I have designed a stainless steel landmark sculpture of a Steam Hammer. Dimensions are 40ft ht, x 38ft w, 16ft d , wt 30 tons.
It is sited in Openshaw Manchester, on the former B&S Massey Steam Hammer Works. Engineer Sir James Whitworth also established his engineering facility nearby. The area is world renowned for heavy engineering firsts, skills, and great innovation. Steam hammers were pre-eminent in the UK, invented by James Nasmyth, his works were also situated nearby. R. Erskine
I worked at smith armstrong forging. this was and everyday experiance.i once saw a man walk into hot tongs and burn his stomach. it never bled, just sinnched it very hard work
probably not very many , people were a hell of a lot tougher back then. today someone would get burnd by a single spark and sue or just collect workmans comp. Bunch a gaddam pussies if u ask meh.
Its all very different now. A 3 to 4 man crew. The metal is handled by Electro/Hydraulic railbound manipulators, controlled by computer programs operated by the forge press operator
The furnaceman monitors the computer controlled rotary furnaces. Third man operates the forlift/ manual manipulator to bring work and to take it out.
To see a modern forge press in action is impressive. Great Respect to these men and those like them.
The powder being thrown is Boracic Acid (Borax). It acts as a flux and both helps slip off scale and allows the steel to be maeable through a greater range of tempreture (as it cools) without cracking from the impacts.
all i can say is that these guys must have been absoloutely fearless.
i have tremendous resepct for them and their skill. it is worth remebering that highly skilled men like this were not paid very much and their life was comparable to slavery. people in londons "financial sector" should be shown this everday before they work, then decide if they deserve their multi million pound bonus'.
It looks like the guy in the hat & white shirt could be the COD , He is checking the marking out of the cutters the other men are putting on top of the bar overseeing the work really, rest of the team or SET, as they were called are the muscle , he does not have to he's the boss.
I did not notice that till you spotted it, It could be some form sand based material , it's to stop the scale ( loose shell) from sticking to the metal, thats why the bottom tool/anvil is swept on each turn of the bar, so it does not get hammered back in to the the steel causing a imperfections in the finished product.
I worked on a steam hammer much like this in Sheffield in the early 70s, it looks like a 5 ton hammer, The driver would be operating the motion of the blows at the side of one of the hammer legs, Interesting , The top man was refered to as the COD, This was taken in 1904
since then Manipulaters replaced the chain method, & a back leverman also made a little easier to move such large Blooms of steel, Its all about balance & levers, But still bloody hard work. I dont miss it !
I worked in a forge on a steam hammer in the 60s+70s the method used was the same as shown in the film. Scorched eyebrows and far more serious injurys were common place.Thank the lord it closed down.
Amazing. Sheer muscle to rotate it. Seemed to be going off square towards the end. The two men clearing the hammer anvil of scale were feeling the tremendous heat. Top video.
A fellow walks out of the room at 2:29 with his foot and leg on fire, but doesn't seem to realize it yet.
bikermann42 2 months ago
thems was the days of men
bandito468 1 year ago
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nawindsor 1 year ago
!904 is quite old for a film, I think the first was around 1897.
hbdavew 1 year ago
where was it made?
ballygeale1 2 years ago
I have designed a stainless steel landmark sculpture of a Steam Hammer. Dimensions are 40ft ht, x 38ft w, 16ft d , wt 30 tons.
It is sited in Openshaw Manchester, on the former B&S Massey Steam Hammer Works. Engineer Sir James Whitworth also established his engineering facility nearby. The area is world renowned for heavy engineering firsts, skills, and great innovation. Steam hammers were pre-eminent in the UK, invented by James Nasmyth, his works were also situated nearby. R. Erskine
robertsculptor 2 years ago
pimp :)
ThaRealKalimpa 2 years ago
I worked at smith armstrong forging. this was and everyday experiance.i once saw a man walk into hot tongs and burn his stomach. it never bled, just sinnched it very hard work
WBP2009 2 years ago
Excedrin Headache Number ONE!
SemperVaporo 2 years ago
A great piece of film archives! That is one big chunk of metal to be manhandling around.
anvilsring 2 years ago
scale had to be removed, it would leave ugly marks on the finished product.
lnjf01 2 years ago
In such close proximity to the workpiece, with virtually no personal protection. How many were maimed or killed each year in that shop?
