[TheForge] Power hammer Vs air hammer

[mpaietta]

> All air hammers ARE power hammers.
> So I assume you are asking about the difference between a
> mechanical  hammer and an air hammer
> 
> If they both hit with the same force then the hot iron
> cant tell the  difference.
> 
> The commonly available mechanical hammers in the USA are
> mostly  smaller- there are occasional 250lb and even 500lb
> Little Giants, but  the vast majority are 25 and 50lbers,
> which were designed as cheap,  relatively portable
> machines for light duty work. They had various compromises
> made in their design to keep em cheap. There were better
> quality mechanical hammers made as well- Bradleys in 
>    particular are well respected- but most of them were
> pretty small as  well.
>    
> They were simple to maintain, and at the time, say 1900 to
> 1930, there  were parts available.
> They used em a lot to sharpen ag tools, in mines and
> quarries, and  similar relatively light duty applications-
> up to 1" or so.
> 
> But as far back as 1900, the big boys, in real industry,
> have been  using Steam, and later Air, powered hammers for
>    serious forging. All the really big hammers I have ever
> seen have been Air or Steam.  Never seen a 2500lb
> mechanical- but maybe there was one, once.
> 
> The big air hammers were simpler, with fewer moving parts,
> and easier  to adapt to bigger designs.
> They pretty much dominated the market both here and in
> europe for  anything over 200lbs.
> 
> Now Nazel and Chambersburg, the two big american
> manufacturers, are out  of business, but there are several
> new self contained air hammers on  the market- the chinese
> make what are basically chambersburg copies,  out of 4 or
> 5 different factories. A lot of smiths up here in the 
>    Northwest have them, and mostly like them- cheap, for
the
> weight of the  casting, self contained so there is no need
> for an additional  compressor, and reliable- mine has run
> without fail for almost 5 years  now, sturdy and simple.
> No worries about springs breaking and sending  shrapnel
> flying thru your shop.
> 
> In the 70's, with the availability of cheap air cylinders,
>    there  evolved the homemade "utility" air hammers- a
> "utility" hammer is one  that requires a separate
> compressed air source- the old, giant steam  hammers were
> utility hammers, while most Nazel's, with an electric 
> motor, had their own built in master cylinder compressing
> the air, with  a second cylinder doing the work.
> 
> Anyway, many homebuilts are utility hammers, needing an
> air compressor  to supply them. Simpler to build than a
> self contained. And now there are companies selling very
> nice factory built utility  hammers, like Big Blue.
> 
> So really, you have 6 choices-
> 
> an old, often VERY old mechanical hammer- with the
> exception of Little  Giant, there are no parts available
> for these, and most are pre world  war 2.
> They look great, have lots of character, and work fine, if
> a bit fussy.
> 
> A Used Self contained- usually large, heavy, expensive,
> hard to move,  and requiring a massive foundation and huge
> electrical service- I saw  one last week with a 40hp
> motor- but the ultimate hammers- smooth,  controllable,
> and tons of power.
> 
> A new self contained- either from China (cheapest),
> Germany (pricey but  high quality) Turkey (cheaper) or an
> IRON KISS, made in america by John  Larson.
> 
> A used utility hammer- old Erie's and Chambersburgs show
> up from time  to time, usually 500lb or larger- you would
> need about a 50hp  compressor to run one. But they weigh a
> lot less than an equivalent  self contained.
> 
> A new utility hammer- like a Big Blu or a Phoenix
> 
> A homemade utility hammer- plans from Abana, or various
> places on the  web.
> 
> RIES
> 
> 
> On May 18, 2006, at 12:43 PM, mpaietta wrote:
> 
> >        Is there an advantage one has over the other on
> >  the work  they do?
> >   Thanks
>    >   Martin
> > 
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> > 
> > 
> Ries Niemi
> Industrial Artist
> 
> http://www.RiesNiemi.com
> 
> 
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> 
Thanks for    all that info. That actually gave me thn info
I was looking for plus some I    didn't realize to ask. Good
to know about the terminoledge. I had called an    Air
hammer a power hammer and was corrected. What you said makes
complete    sense.
    
   Thanks
   Martin