Air planishing hammer ?

[ronan]

Has anyone here ever built a planishing hammer at home from an air hammer ? They seem simple enough and i might have a bash at making one but wanted to know if its worth doing and worthwhile.
Are they a good alternative to an english wheel ?

 

[Chipper]

Watching this thread... planning to make one. Bought an old air rivetter for it, the 'straight' type without a gun handle. Seems a super rigid frame isn't necessary, some make them with slightly 'springy' frames.

Idly wondering if it's poss to make a C-frame adaptable as both a small E wheel and a hammer. Or will bend up a tube frame for the hammer.

 

[wyn]

I had a go at making one a couple of years ago but never finished it.

 

[german8rcoupe]

I wouldn't say it's an alternative to a Wheeling machine. They provide different results.
Both are stretching machines but a wheel is like a rolling hammer.
An air chisel may work if you can regulate the supply properly.
A springy frame is not a bad thing either, although with a wheel a rigid frame is preferred.

 

[ronan]

You should finish that wyn , you're nearly finished it so you might as well , i got the chance to have a quick go (about an hour) on a large english wheel made by edwards , what surprised me about it was even though the frame was a massive cast iron casting it stilled flexed a lot.
I don't have much room and was looking for something small to form sheet metal for bike parts. Where can i buy things like bossing mallets and bags in the uk ?

 

[hotrodder]

Personally i'd say an air hammer compliments an English wheel rather than being an alternative. The frame is pretty simple, certainly less work than for a wheel. As always it's the tooling that's a bit trickier/where the money is for example http://www.stakesys.co.uk/product/sta141_planishing_hammer/, barely worth bothering starting from scratch in some regards given the cost but then it comes with nickel plated anvils rather than forged tool steel jobbies...

Make the frame sturdy enough and the possabilities increase...
Air power hammer, several more vids on them from Tinmantech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAM3JpytfzM
Eckolds multifomer, combo wheeling machine/planishing hammer with a shrinker tacked on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAM3JpytfzM

 

[Shox Dr]

Frost sell shot bags, and mallets. As for a Very nice looking and small English wheel, Have a look at Justin Baker site.

Scroll down to the Raptor 2000 I want to buy one just for the cool factor and only 389quid



edit; Matt at Stakesy's Metalwork Machinery also supply metal working gear as Hotrodder says, He's a nice bloke to deal with

 

[hotrodder]

The stiffness thing... there'll always be some flex, vertical deflection not a big deal (and very noticable when you remove the workpiece) but lateral movement/twist is- if the toolpost for the lower wheel can flex then it can mess with pressure settings giving erratic results

Edit bossing mallets vary in price hugely, usually a lot cheaper from non metalworking sources (just google bossing mallet and click on shopping reults)

 

[Chipper]

Hotrodder are super hard anvils needed? I've seen gert big coach bolts used somewhere. I was thinking to make bits from stainless maybe, or is it too brittle.

Air rivetter was £20, the hammer & anvils will be swapses or beer currency. Wondered about a foot pedal operating a valve as air control, I've some bits set aside to try that.

I got a shot bag from Nifty Notions in Oz, they've a very wide range of bags. Found then on fleabay a while back.
niftynotions.com.au
Cruised the steam fairs and the like for mallets and hammers, I got a nice teardrop mallet for a fiver.

 

[Shox Dr]

Just bare in mind when buying mallets you really want the head made from lignum vitae, some are made from Box wood or Beech wood, and will not last as long

 

[hotrodder]

Tool steel anvils aren't needed but softer ones will get marred quickly (say when planishing welds) and then those marks will be transferred to the work and you just know the plating will fall off of the plated ones given the cost

Good point about the heads Shox, more weight to 'em too. On the plus side the cheaper (softer wood) ones are easier/faster to reshape

 

[Chipper]

Cheers, hadn't thought about welds at all...

 

[paul33]

The best information I have found is on a site and forum called allmetalshaping.com

I have started to learn about metal shaping over the years and have an edwards wheel - getting a wheeling machine is the easy bit learning how to use it properly is another matter!
I will at some point build a planishing hammer but when look what David Gardiner can do with hand tools I think I should learn to use a hammer first!!! http://metalshapingzone.com
If you have any interest in car body repair the old way or metal shaping in general buy the dvd David has made.

 

[hotrodder]

I will at some point build a planishing hammer but when look what David Gardiner can do with hand tools I think I should learn to use a hammer first!!!

Yep, all the shaping machings do is speed up the process so it's very easy to end up just producing scrap more quickly!

 

[ronan]

Thinking about using high tensile bolts ground or turned down for anvils , i think i have some somewhere, what about the foot pedal ? Are they available cheaply ?

 

[hotrodder]

Google 'pneumatic foot pedal valve' and click on shopping. The stakeskys hammer i linked to... from the pics it comes with a FOV-320 http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/350021312/Foot_Control_Valve_FOV_Series.html FWIW