I bought a Treadle Hammer kit a few years ago and put it together.I dont relly know how to use the thing and have not had much luck finding much info. on how to use it.I know I need to make tools for it like a fuller.Not sure if I need the fuller on top and bottom or just the bottom? When I bought the kit the guy told me that it would do alot of things even forge the bevels on a knife.Im lost with this thing and hope someone would could tell me what kind of tools for this thing that would be handy for knife making and some advise on using it. My Nephews like to smash pop cans with it, about all I have used it for is flating out blades.
Thanks for your help

Dies are certainly the ticket for tredle hammers! I have had one in my shop for almost 10 years. Since I also have a press and powerhammer, it doesn't see much use anymore.
As a general rule of thumb, dies are best used on the bottom. This allows for a stationary platform that is just easier to work with than having the die on top. There are some applications where is is handy to have dies on both top and bottom.
Most of the tooling that I've built for mine consists of spring fullers. When I built my hammer I did not put an anvil on the bottom, just a heavy plate with a hardie hole in the middle, this makes it easy to change out the different dies.
As I said, the tooling I make are spring fullers, two dies, top and bottom, that are connected with either a 3/8" round rod, with a spring curl or a piece of 1/8" X1" flat bar that holds the dies apart....just enough for the operation that I designed the dies for. I have made rounding dies, squaring dies, dies for stepping down the blade/tang juncture, and also drawing and flat dies. Basically, if you can think of an operation, and your willing to take the time and effort, you can produce a set of dies for that operation.
There is a short learning curve, as with any piece of equipment. The trick is to develop a rythm and try not to make the tredle hammer do more than is comfortable for your leg. Other than that, it's just like riding a horse.......learn the basics, then hop on and learn as you go!

If you are an ABANA member there is a 3 tape video set by Clay Spencer which can be rented from ABANA on using the Treadle hammer.

I made an ABANA Modified treadle hammer and it has become indispensable. I'm gearing up for that hydraulic press, but until then...

I use top and bottom tooling for just about everything. The bottom has a 1" square hardie hole, which also fits my anvil and other tooling. The top is the same but with a lock to hold in tooling.

When drawing out large damascus billets I use 4" x 1" rounded fullers on top and bottom- I can usually draw a 1" x 1.5 x 12" billet out to about .5" x 1.5" x 20" in four or five heats. Then I use flat plates to square everything up before cutting and folding. I keep meaning to make a bottom tooling cutter to speed that one up too...

The fullers are great for drawing out tangs and thinning down blades- the plates are great for squaring the tang/ blade and flattening. For bladesmithing they are practically the only tools I use with just a little hammer work on the anvil to clean things up.

I'll be posting pics and a tutorial in a week or so...

Busy-back-soon,

-J. Loose