Greatest power hammer ever made!!!

[@bart-janlagerwaard575]

To me it's clear: this an 'agricultural' power hammer. It is made for sharpening scythes and similar tools. The sharpening is done by hammering on the sharp edge of the scythe. By making the edge thinner it becomes sharper. Normally this is done by hand, often in the field on a special stake which is put in the ground and with a hammer similar to the hammer in the treadle machine. There are also special factory made machines for this prroces, but somebody has mechanized it in his own way by creating this wonderful machine. 'B.J.' from Holland.

[@renekohlstruck88]

Completely agree, the Hammer head and the anvil tells it. The wooden hinged arm is for holding and balancing the shaft of a scythe.

[@hydewhyte4364]

I think you ..... nailed it.

[@anelpasic5232]

The process is called peening, not sharpening.

[@flatbrokefrank6482]

I have never seen anything like it, I suspect we would have to have a conversation with the man who used it - if the peening theory is correct then the folding stick could support the centre of a saw whilst peening each tooth in turn - Stay safe

[@michaelheurkens4538]

@@anelpasic5232 peening is only one part of sharpening as there can be some filing and forge work for damage repair.

[@boblewis3444]

I think the “ articulating arm “ is a support for some of the things he was working on.

[@farmboy6218]

I believe this is for hammer sharpening tools, such as scythe, old scicle brush cutters, or corn detastelling knives. The arm around the machine supports a block that the tool handle goes into to keep the blade at the correct angles and would allow the blade to be moved side to side, keeping the edge on the peening anvil. Usually the handle supporting board is made specific to one tool as each person would have a different swing. My grandfather had a less ornate machine like this in his tool shed. I found it useful for breaking walnuts when a mallet hammer was installed. Nice find.

[@patchadams4me]

My first thought for the wheel was a spinning wheel. You're right, this is cool. Thanks for sharing it.

[@sumdumbmick]

was gonna say the same thing, but figured somebody probably beat me to it. :)

[@jonnyfischer4035]

Thst hammer on there is a european style of hammer that is used to thin out and workharden scythes before they are sharpened with a course whetstone its origin is from bavaria and the alps. Someone had to work a lot of scythes so he invented this powerhammer in german the work is called ,,dengeln"

[@vincesmith8637]

I like the scythe answer the best. Now if you sit in front of it to pedal then you would turn the sharp edge away from you and if the handle is still attached it would run along the side of the machine so I reckon the mystery linkage would support the handle and the downward pressure available to your left hand would tilt the blade up or down.

[@vincesmith8637]

sorry should read right hand.

[@goldenagenut]

That piece is as sweet as you say, wow. What a find!

[@timeflysintheshop]

Very impressive contraption! It oozes history. Thank you for sharing it!

[@keithrosenberg5486]

Spinning wheel is where it may have come from.

[@2dividedby3equals666]

I love whenever you appear on Adam Booth's channel, you always have something interesting to show. Glad to see some posts from you here. Thanks for sharing!

[@chopsddy3]

Truly a gem. Thanks so much for posting this find. Congratulations.👍

[@rowbearpucklebuck2331]

I have built a similar cam lift hammer also out of wood. Black locust beams for the uprights, ironwood for the pillow block bearings. The hammer is a 25 pound single jack. I used a 1/3 hp electric motor and jack shafted pulleys to reduce the the speed to 1.5 seconds per stroke. A foot treadle to control the belt tension.

[@Callmenobody174]

Maybe the mystery arm is there to help hold up whatever you're working on as whatever you're working on hangs over the side of the hammer.

[@ManCrafting]

Thanks for sharing Andrew. Amazing tool.

[@1911wood]

What a great tool. I imagine that cross pein hammer can be changed out to another type? What a great job you have. More videos please. By the way if that is for sharpening a scythe blade them maybe that mystery feature helps support the Snath?

[@georgewhitehead8185]

Show this on Antiques Roadshow, and I bet they would go just NUTS...and you could probably get a lot of people who wanted to buy it...this is a unique piece of history, and needs some professional eyes looking at it. This thing is history, and it has a history.

