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Rebuilt 25# Canadian Little Giant

Crosche

Super User
After more money and time than I care to think about this 25# Little Giant power hammer is back to work. The addition of the brake on the flywheel is a real perk as it gives the smith a lot more control of the ram and eliminates the infamous double tap these machines are known for.
 

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DavidR8

Scrap maker
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Thanks! It's not a museum quality restoration, but it works well.

How is the brake treating you? Make anything with it?
It's getting cleaned up as it's pretty gunky. Need to figure out where to mount it because as you know, hoisting that sucker around is not an every day activity!
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Nice! Got any more details available?

I have a 25 pound Winnipeg/Jardine that I inherited from a friend.

Oh yeah, get a darn Grenade screen in front of the spring! I'd bet they were about equal, in between taking out the operators teeth, and sending shrapnel into the operators face! maybe lean towards the shrapnel, as not 'too' many guys got tossed around by a 25 pounder!
 

Crosche

Super User
Nice! Got any more details available?

I have a 25 pound Winnipeg/Jardine that I inherited from a friend.

Oh yeah, get a darn Grenade screen in front of the spring! I'd bet they were about equal, in between taking out the operators teeth, and sending shrapnel into the operators face! maybe lean towards the shrapnel, as not 'too' many guys got tossed around by a 25 pounder!
You are right, it would be very foolhardy to operate the hammer without a barrier between you and the spring. I took the picture with the shield off to show the rework that was needed to get the hammer running again. Essentially, I had to replace the pitman link and the toggle arms and links. The pitman pin on the flywheel needed to be modified (broke my heart). I refurbished the ram by boring out the pin holes in the lugs and welding in bushings. One of the lugs was in such bad condition that I cut it off and welded on a new one. The motor and motor mount was replaced and a start switch was added. Then once the hammer was running I realized that the hammer dies were so badly worn that it was impossible to time the hammer, so I machined new dies from 4140 and "heat treated" them. Beyond that, I added a strap brake around the fly wheel for fine control and I added an extension to the treadle so that I don't have to balance on one foot while trying to control the hammer & a hot piece of steel :)

The new hammer dies were a interesting project and I want to make some more of them. Should you be in need of those I am happy to share any info I have.
 

trevj

Ultra Member
You are right, it would be very foolhardy to operate the hammer without a barrier between you and the spring. I took the picture with the shield off to show the rework that was needed to get the hammer running again. Essentially, I had to replace the pitman link and the toggle arms and links. The pitman pin on the flywheel needed to be modified (broke my heart). I refurbished the ram by boring out the pin holes in the lugs and welding in bushings. One of the lugs was in such bad condition that I cut it off and welded on a new one. The motor and motor mount was replaced and a start switch was added. Then once the hammer was running I realized that the hammer dies were so badly worn that it was impossible to time the hammer, so I machined new dies from 4140 and "heat treated" them. Beyond that, I added a strap brake around the fly wheel for fine control and I added an extension to the treadle so that I don't have to balance on one foot while trying to control the hammer & a hot piece of steel :)

The new hammer dies were a interesting project and I want to make some more of them. Should you be in need of those I am happy to share any info I have.
Thanks for the offer, the gent that gave me the hammer I have, had a couple new draw dies, a spare spring, and a couple other spare parts already with it. I rounded up a 2HP motor to use, and have others if that proves too small.
I like that two piece die design! A good way to deal with a die socket that has been wallowed out!

If you (or anyone else) didn't know, a Jardine Hammer was built in Winnipeg under license from Little Giant. Same, but the name.

I was at a CanIron some (lots) years ago, at North Battleford SK, and there was a lot of talk at that time of a professional smith who had some pretty serious injuries from taking a piece of 3 inch stock in the face, with a mistimed shot with a bigger power hammer. Lots of reconstruction of his upper and lower jaws, loss of teeth and the like. It's a thing.

I remember seeing a safety poster, a picture of a Beaver, squashed under a fallen tree, that said "Just because you have been doing it your whole life, does not mean you cannot still be hurt!"
 

Doggggboy

Ultra Member
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