The best is to see the machine running and do the pounding wood thing. Wiggle all the parts and look for cracks or repairs.īring gloves and a roll of paper towels and go over the dirty bits (which will be the entire machine most likely) and look for cracks and repairs. In any case, little giants are good hammers, if they are working right they are awesome tools. Also, the 25ers run really fast if they are working right, it takes some getting used too if you havn't been on one before. When you run it take a good look at the front end while it cycles, if it's running right the ram should always make one stroke to the top and back down with each single revolution of the crank, if it kinda skitters up and down during the revolution then the spring might be the wrong one or it may need to be adjusted significantly, calling Sid will have it remidied immediately in any case. I was extremely skeptical at first but be damned if it's not slicker than snot on a doorknob. What a treat.Ĭool trick, my buddy is a contractor on the side, he glued the 25er to the floor with construction adhesive, it works like a charm. All it needed was a good clean-up and we took just one shim out of the front bearing, and it worked perfect. I'd forgotten just how good those little hammers could work when they are in top condition. Man, it had been looked after, really really well. Just, this last month, helped a friend dig out a 25# lg and get it cleaned up, it lived in the original blacksmith's shop in the spot we're at. He is the man for tooling and replacement parts and information about all things Little Giant. It really makes these hammer sing.įind Sid Sudemeier's address and or phone number. If you were going to change anything, buy a second adjustable toggle link. Somewhere in the archives on Don's site is a pic I posted of a 500lb LG. You may need to consider replacing links or pins or bushings to tighten up the old boy (LG literature actually names these hammers boy, youth, man etc). Then examine each joint where parts move against one another. This can be fixed by welding a new web, but the welder will cuss you some. If the 'web' that holds the link in the ram is thin it's a huge sign of wear. More important, look inside the slots where the toggle links fit into the ram. If the dies are loose or there are signs of welding, somebody broke the ram, or the casting was bad originally. Next check the inside of the ram for wear at the dovetail. If I'd have done that, I'd have gotten around to a rebuilt a lot sooner than I did. It might be a good thing to get a video, learn some, then go look at hammers. I think the ABANA website or some of the blacksmith sites have links. There are some pretty decent videos that walk you through a rebuild.

On a 25lb this is less likely simply due to the throw weight but it is a bigger problem because it means the hammer is due for a rebuild. Look for signs that the babbitt material has gotten soft or melted from heat. They are the bearings that surround the main shaft on top.

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