[@preciousmetals7114]

It also could be a mock up design to prove the concept for a more robust hammer once the R&D is proven

[@boeaston1069]

Seen another treadle hammer like your's at an antique store about 30•yrs ago, its setup had two short springs underneath the foot board assisting in the powering, a leather strap (left side) that came up and over the articulated armiture to hold it in place: the knob had a wooden block with waxed leather riding on it as some kind of tensioning mechanism, it also had a storage box on it filled with various small graded anvils, there were Three Hammers with it: a 2•lbs. flat face, Two Ball Peening Hammers- 1/4 & 3/4•lbs, it had a small bronze plate on it read: SAWYER. The old woman running the store said it was from 1890's that was used for metal working (she figured silver and copper) because of surface transfer on the anvil heads, it was priced for $600. which was more than what I made in two weeks back then, I do not know if it's still for sale at that antique store, not been back that way since family passed away years ago, the store was in Tuttle, Oklahoma on the south side of the road east of the railroad tracks.

[@sven7510]

its a machine to peen a scythe " eine Sense dengeln" we whould say in german. The blade of a scythe will usually be sharpened by a little Anvil and a hammer, both exaktly formed like the one in the machine. The anvil normaly rest in a stump and the blade is guided with one hand across the anvil while the other hand hammers on the edge of the blade to compress it. this hardens and sharpens the blade. I can imagine if you had a big farm long time ago and there are a lot of scythe to sharpen this machine whould be a biiiiiiggg helper. Many parts seems to salvaged from spinning wheels.

[@nickreagin9585]

I like this answer the most. Scythes are not heated treated but use work hardening for edge treatment. The mystery arm looks like a brake. Use a leather or canvas strap around the fly wheel as a brake band.

[@quirty864]

The arm is to support the handle of the scythe while the blade is peened.

[@nickreagin9585]

@@quirty864 If I had thought about a support for the blade Id have considered that. But the brake sounded good. Also I hate seeing a hammer banging on an anvil with no work piece between so I was a little biased.

[@quirty864]

@@nickreagin9585 Hormones... so to speak.

[@TheOldGunsmith58]

im thinking that the peice wrapping around the hammer is probably missing the last part which would make another handle . this would allow you to hold the work at a desired angle without needing a second set of hands.

[@travmason]

It’s based on the Cam Hammer design first invented by Leonardo DaVinci just on 500 years ago. Beautiful example.

[@michaelheurkens4538]

The majority of the wooden pieces, regardless of its designed function, look like they were formerly part of a spinning wheel both in size and design - even the treadle. I would agree it is most likely for scythe blade peening or possibly some kind of tinker's process, but they used swage blocks, anvils, stakes and specialized hammers. Nice find, though.

[@excitedbox5705]

As others have said, it is to sharpen a scythe and the arm is used to support the scythe's handle, to make it easier to position the blade. The ball on the end keeps it from sliding off and cutting you.

[@ericsprado4631]

Hunting for "function"-not functionality!! That said-what a neat thing.. I just rebuilt a 1908 Star power hammer but it is more along lines of Little giant.. your machine has such beautiful aesthetics. I'd perhaps vote for scythe but having grown up with them (yes I'm that old) I'm more used to seeing people use a stake anvil..Thanks for letting us see that wonderful contraption...

[@Jeremy-zi6pi]

My first thought on the handle was that it’s an articulated arm for hanging a lamp to see your work, and wraps around the frame for storage.

[@gatescompton7876]

Great machine, like finding an old pin ball machine just can’t get enough of it!!!!🇺🇸🤠

[@lorifilm]

This is for scythes. I have two of those hammers exactly same shape, but my anvil is not that flat and wide, this way i'm able to hammer out(sharpen) the cutting edge even closer to the tip of the blade. Usually the anvil is hammered into a tree stomp. This is the "motorised" version of it. Probably used in the field on harvest time(teamwork) when one person continuosly sharpened the blades for bunch of men who was doing the cutting, children and women tied up the crop/collecting.

[@lorifilm]

Ps:When the blade is forged, is not quenched, but with the hammering/peening work-hardened. Place of origin Austro-Hungarian monarchy or Germany(my guess).

