This section contains a short discussion about each Cricket assembly.
There are videos on YouTube that show how these assemblies are fabricated.
Links to the YouTube videos are provided within the following text.
The Frame
The Frame is the backbone of the Cricket. It consists of 3 pieces (plus angle iron brackets).
Metal Base: 9 x 12 x 2 inch plate.
Anvil: 4 x 4 x 17 inch solid bar.
Tower: 1.75 x1.75 inch cold rolled bar, 36 inches long.
NOTE: Tom Troszak, the original Bull architect, has said the original Bull use 2.5" square tubing (5/16 wall) that he trued up to square (belt sander initially, then on later hammers a mill). If you use tubing, I would recommend 2.5 inch would be the minimum that should be used.
Since the original Cricket base is too small for stand-alone operation, angle iron stabilizers were added to its sides to provide a stable attachment to the wood base.
Note: If a longer Cylinder is used… The Tower will need to be longer.
Ram Assembly
This is an integrated (welded) unit. It consists of both the Ram and its guidance system.
Ram:
4” piece of the same stock as the anvil.
Guidance System:
Original Cricket
8" 3 x 3 x 3/8” angle iron
8" 1 x 3 bar.
8" 1 x 2 bar
4" 1 x 1 bar
Slots are milled out of the 1” bars for gibs.
Gib adjustors and grease zerks.
Brass is used for the gibs.
The forward recommendation is to use high-density plastic with a metal backing for gibs.
The falling weight of the entire Ram assembly is about 45 pounds.
******** The current recommendation is to use thick angle iron (1/2" minimum) for the back side of the Ram Assembly. See the picture to the right. Use HDPE with a metal backing plate for gibs. The "Ram Assembly Update Video" outlines this construction.
Ramp and Dock Assembly
This assembly is used (in conjunction with a Roller Valve) to determine when the Ram needs to change the direction it’s moving.
It extends to below the table to achieve a desire to have all the Air Circuit components under the table.
The Roller Valve description in the Components and Interactions (Long Story) section provides details about how this assembly is used.
Stroke Adjustment Assembly
The Stroke Adjustment Assembly provides the means for the operator to change the position of the stroke.
It consists of a movable assembly, with the roller valve attached, that slides on a tower.
A lever is pulled out to unlock the current position of the assembly.
The assembly is moved up or down.
The lever locks back into the tower.
Air Gate Assembly
The Air Gate is part of the Air Circuit and is mounted on this assembly. Its primary responsibility is to disable normal Ram cycling when the Cricket is in Single-Hit and Clamp mode.
A full description of the Single-Hit and Clamp features implementation can be found in the Technical Descriptions section.
There is no dedicated YouTube Video Building the Air Gate Assembly.
Instructions for building this assembly are included in the "Installing the Air Circuit Part 1" video.
Air Circuit
The Air Circuit includes the cylinder and numerous air valves used to control the behavior of the Ram.
The heart of the Air Circuit is a
Directional Flow Control Air Valve.
The Air Circuit also includes a Roller Valve that determines (through interaction with the Ramp Dock Assembly) when the Ram should change direction while cycling.
Butterfly valves are used to control the entry and exit of pressurized air through the Air Circuit. Other air valves are used to support performance and specific features.
Detailed descriptions, their responsibilities and interactions with other components for all Air Circuit components are provided within this website on the Air Circuit pages.
The Table
The table provides protection for the Air Circuit components from scale.
A leather skirt, connected to the underside of the Table (not shown) to further protect the Air Circuit components is recommended.
Hand Rail
A Hand Rail serves as a stabilizer for the operator to hang on to while forging.
A bumper pad is installed on the tower under it to prevent the cylinder piston from hitting the cylinder end cap when the stroke is set high for using tooling.
The YouTube video for making the Hand Rail is included in the Table build video.
Wood Base
A Wood Base (with a treadle) provides the added height to bring the Cricket dies up to a reasonable forging height.
The builder may opt to have an anvil high enough to eliminate the need for a Wood Base.