air planisher upper hammer

Dierick · Post by **Dierick** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:00 am

I've got my air planisher near finished, completely from scrap laying around at work except for the snap-on riviting hammer I picked up from a pawn shop. I'll get some pics of it up when I'm done.

The frame is 2x3" tube steel cut into a 2x3x2' C shape, with some heavy square stock for the bottom anvil adjustment. The lock for the hammer is some flat stock that I shaped just about to the hammer barrel and bolts to the upper C with 1/2 inch diameter bolts. Haven't built a stand for it yet as I'm not sure if I am going to bolt it to a table top or have it as a separate unit. The anvils are a bunch of rusted up or broken hammer heads that I chopped the ends off and lathed to various curvatures.

My problem is the actual hammer. My original thought was to take a long muffler cutter, chop the end off, weld a bit of tool stock to it, and lathe it to the right shape. Unfortunately, that doesnt seem to be working as the two qualities of steel do not produce a good weld and halfway through the lathe it breaks off.

Is there a place where I can buy an actual hammer for it(haven't found one through google), or would it be better for me to just get one made at the cnc shop?

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:04 am

I don't have a link for you I got mine online at least 5 years ago.

But they do exist. They cost about $10. You can't weld one up the welds will break.

Try searching mcmaster carr

Dierick · Post by **Dierick** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:14 am

did a check there and didnt find anything but rivet sets.

Would something like that work if it was lathed down? How big of a hammer surface do I need for light planishing work? Truth be told, I'm not even sure what the hammer should look like outside of some fuzzy pictures of them online.

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:23 am

Looks like a chisel for an air hammer but it's got a flat disk on the bottom.

Having one machined unless you can get it done free is gonna cost you a couple hundred bucks more then it needs to.

When you do find one though they come with a slightly convex shape to the face. You need to grind it a little flatter and it'll work better.

Wish I could remember where it came from. Someone will.

You can try harbour freight. They may have replacements for the air planishers they sell.

You need a decent size hammer face or the edges of your hammer will put thousands of nice little crescents in your piece. They're about an inch and a half across.

LordUlrich · Post by **LordUlrich** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:13 am

try local tool stores. I know my local Northern Tool and Equipment had some, but i cant find it online. I even think I saw one a Lowes one time.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... l%26sa%3DN

I found that one searching Google

Hope this helps

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:34 am

they are listed in the snap-on catalog I looked at last summer but they are not cheap, im looking for other suppliers at the moment.
welding the different types of steel is not easy but can be done with the right rods.
both ends of the tool need to be hard, if the end that goes in the air hammer is soft it will quickly mushroom over.
from memory the right tool from snap-on was about 30 uk pounds, that must be about $45 which is why im still looking

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:50 am

found the snap on one at http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.as ... apon-store.
tommorow I will check 2 local places to see if they can offer anything

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:31 pm

Are you looking for this?

If so go here:

http://www.yardstore.com/browse.cfm/4,3733.html

Also harbour freight has the bottom anvils in three different radius.

Be sure and show us a pic of your machine.

Hal

The Iron Dwarf · Post by **The Iron Dwarf** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:50 pm

that is perfect Hal, now I will try to find one here or to see if they will ship them here

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:04 pm

I have found them for as low as $4.00 at the yard store.

The shanks are a little tight for the super cheap harbour freight air chisel.
However that can be fixed with a grinder. :wink:

Best of luck on your quest.

Hal

mattmaus · Post by **mattmaus** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:15 pm

Mad Matt wrote:You can't weld one up the welds will break.

Yes...

yes they will.

whonew · Post by **whonew** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:54 pm

dito , the welds WILL break and what hal pictured is available at Spaneur [spelling?] here in Canada. good luke and please post pics!

Dierick · Post by **Dierick** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:07 pm

I went ahead and just made one out of a chunk of tool stock on the lathe, forgetting that I had posted this. :p

I'll try and get some pics up this weekend, I've managed to catch the flu and haven't been to work much.