Buying a new "zip gun" for planishing hammer

[larry mullen]

Hey all
Has anyone out built a planishing hammer using a rivet gun ? and does it meet your expectations ?
Thanks Larry

[CARS]

Larry, I am surprised that no one has spoken up. I know there are members who have built them. I remember threads about homemade rivet guns, but all of the info vanished with the crash.

On other metal shaping sites and just doing internet searches you'll see pics and builds. No one really seems to comment on performance

I just ordered 2 different air hammers today. A CP and an IR both long barrels. Each has a different BPM.

I will report what I find. (thankfully, the parts store will let me return the one I don't like )

[jlrussell4]

Hi Larry,

Back when this forum first started (or was it the old Metalshapers?), the rivet gun was the prefered choice. Over the years the muffler gun kind of took over the center of attention - I'm guessing because of price. I have a used 4X I purchased for a planishing hammer and never used it for that. When the HF muffler gun dies, I'll hook it up. In the mean time I have some chisels I bought to modify so I can put UHMW ends on and use by hand for flow forming.

[CARS]

Jim. When I was searching, there were quite a few rivet and muffler gun builds in the metalshaper's album. It's allshops.org it think.

[oldgoaly]

Only a 123 threads in the sub-forum....... just might be one or dozen rivet gun phammers

[captainkirk]

Recently I have spent a fair bit of time designing and building the ultimate planishing hammer and modding the hammers to change how they hit has taken a good amount of time.
What follows is what "I currently believe to be true"... but as always I reserve the right to change my mind like a pubescent teenage girl

When you choose a hammer it is best to make the decision of what to go to based on your specific needs.

Do you intend to use it mostly for shaping heavy gauge steel? If so you might do well with a longer stroke hammer that has less blows per minute but hits way harder than a short stroke.

If you plan on doing low crown aluminum work then a short stroke super high speed hammer with a really good feather on the foot control might be a good choice.

Is a "medium barrel" gun then good for everything?....Well yes and no it depends on what your asking it to do, it could easily be said that it's not good for anything as easily as it's said it's good for everything.

Just saying get a 3X or 4X gun or a long barrel gun isn't answering any real valid question.

So number one question: Are you planning on doing more shaping than planishing with it or visa-versa?

A medium barrel gun hits to hard with not enough feather control in the "shuttle hammer" for light planishing on aluminum this I can tell you.

If your mostly doing steel then it will work ok but is a bit to slow speed for a really good finish when planishing as the blows are spaced to far apart and just moving slower isn't going to fix it.

The other problem with these guns is that the upper die is really loose and changes angle slightly when light planishing. This problem isn't really noticeable till you fix it then you will see a great improvement in planishing quality.

If you do all heavy steel and most to all adding shape then a long barrel gun is what you seek as it will hit like a small helve .

Other than the highest speed lightest hit hammers on the heavy guage steel used for strictly shaping It has been "My Experience" that they all hit a bit to hard for planishing soft aluminum to a high standard.

Aluminum requires ultimate control of the beats per minute and hitting force and it's really hard to get that with a "standard planishing hammer regardless of the type or brand.(even the much heralded CP hammer)

user4942_pic2847_1291664568.jpg

That's just my opinion I'm sure other will have their take on it, good luck to you on your choices.

Kirk

[pat lehr]

Dear King could you share a picture of the royal planishing hammer of witch you speak.

Your humble servent
Pat

Ok where was that pic the first time I look at this post ?

[CARS]

Captain Kirk, Your Majesty.

I see you have a H.F. frame as do I. What hammer are you using and what do you do with it? Alum.? 19 ga. steel? Planishing? Shaping?

[shortbus]

Originally Posted by anders nørgaard

Cary,

Machining the gears off wasn't necessary... you could have just set the yellow "handle" in pic #3 from the left side to hammering only, no rotation 8-)

Anders, the one I modified is an ancient Skill brand one. It wasn't possible to switch off the rotation in that model, thats why I machined off the gear teeth.

[steve.murphy]

Looks like a pnuematic lift on the bottom post? I third the request for more pictures please!

Thanks

Steve