[@nickreagin9585]

Looms like the arm is for a brake to slow the wheel when changing work pieces, leaving the station or if you just got it wound up too fast. Wrap a leather or canvas strap around the fly wheel and pull the lever to tighten it around the wheel lime a brake or clutch band. I would agree its a scythe anvil because you dont heat treat scythes but work harden them. Peen the edge to straighten and harden then use a canoe shaped stone to hone.

[@liveoak4124]

Beautiful machine, love your understandable passion for it. Thanks for not “restoring” it, perfect as is. Think the pin on the arm held a leather brake pad and agree it is for peening scythe blades.

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

Now, THAT is a really good guess for that thing's use. I was thinking locks and side-plates for guns, but that thin hammer and just the right size anvil on it would make it perfect for peening scythe blades. I'll bet somebody can find a patent application had been made on that machine.

[@liveoak4124]

Hats off to Sven for the original suggestion

[@paulparkinson1379]

I love these kinds of things

[@drattednuthin3563]

The wheel itself is really interesting. It looks like a mix of construction techniques for both a wheel for a spinning wheel, and a wagon wheel. The spokes are turned rather than created using a spoke shave. Wagon wheels or early automobile wheels didn’t have round spokes, the were more oval, not turned on a lathe. Spinning wheel spokes were turned and given decoration, like these spokes have. The big thing that says to me that the wheel was made (or possibly repaired) by a wheelwright is two things actually, the first being that the spokes go all of the way through the hub of the wheel. This does not happen with spinning wheels, but it always happens with wheels built as vehicle wheels or the weight of the vehicle would push the hub down onto the spokes and destroy the wheel. The second is the way that the sections of the hub are joined using splines. Splines or angled pegs at the outside edge of the wheel are used by wheelwrights to join the different sections of the hub together, but spinning wheels are joined differently with pegs on the inside of the joined sections of hub. It’s ok to do this with a spinning wheel because it will never be bearing the weight of a vehicle that would snap the internal pegs. So it looks like the wheel was made by a wheelwright, but the guy was possibly using off the shelf or pre-made spokes possibly for a spinning wheel. It’s fascinating.

[@drattednuthin3563]

Sorry… I call the sections of the wheel a hub above, but I should have said felloes.

[@gangleweed]

It's an 18th century nut cracker.......

[@matthewc670]

I had seen this video in my feed about a week ago and have been looking to find it again since then I can't wait to see what you have in store for us from here on out

[@henmich]

The arm allows you to set the angle of the scythe relative to the hammer and then allows you to swing it back-and-forth to get the whole length of the blade at that same angle.. youre welcome... you owe me a beer.

[@3inrifle]

As others have mentioned that wheel looks like it came from a spinning wheel. It's too small and too light to be a ships wheel.

[@Speedo123100]

In between the pyramids and now , someone came up with this. Wow.

[@manifesto8159]

I knew it!🤣 I'm a hobby blacksmith and I've designed a power hammer just like this one out of leggos as a prototype. Soo glad to see I'm not the only one who's had this idea.

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

You're right. That is a really cool machine and obviously for blacksmith work of some kind, so long as it's not too heavy a job. I'm thinking that machine would have done well in lock-making (such as Moravian locks and that type) for smoothing out the lock plates, or even the side plates on guns. I hope you can find the story about this and share it with us. Maybe start by looking up Joseph Maier, using the dates as either birth or death dates. You may find something in "Find a Grave" to locate him. I live in Pennsylvania Dutch country, and that isn't an uncommon name around here. Also, it's possible that Mr. Maier sought a patent for his machine and you might find some paperwork with his name on it in the U.S. Patent Office Archives. If you're able to find where he was born or buried, you might be able to find out what kind of business he was in and that may help you to find out exactly what his machine was for.

[@firstname6208]

Definitely a museum piece. Where did you come across this spectacular unit? The arm is made to assist in supporting the working piece. My dad used scythes back in the 1940's in ag school in sweden. I shall ask him.

