Interviews with Julius Szabó

As I have limited space in my tiny workshop, I desired to create a fully functional, but light and mobile power hammer, that saves me from the hardest work of forging, and at the same time is very easy to maintain.

I would like to produce this power hammer for enthusiast and blacksmith fellows, so they can work in their garage or workshop.

The project started in July 2018. The first prototype was finished in October 2018 and the final design was finished in January 2019.

The power hammer was primarily created for my own personal usage. In the meantime though, I got to know that many of jewellery makers as well as professional blacksmiths experience the lack of this kind of light power hammer.

I would like to keep producing it by myself, so I can further innovate the machine, optimize its performance.

This power hammer is ideal for beginner and professional cutlers and artistic blacksmiths. Jewellery makers can also benefit from its size and light weight.

The design is focused on simplicity and easy maintenance. Only the main frame and the stand of flywheel is welded, the other parts are mostly connected by screws and joints that allow the easy maintaining or replacing the worn-out parts. The purpose was to build a power hammer using commonly available consumer goods and limit the amount of custom-made parts.

Buchar means Power Hammer, MC.B5 refers to hammer weight: 5 kg.

Usually I use paper and pencil to draw the first sketches of a project. Fortunately, I am a visual type of person, so I can easily imagine the whole concept. I enjoy to design by empirical method: to observe, to try and to innovate. The technical drawing programs come later; I prefer to depict the already made project rather than planning it.

The machine was built only by myself as I enjoy to see the idea/concept become a reality by my own hand. I also believe, the mistakes I made - and they were plenty - taught me the most. They always force me to keep studying and to stay humble.

I learned a lot about the behaviour and strength of used materials, welding processes, physical laws of energy. It was a very exciting journey to understand the transformation of materials.