Twighlight,
On the links, they look like they are just made from flat stock. If so,I would probably just cut new pieces and drill the correct size holes in them. I would buy some long bolts with the in threaded portion the appropriate length and either retain them with nylock nuts and cut off excess threads or get bolts with longer unthreaded shanks and cut off threads and drill holes for cotter pins.
Concerning the lubrications. There are a lot of thoughts on this. In my opinion, grease is fine on babbit IN A CLEAN ENVIROMENT. In a blacksmith shop it collects and holds grit and pieces of scale. Some will say use chainsaw bar oil because it sticks to where you put it. I feel thirty weight non detergent oil is good. It will flow into the bearings and the excess will sling off taking the grit and scale with it this cutting down on wear. It will also sling oil all over the shop unfortunately!
There is probably a fitting at the end of the shaft. This lubricates the clutch bearing. I do not put grease in there, I oil the shaft from the outside because grease tends to make the clutch run on because of its thickness pulling on the bearing.
That is my opinion for what it's worth!
Hope this helps, Bill D
Yeah, replacing that link is probably the best idea. Though, the person who did the welding seems to have replaced it once already. Actually, all the flat stock pieces appear to be brand new, which is great, no wear there. The other link is held together with some hand-forged pins with cotter pins to retain them, and I quite like the look of that...
That's an excellent point about the grease retaining grit... My first thought was, "Well, how's grit gonna get into there if I shim it properly..." but, that's exactly how it would, because there will be a space between the top and bottom bearings, and stuff will get in there. I've been using 75W "Gear Oil" for manual transmissions in my behemothic post-mount drill press, I'll probably do the same for the hammer... because I have a ton of it >_> And, it seems to work well. I'm mildly concerned about some pitting on the main shaft, I doubt it's severe enough to cause any issues, but still, it's there, and I'm easily concerned :P
Yes, the clutch definitely needs to be oiled, this I know!
I spent the better part of today fiddling with the hammer, I had to CUT the lower die out, and it took FOREVER XD A cutting torch would have made things go much more quickly, but I don't trust myself enough to risk damaging the cast iron frame in the name of expedience. It's a shame, though, I was hoping to keep the bottom die for a spare top die. But there was absolutely no way the die was going to come out any other way. The shims just deformed and made themselves even more impossible to be driven...
Also, the hammer is now blue! All the rest of the bits will stay the matte black they were painted by the previous restorer, I think it will look really sharp.