[@synapticaxon9303]

I've certainly imagined this machine when peening my scythe. :) It'd be fun to just systemtically measure this and make a 3D model of it so that others could exactly recreate it. Or you know, I'd definitely buy a parts kit. :)

[@billwoehl3051]

Looks like a machine made for spinning thread, modified into a power hammer.

[@SouthernEngineering]

Sweet find, thanks for sharing.

[@kartisleal8890]

I think it's a cobblers wheel. the arm is for keeping leather near by

[@markburd8541]

that 's as slick as snot on a doorknob!

[@nathanarnoldy7549]

Your articulated arm likely had a yoke or cradle to fit over the ball end. This arm folded around to fit in a wagon so custom harvest crews could quickly travel to another field.

[@sumdumbmick]

does the hammer lock swing up to vertical so it doesn't get beat to hell when you run the machine, or does it just hang there getting smacked around like that?

[@schmiedepeter3881]

Wow, eine Maier-Dengelmaschine ist etwas wunderbares um seine Sensen scharf zu bekommen.

[@hubertbrucherseifer8870]

That's what it is : a Dengelmaschine für Sensen

[@hubertbrucherseifer8870]

Watch Feigl Gerhard's video " Vitus Sense drängeln mit Maschine 1" here on YT. €;D

[@hubertbrucherseifer8870]

Or watch "Gregory Zineberg" video

[@nickjirasek422]

Looks like a planishing or repoussé hammer. The articulated swing are could be for work piece support, made to move with the work piece and fold out of the way when not in use.

[@TheBambislayer]

I agree its adjustable in angle due to the peening of the scythe needs t o be adjustable to peen ad different angles

[@josephthompson4615]

The angle of scythe blades is attached so that it would be on one of its edges on the anvil if the handle was resting on that arm in the back. But does seem clear that it what it was for or could be used for. Correct hammer for the job.

[@hydewhyte4364]

That's adorable.

[@D-B-Cooper]

That arm might have had a spring or strap on it to the treadle to lift it so you can start it. Can’t start it when it is at the bottom without spinning the wheel. Check to see if the hammer is up when the treadle is up, so as to get the hammer out of the way when you stop.

[@winterphoenixforge483]

Okay so that nifty power hammer of yours, that arm that articulates around the machine I believe is to be one of the last things that the Craftsman made for this piece of equipment. You have to go back in the time that he made this and think as he was hammering away something felt like it was missing or his job could have been done easily, with that said he came up with this design that helps him with something work with this machine for real and maybe it will strike you on what this arm is designed for.

[@ZenThruAnger]

Great find! You have to appreciate the design and innovative thought that went into it. The maker must have had great pride in making it. That arm could be a brake without the shoe but very unlikely, that would be pretty elaborate and unnecessary considering the efficient design of the rest of the machine, you simply wouldn't need one. It might be a holder of some type, perhaps you need to do some research into similar old machines of the era and find drawings and photos that might give a clue of its intended designed use.

[@timbair6608]

That is a third arm, for supporting, and holding the work. The nub on the end would have had some kind of clamp on it.

[@louiedavis3138]

Please show more videos of this power hammer

[@richardstewart1955]

The construction is very similar to a spinning wheel. That was my first thought when you were wheeling it out at the start of the video.

[@RobertZdarilekWLTER]

Mehanički čekić za klepanje kose. Super!

[@cattaraugustonawanda4426]

got to be the smallest trip hammer i've seen I am wondering if it is for making flat brass springs for instruments since it is too small to be useful for most blacksmithing

[@dizzolve]

love your enthusiasm ..... no idea what that articulating arm does ........ it's so adjustable. I don't think it's a brake. a brake would have been so much easier to make than that.

[@verdantpulse5185]

for scythe blade peening

[@ericbarnes3829]

Now you can get all the scythe sharpening in town!

[@jasongannon7676]

Amazing device

[@garetkonigsfeld2]

I wonder if it was for hammer copper or tin. It doesn't seem to hit hard enough for steel. But what a cool pice of history. Thanks for sharing 👍.

[@dennisyoung4631]

The hammer-head itself is one like I recall using for raising copper, and the stake it hits “could” be used for some raising operations - though the more usual raising stake is long and thin, almost like a strange tool one might fit in the hardie hole of an anvil.

