Naysmyth steam hammer - Woolwich Arsenal

[Seadog]

For those of you on FB, this is very interesting for those of you interested in times past.

Royal-Arsenal-History.com (RAH) | 1874 Woolwich Arsenal – Steam Hammer Base | Facebook

1874 Woolwich Arsenal – Steam Hammer Base In 1874 the Royal Arsenal installed a Nasmyth steam hammer for the Gun Factories, costing around £18,000. The hammer stood about 45 feet high and, with a...

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[fizzy]

I have been a fan of Naysmyth and the steam hammer for years. Incredible things. Able to crack the shell of an egg without cracking the wineglass it was placed in - to shaking the buildings foundations on the next strike
I think most piledrivers are based on his principles as well.

 

[fizzy]

Great video here showing many different processes building a steam loco. Steam hammer action around 12.40 ish

 

[Erie Fred]

At :35 or so, you can see the whole hammer bouncing when the die hits.
IIRC in the deep pit foundation is a large rubber pad.

 

[Robotstar5]

I remember the ground used to "thump" when they were using the big hammers at Smethwick Drop Forgings.