much for all of the help, I was able to make the motor mount with your help this weekend, so thats one major hurtle down. That way I was able to measure for my belts and get those ordered today. Im going to work on the shield over this week while I waiting on parts. The picture you posted certainly helped, and drove it home having it be solid. So hopefully by this weekend Ill be able to have it all ready to use. Ill post pics as I get there with the machine. Thanks again!