Hi ya`ll would like to get some opinions on planishing hammers you are using? pros/cons? I`m thinking about buying the one from Grizzly tools .
I actually bought one of thoes planishing hammer from grizzly a couple of years ago the only down fall with it was that I've noticed was I didn't think the hammer it self is strong enough at times and there's only one set of die that comes with it . Which mine was pressed into The Lower shaft . But you can do some decent shaping with it but nothing too extreme, I ended up selling it and bought a pro-line which I can do way more with since I'm metal shaping everyday , but then again the proline was lot more money , I hope this helps.
Hey, Jus' so you know, a planishing hammer and a power hammer arn't necessarly the same thing! Are you planning on using this hammer for metalshaping, or to just clean up welds & lite shaping? A power hammer with a 2X or 3X sized hammer hits much harder than the smaller "planishing hammers" do. If you can weld, you can probably build a much better hammer than the cheaper hammers available today. Probably didn't answer your question very well, but maybe something to think over- " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
Thanks for the post. I want to do some light shaping. Most power hammers are just too pricey if you don`t use it commercially.
I had been considering getting the TM Technologies version. 3 levels of power, and LOTS of tooling, like shrinking, flanging, besides the normal doming tools. Anyone use one?
The Grizzly is an OK piece. Does small work well in a hobbiest's garage. I'd suggest building your own only because of price. Fay Butler has a plan for making a nice little rig which you can modify for your own needs. I have been saving some cast iron pieces from a band saw and various other tools which will make up my tool someday. I have a mental plan. I have had the Grizzly as I bought it cheap and needed it fast for a job, served me well. It now needs to be rebuilt. If I was going to buy something, I surely buy that Mini Max little hammer/pullmax tool for 4k before I spent 7500 on a planishing hammer. Like said before, you need to shape every day before you buy that. Check out Fay's handbook. Google him. Coolest guy ever.
I bought the Harbor Fright one. It is ok for smoothing out metal up to 18 guage AFTER I replaced the gun wtih an old Blackhawk gun I had on the shelf. The lower dies are interchangeable and I was able to get a few extra off their discoutiunued racks for $.98 each so I have several to play with. With the 20% discount I was out the door for under a C-note. The frame and the pedal are worth that. I built a custom stand so it is at my working level not a childs. Overall I got what I paid for.
For the record, this is not an advertisement. I bought a very sensible bench top model from Northridge Tool several years ago. The hammer itself was actually an air chisel. Not exactly the best way to go but all I was after was to planish some welds and some light shaping. It's done it's job well and still works well today. It came with four dies, including a flat and I've made several more since then. Also came with the foot pedal. If you're gonna spend the money on a Grizzly might I suggest American made for an additional $30. The comparable model at Northride is 26" throat, slightly bigger than the Grizzly. However, Grizzly appears to have a more proper hammer instead of the air chisel. Oh, I believe they offer their 30" throat model (with a proper hammer) in a weld up package for less than $900. Check them out at www.northridgetool.com As for the Proline stuff...anything Clay Cook makes is worth the money. Clay's shaping hammers are the best in the world. If you do this kind of stuff for a living Clay's a good guy to know. If you've got a Pullmax that needs some TLC, call Clay. Looking for a Yoder, call Clay. Clay once said, "If you don't know how to use it all a power hammer enables you to do is make scrap faster". Oh, and don't forget Baileigh Industrial...(Saw your post Shane). Quality tools without a doubt and a HAMB Alliance Vendor. Real professional power hammers that will smash your fingers no problem. If you haven't yet, take a look around his website www.bii1.com. Damn...one more thing. Look up Da Tinman here on the HAMB. He'll get ya pointed in the right direction too. That's my $.02 Andy L. Kaempfer St. Louis, MO
Great input fellas I agree with you Andy ------US made is the way to go . But sometimes just not in the budget. Baleigh`s stuff is the dream --just not affordable for me. Thanks for the Northridge tools call I guess I have a new prospect now. Marcus G. Taylor,TX
CTfuzz, how do you like your home built one? I saw a similar one with plans on either allmetalshaping or metalmeet, forgot which one. It uses a leaf spring and an air drill, can't quite tell what your using? Yours looks real nice and thats what I would like to build next, how about a tech thread on building one?
Don't forget about Eckold. The last US dist I knew that stocked them was Craig Leber Company in Friendswood, Texas - 713-482-3445. Eckold makes big and little ones. Aint none of them cheap though.
Yeah, but not long enough to develop a firm oppion on the machine! The shrinking dies have a bit of a learning curve to them. Kent's stuff is well made, but I'd jus buy his plans, build my own, and purchase the dies as necessary. ''Life is a ministrone''
We don't use it much but it works well when we do..............I got the idea from one of the metal working sites. We used an air powered motor, works great, I forgot what it came from. You can see in the pic we used a leaf spring also. We added a 2" steel plate for a base just to hold it down!
I bought one of Neal Dunder's 12" CP clone hammers about four years ago. I use this along with my CP hand planishing hammer; which uses the same dies. http://gogitzit.com/
here is one i helped build... my buddy put it together it was his idea. he made all the dies too.We are making two of them. works great.
I have seen plans to make your own available here: http://home.earthlink.net/~deserthybrids/deserthybridsprecision2/id50.html http://home.earthlink.net/~deserthybrids/deserthybridsprecision2/id17.html http://home.earthlink.net/~deserthybrids/deserthybridsprecision2/id18.html
No, no plans...he used solid works hammers he had seen he liked and tried to copy the best from all the ones he liked and that was about it.
Your buddys hammer sure looks like the desert high bred plans I have. Looks like he copied those to me.
Hey Shane, How 'bout you and the boys at Baileigh build us a "beginner's" model similar to the one's found at Harbor Freight or Northern Tool? Surely you could engineer a cost effective model made in the good old USA. I think an entry level series of air tools would sell well and would make a nice stepping stone for us to work up to your larger and more expensive machines. What do you think? Feel free to PM me at any time. I'll even be first in line to buy one! Thanks, Brian
How did this discution on planishing hammers take a turn and start talking about power hammers , Eckold Kraftformers and Helve Hammers ?
Natural "wandering" I guess. I'm still on the planishing hammer portion but I guess things just tend to drift. I still think Shane can help us out with this one. Quality products, made by Baileigh for an economical price, built in the good old USA? Sounds like a hit to me.
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