Power Hammer Wanted

R

reader_06

Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
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I am starting to look for a power hammer. I like working with my current hammers, but I am looking for something that will help me with forge welding. I am just curious about a power hammer and would take any suggestions about good brands or the price I should expect. Any help would be appreciated.
 
What are your current hammers? It's worded as if you may own one or two already and are looking for something different. Are said hammers too small and you want something bigger? Or they are mechanical and you want air? Give us some more details.

-Clint
 
According to his current posts, he is hand hammering now and is thinking of stepping up his forge welding with a power hammer. He is using a charcoal forge right now. He is pretty new to all this, and trying to figure it out.
 
Hope you find one. Good luck.
 
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Check out the local blacksmith and bladesmith guilds. Craigslist is always good, too. If you find one, post about it here for guidance.
Send Dan a PM or email.

Some questions arise:
Have you ever used a power hammer?
Do you know what they cost?
Can you move one to your shop and place it inside? ( they weigh a ton...literally)
Can you maintain one?
 
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Guess I was a bit tired last night Stacy as it does seem obvious now.

Reader it really comes down to budget and whether you are set on an air hammer or mechanical. There are more experienced people out there than me that have already responded here and on IFI about the differences and I recommend reading up on those. Both work but in my opinion your going to spend more on an air hammer if for no other reason than they don't come up used very often. Anywhere...

Air hammers hit harder per ram weight from my understanding. I believe James Johnson is in Texas and is the American distributor for Anyang air hammers. I've heard good things about them and that he is always open to allowing folks to stop by and demo them. The quad-state blacksmithing conference here in Ohio every fall has more hammers, presses and blacksmithing stuff than anyone person should legally be allowed to see. Always little giants for sale from my experience but they aren't cheap!

Once you are serious if you come across a deal I recommend you act. They do not last long.
 
Thanks for the information. I really appreciate the responses. I have moved from coal burning to gas just because it is easier to work the gas forge by myself. I like my manually hammers but with moving to forge welding I like the ability to go straight from the forge to the hammer without losing as much heat and speed up the entire process. Thanks again for the information. I will start looking around and see if mechanical or air is best for my current situation.
 
If you check in with your local blacksmiths organization, you may be able to find one of the Tire hammer building seminars.
I was in a yank to get one, so I bought one from Clay Spencer in Alabama-best decision I could have made.
It has a very small footprint, weights in at about 800#, and is a 50# mechanical hammer. If you have access to a welder the tooling you can build for it is pretty endless, and it's very precise for a mechanical hammer-I can shoulder tangs on it and forge bolstered kitchen knives out of 3/4" round stock with not a heck of a lot of cleanup.
If you buy one it's a couple grand, but the workshops where a bunch of folks get together and build some it's closer to $700 (admittedly my knowledge of this is a couple years out of date).
 
Reader-06, you are welcome to come up some weekend and work with mine. Its air. I am in Shreveport, LA
 
(Sales Content Removed) is selling a 250 lb "Little" Giant. Sweeeet tool. If you have the means and the room, you could get one like that, use it, and there should be a decent market to resell it into when and if the time comes.
 
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I would suggest a tire hammer to start. If you aren't interested in buildong one then there is a shop in Seattle that will build you one and put it on a pallet and ship it. I've considered an Anyang and I know friends who have one that are happy. But at $6k including shipping for a 33# vs $3500 for a 50# tire hammer w/brake I'm leaning to the tire hammer.
Anything bigger and you will need/want a dedicated foundation set in concrete.

Additionally, if you are forge welding perhaps consider a forging press. Same company in Seattle is doing a run of C-Frame forging presses that will be very versatile. With a press you don't have to worry about a foundation either.

There are several forge press manufacturers. Most are an H frame, but I prefer a C frame if well built.

Have you done any further research?
 
Brian Ayres said:
I would suggest a tire hammer to start. If you aren't interested in buildong one then there is a shop in Seattle that will build you one and put it on a pallet and ship it. I've considered an Anyang and I know friends who have one that are happy. But at $6k including shipping for a 33# vs $3500 for a 50# tire hammer w/brake I'm leaning to the tire hammer.
Anything bigger and you will need/want a dedicated foundation set in concrete.

Additionally, if you are forge welding perhaps consider a forging press. Same company in Seattle is doing a run of C-Frame forging presses that will be very versatile. With a press you don't have to worry about a foundation either.

There are several forge press manufacturers. Most are an H frame, but I prefer a C frame if well built.

Have you done any further research?
Click to expand...

What is the company in Seattle? PM me please if it's not allowed to post.

Thanks!
 
It's Larry Langdon at Quick and Dirty tools. They make tongs and are doing a run of presses and tire hammers.
 
Thanks Brian. I see their website has their tongues listed but none of the machines. I'll try to throw them in the email.
 
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Maelstrom78 said:
Thanks Brian. I see their website has their tongues listed but none of the machines. I'll try to throw them in the email.
Click to expand...

I just bought a forge press from him last week. I will pick it up next week. Larry knows as much about power hammers and presses as anyone I know. Hopefully he will have what you want.



He just sold this tire hammer. It was one they used in their shop for the last couple years in addition to a Nazel 4b and another self contained.


 

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Id like to see a pic of your press when you get a chance. We are going to be buying a press in the next few weeks.
 
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