ANewNormalcy 2 years ago
probably not very many , people were a hell of a lot tougher back then. today someone would get burnd by a single spark and sue or just collect workmans comp. Bunch a gaddam pussies if u ask meh.
Skurgefaust 2 years ago 5
That's surreal. Too bad there wasn't sound too.
Barnekkid 3 years ago
Its all very different now. A 3 to 4 man crew. The metal is handled by Electro/Hydraulic railbound manipulators, controlled by computer programs operated by the forge press operator
The furnaceman monitors the computer controlled rotary furnaces. Third man operates the forlift/ manual manipulator to bring work and to take it out.
To see a modern forge press in action is impressive. Great Respect to these men and those like them.
arkrite01 3 years ago
The powder being thrown is Boracic Acid (Borax). It acts as a flux and both helps slip off scale and allows the steel to be maeable through a greater range of tempreture (as it cools) without cracking from the impacts.
sashafortis 3 years ago
all i can say is that these guys must have been absoloutely fearless.
i have tremendous resepct for them and their skill. it is worth remebering that highly skilled men like this were not paid very much and their life was comparable to slavery. people in londons "financial sector" should be shown this everday before they work, then decide if they deserve their multi million pound bonus'.
mikeburrell 3 years ago 3
yes, I know what about you're saying.. Few months ago I have oportunity to work on Liverpool street =)
cyberkostyan 3 years ago
Looks like they went through allot of brooms :)
tonytiger75 3 years ago
Awesome! Big work..Big men.
kiwigarbo 3 years ago
this is a man's world, the really stuff! respect those guys!!!
galantride 3 years ago
It looks like the guy in the hat & white shirt could be the COD , He is checking the marking out of the cutters the other men are putting on top of the bar overseeing the work really, rest of the team or SET, as they were called are the muscle , he does not have to he's the boss.
Hrobert419 3 years ago
yeah, muscle...
cyberkostyan 3 years ago
I did not notice that till you spotted it, It could be some form sand based material , it's to stop the scale ( loose shell) from sticking to the metal, thats why the bottom tool/anvil is swept on each turn of the bar, so it does not get hammered back in to the the steel causing a imperfections in the finished product.
Hrobert419 3 years ago
interesting, I suppose something like that to avoid sticking...
cyberkostyan 3 years ago
I worked on a steam hammer much like this in Sheffield in the early 70s, it looks like a 5 ton hammer, The driver would be operating the motion of the blows at the side of one of the hammer legs, Interesting , The top man was refered to as the COD, This was taken in 1904
since then Manipulaters replaced the chain method, & a back leverman also made a little easier to move such large Blooms of steel, Its all about balance & levers, But still bloody hard work. I dont miss it !
Hrobert419 3 years ago
appreciate you work! maybe you know what the powder they thrown on this hot block in the beggining?
cyberkostyan 3 years ago
Must have been absolutely hellish work...
MosinDisciple 3 years ago
I worked in a forge on a steam hammer in the 60s+70s the method used was the same as shown in the film. Scorched eyebrows and far more serious injurys were common place.Thank the lord it closed down.
facemac91 3 years ago
Amazing. Sheer muscle to rotate it. Seemed to be going off square towards the end. The two men clearing the hammer anvil of scale were feeling the tremendous heat. Top video.
h1aa 4 years ago
lol OSHA nightmare wow these men got my vote for bad dudes of the year!
aflacduky 4 years ago
can you imagine the amount of heat being given off by that ingot. Cripes, I am surprised that their clothes don't burst into flame.
Robkat3751 4 years ago
I wonder what their injury rate was?
willisp2 4 years ago
I absolutely love these old video clips.Now those folks knew what the word work meant.
WCBlacksmiths 4 years ago
what are the gonna make? looks really nice, too bad it doesn't exist anymore
galantride 4 years ago
Superb bit of video. Thanks.
HughTwo 4 years ago
Jeezus those guys are getting so close..from experience I know that they will leave that workshop with their eyebrows scorched and very red heads..
ZerokillerOppel 4 years ago
Fantastic
Guinnie 4 years ago 2
insane!
majinwey 4 years ago 2
yeah! they roll it by hands !
cyberkostyan 4 years ago