Steam Engine + Steam Hammer + Toy Caps = FUN

Finally got around to 'Bustin Caps' using my steam driven trip hammer. Literally was a blast and did enjoy myself immensely

Edited By Blue Heeler on 13/10/2022 05:23:12

Mmm … I was sure I posted a comment a few minutes ago

MichaelG.

[ Trying again ]

It’s good to see something demonstrated doing “real work” … and I do like your Water Tower

I have to wonder though …

How will the current generation of ‘Save the Planet’ youngsters interpret it ?

Will they be impressed and inspired by the ingenuity of their ancestors ?
… or appalled by the inefficiency of the process ?

MichaelG.

Totally mad but great fun!

Half my pocket money always went on caps

My ears are still ringing from the noise when we used to hit full boxes of caps with a hammer. Is that why I have bad Tinnitus?

That looks a laff. I used to secretly open cap cartons in the shop so I could choose the fattest ones to buy - they did vary.

Do you have to clean the residue off the hammers and the table? It used to corrode mazak toy guns and especially any steel parts like anything...

Thanks all appreciate the replies and yes the mild steel table rusted over night where the powder had flashed.

Hi, I like the steam hammer, and I do remember the smell of caps when exploded. Apart from the toy cowboy guns that would take a reel of caps and advance them automatically, we used to get those rocket shaped cap bombs, and you could get singular disc caps to use in them. They could be used to make others jump, by throwing the bombs down just behind them when they wouldn't expect a loud bang. We later discovered that you could achieve the same effect by trapping a cap between two bolts, screwed lightly together into a nut, but you had to make sure they hit onto one of the bolt heads when you threw it down.

Regards Nick.

Great fun, if that was mine the next move would be a ratchet mechanism to feed the caps through

I remember cutting the caps with scissors to set them off as well. They didn't bang very well as the gasses were not trapped.

Have you considered fitting an LED in place of the incandescent lamp so it lights up even at low rpm?

Martin C

Thanks all and no I didn't think about a LED bulb. The incandescent lamp certainly puts a load on the engine.

Liked reading all the childhood exploits with toy caps. We did all those things as well and we also used to drag one along on concrete with a finger, then the next and the next and the next.

I had almost forgotten the ‘rocket shaped cap bombs’ until Nick mentioned them

Thanks for the memory, Nick

MichaelG.

Eeeh, those were the days!

Yes, my pal and I made those nut-and-two-bolts "bombs" too....

Amazing everyone still has two eyes and ten fingers (hopefully) with the things we did and got away with unscathed.

You could get an amazing amount of caps between the ends of two half inch bolts coupled with a nut.

regards Martin

Caps were fun but I soon graduated to weedkiller and icing sugar - you may think an unlikely combination but a very powerful explosive ! Noel

Many years ago... I pushed a drawing pin into my skool desk lid and another one into the desk body. A cap was trapped in between the two pin heads. With both elbows on the desk, cupping the chin as if paying great attention, I would give a surreptitious thump with one elbow to make a nice bang. Accompanied by an innocent expression, and looking around to see who had done it generally made it a mysterious event...

Very clever