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Other applications for power steering system

I'm building this thing called a treadle hammer and would like to know if I could use a power steering system to give me some assist. First, a treadle hammer is basically a foot-powered device used by blacksmiths to provide a third hand and some extra hitting power over a hand hammer. You push down on the foot-treadle and a weight (the hammer), anywhere from 25-lbs to 100-lbs, comes smashing down on whatever is sitting on the bottom post (anvil). There are many designs, but you can see an example at

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The big limitation on one of these is the human element. A heavier hammer obviously has more hitting force, but it takes longer to move it, so your beating less frequently. And as they say, "Strike while the iron's hot", so many heats may be required. I was wondering if a power-steering system would be up to the job. It's a pretty different operation than turning wheels.

The biggest question concerns speed. Since a PAS is hydraulic, how fast can you move from stop to stop? Could such a system keep up with my attempting to go from stop to stop and back again once per second? How about twice per second?

I suppose I could change the position on the hammer's lever arm so it wouldn't need to go all the way to the stops, but then more force is required. How much force can a PAS apply before the pump, cylinder, or even the rack/pinion give up?

Thanks for any insights on this.

--Marc

Reply to
godboutm
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Why futz around with trying to adapt a power steering unit (and presumably some motor to drive it). Just go for a full power hammer.

Reply to
John S.

What I like about the treadle hammer is the hammer tracks the treadle. WIth power hammers, the treadle/pedal controls the force, but not position. Both are good tools, but not completely interchangeable. For what I want to do, a treadle hammer will be the most useful. Powering it would give me some more oomph when I need it.

Plus - I like futzing. But I know diddly about power steerings, so I want to make sure the physics work for this before I dive under some junk car.

--Marc

Reply to
Marc

The problem with using a power steering box as a treadle hammer is that a quarter turn of the steering shaft does not produce a quarter turn of the pitman shaft. The power steering box is a power assisted device, not a servo system.

You would need to put a rack on the treadle and a pinion on the steering shaft to get the hammer mounted on the pitman arm to work as a servomechanism.

You will want the pump and steering box from a nose heavy land yacht with overboosted steering. Lots of big, heavy cars from the Big3, made in the early seventies fit the bill.

Make sure that the motor that drives the pump has enough oomph to swing the hammer.

Reply to
Richard Bell

That was the plan - to get a non-powered steering box for the treadle side and tie the two pinions together.

How about from some small truck/van/SUV?

And now for my next question - how much oomph? Would a 1hp be enough? The biggest draw would be when the hammer reverses direction. Would a flywheel of some sort ease that? For comparison purposes, mechanical power hammers typically run on 1hp motors. These run much faster than I would, probably, somewhere around 200 beats-per-minute. So that's sort of the power needed for the hammer. What I don't know is how inefficient the compressor arrangement is. Pneumatic hammers usually require a 5hp compressor or better. But that's a different animal. I think a lot of that is to keep the air supply in the tank.

Thanks.

--Marc

Reply to
Marc

i would use a hydraulic system and pump like they use on lowriders?

Reply to
tudysmuck

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