Setting the Massive Oak Base of a Water-Powered Hammer (1984)

Witness the incredible heavy engineering required to replace the foundation of an 1837 water-powered trip hammer (Schwanzhammer). Filmed in 1984 at the historic Freudentaler Scythe Forge in Leverkusen, Germany, this rare footage documents a dying industrial art.

The process involves setting a massive oak log ("Hammerstock") weighing several tons into a deep pit. Perhaps the most surprising detail is the traditional shock-absorption layer: a bed of horse manure and wood scraps, a technique used for centuries to protect the timber foundation from the hammer's immense impact.

Key Technical Highlights:

The Log: A giant oak trunk, harvested in 1972 and seasoned for over a decade before installation.

Shrink Fitting: Watch the precise process of heating a massive iron ring to 200°C (approx 400°F) to expand it by 2cm, then shrinking it onto the oak timber for a permanent fit.

Foundation: The unique use of horse manure to preserve the wood and absorb shock vibrations.

Alignment: The master Hammermeister from Austria uses precision measurements to ensure the anvil and hammer head align perfectly for scythe production.

This is not just a repair; it is a masterclass in 19th-century industrial maintenance, preserving the last operating tilt hammer of its kind.

Location: Freudentaler Sensenhammer, Leverkusen-Schlebusch, Germany. Original Era: 1837 Filmed: 1984

Original source material: Schlebusch 1984 – 45 min
Aufnahme: Gabriel Simons; Schnitt/Kommentar: Alois Döring
Hammerstocksetzen in der Sensenschmiede / Schlebusch 1984 – 45 min. Aufnahme: Gabriel Simons; Schnitt/Kommentar: Alois Döring /    • Hammerstocksetzen in der Sensenschmiede   . CC BY 4.0.
Digitalisiert von ‪@zweitkanalalltagskultureni2140‬

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