[@craigreid7168]

Bet it was cool sitting there for 9 hours a day using it

[@illuminateBeats1]

Maybe it could attach parts to turn it into a lathe I guess

[@tarmacdemon]

It could be a Polly hammer . I used to work a similar machine more modern many years ago .

[@peltiereric6497]

Did this come from an area with an Amish community because I’ve got a large one nearby and things like this would be common in that community

[@5phutsangtao-iQ]

the oldest hammer forging machine I've ever seen

[@johnwest9786]

The mystery handle is for a small bellows so the smith working alone can have the next cutting edge heated without ever leaving his work. A slight pause for bellows and still be working the edge on the hammer.

[@trevorwilson2699]

Looks like a mechanical scythe peening machine

[@dusansimic9479]

For forging hair, for mowing grass

[@ricksolari9570]

I'd be very leery of handling hot iron directly over my lap. That hammer shape doesn't seem suitable for forging, either.

[@mdechjr]

this a converted spinning wheel for flax or wool

[@kelvincrabtree1062]

When I see tools like this I always wonder if it's possible for someone to diagram them so people could make one for themselves, although I realize the dishonest people of the world have ruined that because of their need for greed to exploit the antiquity market. Sad.

[@ogaugeclockwork4407]

So cool!!

[@sammyspaniel6054]

Jeremiah: What's that brother Jacob? Jacob: This is a power hammer for sharpening scythes. Jeremiah: What's the funny folding arm on the side for? Jacob: Oh, that's for the people who will stumble on this tool 100 years from now. It does nothing but it's sure to drive them nuts trying to figure it out.

[@mpotter103]

Very nice, I am thinking about building one similar to this as a continuous scroll saw instead of trip action hammer. Could you share LxWxH of green frame and wheel diameter of this one for reference? Depending where you picked this up, probably fairly easy to trace Josef Maier 1871-1936 (1935-37) and find out a little more about him, as builder or just user/owner.

[@rickburris6164]

Looks like it was made out of an old spinning wheel, like was used to spin wool into yarn.

[@stevenolan7972]

I would bet that it’s a tin smithing power hammer.

[@NEEDHORSEPOWER]

I think the arm stands up to hold a lantern

[@zerolatitude2923]

Date is likely the life span of the person that used it the most... Wheel same as if not a spinning wheel. Anvil is from a tin shop or copper smith... my two bucks... sharpening no. Have small blacksmith shop and that won't cut the mustard.

[@bobk2111]

Pretty neat

[@big9752]

it looks like a spinning wheel like you would use to spin wool. I this is a modified wool spinning wheel.

[@todaywefly4370]

I can pretty much guarantee no women were involved in the making of this item….except maybe making breakfast for the guy that did.

[@fnordhorn]

I am thinking a Spinding wheel for the main wheel

[@pitmaster4860]

The arm can be for a lamp.

[@jamescheak3014]

Super cool

[@dennisyoung4631]

- a *raising hammer?*

[@andrzejsledzinski6120]

SUPER

[@jeffreydustin5303]

the arm must hold the snath of the scythe blade

[@Unrivaledanime]

Awesome 👏

[@markspc1]

I wish you didn't have that annoying whistle on the background music.

[@markbernier8434]

The wheel is clearly made in the fashion of cart wheels but much smaller and the hub is simplified. I would expect that the builder likely made it himself or subcontracted to the local wheelwright.

[@ralphcrosby9622]

I think craftsman of all types could find use for this besides peening.

[@stephenthehero9910]

Hey bud thats a boot tack hammer I’m thinkin ass end American civil war

[@yota4004]

it does not look like it was ever used much.

[@Trimalchio73]

Reaper helper? Due to small power and shape of the hammer for nothing else usable.

[@grahamparr3933]

Over engineered nut cracker🤔

[@викторсавкин-ы9у]

косу отбивать, умно

[@romandybala]

" Craftsman........or woman."Pls. Not many women blacksmiths in the old days. Too politically correct. Sounds so stupid'