Planishing hammer advice

[pacificustoms]

I'm in the market for a nice (US made) planishing hammer. I'd like a larger machine therefore there's little chance I'll have to replace it in the future. Here are some of the ones I found that I am working on choosing between. Do any of you have any experience or know someone with experience of any of the following:

http://www.airbosstools.com/ Looking at the pro 30 model


http://www.northridgetool.com/cpstylehammer.html


http://www.vansantent.com/sheet_metal_machines/planishing_hammers.htm
Looking at the 36 inch floor model


I like the cook machine, just wondering if its really twice the machine of the others as it comes with almost twice the price tag.


Any advice or suggestions let me know, also if you know of any other machines let me know. I don't really have any extra time to build my own or else I would consider going that route.

Thank you!

[GregWeld]

Robbie --

For that kind of money (6 or 7 grand) you can make your own. Talk to Tim Bruning @ Bruning Auto Design -- his is killer and he built it himself... Just my .00003 worth.

http://www.bruningautodesign.com/

[pacificustoms]

Do you happen to have a photo of it? I looked through the website and couldn't find anything.

I contimplated building it myself, it just seems most of those types of projects around here get out of hand and only 3/4 of the way finished before we have to get back to money making projects.

Still up in the air.


Anyone else have some photos of some hand made units?

[GregWeld]

Robbie --

The website has "contact me" .... write him and ask him for some details and pics...

[pacificustoms]

Will do. I try not to bother others unless I have to. Thanks!

[gearheads78]

Get on the Metal Meet forum. Many masters on there and most of those guys build thier own tools.

[ironworks]

I have the Proline, Cook machine and it is a great piece. I have never tried any of the others, but I have learned with tools you usually get what you pay for. If you wanted to save some coin you might by the 24" model instead of the 36 that I have. They are expensive, mine was like 9 grans I think.

I bought and Eckold before the Planishing hammer though. It is an awesome machine with no equal. FYI

[ironworks]

Robbie --

For that kind of money (6 or 7 grand) you can make your own. Talk to Tim Bruning @ Bruning Auto Design -- his is killer and he built it himself... Just my .00003 worth.

http://www.bruningautodesign.com/

I used to try and do that, but it takes for ever to get a machine like that engineered and working properly. Plus every hour you work on it your not making your shop rate. As you know when your in business, your either earning money or losing money. There is no more free time.

[pacificustoms]

I have the Proline, Cook machine and it is a great piece. I have never tried any of the others, but I have learned with tools you usually get what you pay for. If you wanted to save some coin you might by the 24" model instead of the 36 that I have. They are expensive, mine was like 9 grans I think.

I bought and Eckold before the Planishing hammer though. It is an awesome machine with no equal. FYI

Thanks for the advice. That's what I was looking for and I figured I hear what I didn't really want to hear, the more expensive one is probably that way for a reason.

How deep of a throat does your eckold have?

[ironworks]

12" it is like 10 g's but we use it daily......

[GregWeld]

This whole discussion reminds me of the "what does it take to start a hot rod shop"? thread.... and I said that the problem many small businesses have is to be able to capitalize their growth... and that is the number one reason for small business failures - not the "lack" of business... but the cost of doing ANY business.

Your 10K planishing hammer is a classic example of this. It takes money to make money. Sure... you can do the job without it... but you can probably do it FASTER and BETTER with one...

[ironworks]

In a Time and Materials business it is the cost of being efficient and put out the best quality your capable of.

Years ago I bought a 48" jet stomp shear that was rated at 16 gauge. Brand new it would not cut even 24" of 18 gauge. Plus I'm a big counter balance at 265lbs. They sent a tech out, he asked for a new machine, they sent a 2nd machine. Same thing. At this point I just wanted my 36" pexto back. So I drove to LA and bought a brand new 48" pexto stomp shear and use it to cut 18 gauge all day long with out and issue. It was twice the price bought 10 times the machine. I have had the same with english wheels, lancaster shrinker and stretchers, Tin snips and die grinders. You get what you pay for.

[GregWeld]

Ah ha -- good info Luke -- either way -- it was a great looking machine! Not sure if it works correctly - but it sure looked like it would.

[lhkustoms]

Ah ha -- good info Luke -- either way -- it was a great looking machine! Not sure if it works correctly - but it sure looked like it would.

Hey no prob Greg I am building a CP style hammer using an AIRBOSS hammer the head looks like a quality piece and it comes with a few lower dies for $500 although like Roger states your either making money or losing money and thats why I've been "working on it" for 6 mo. too busy trying to make money

[GregWeld]

WORK HARDER -- WORK MORE HOURS!!


:rofl: :rofl:

[lhkustoms]

WORK HARDER -- WORK MORE HOURS!!


:rofl: :rofl:

If I work any more hours than I already do I might become single

[tjbruning]

Do you happen to have a photo of it? I looked through the website and couldn't find anything.

I contimplated building it myself, it just seems most of those types of projects around here get out of hand and only 3/4 of the way finished before we have to get back to money making projects.

Still up in the air.


Anyone else have some photos of some hand made units?

It was definitely an involved side project...

The hammer head was purchased from Michigan Pneumatic and cost ~$800 plus the cost of hammer dies.
http://www.michiganpneumatic.com

Not the best picture (in the background). It's massive...
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/994/vibroshear001.jpg

[David Pozzi]

There is a shop in Grass valley that made motorcycle gas tanks and did race car fab work, he is selling his equipment including some planishing hammers. I bought a welder from him a month ago. I think this is the place: http://www.fatkatz.com/
David

[bentfab]

Robbie,

I have a 12" C.P. style hammer from Gogitzit. It's an exact duplicate w/ a couple mods from the original. It's a smaller hammer though. They were talking about duplicating the 36". I have a full set of Cook dies for it also. The best part is the machine was $1400.00 and it is a bad a$$ peace. The dies we're more than the machine. I also have the Eckold and it's a peace of art.

[BRIAN]

The Cook machines are not the same design. There are different styles of planishing hammers. I agree Metal Meet is the place to do research. I am always fascinated at the guys who build their own. I can barely get enough time to use the machine never mind build it.

I have what is I guess the original design of the Cook Mini whatever they call it. It is a small machine but will reach into the center of a 24" part. Anything larger and you are probably looking at 2 man operation. I have Cook and some home made dies and honestly at my skill level it is a toss up if the extra cost is needed.

Depending on what other machines you already have you might look into the Min deal as it does more operations. Baileigh? and a couple others have larger machines that give you more options. It is sort of a mini Pull Max that can planish. There are so many styles and everybody has their favorite.

What sucks about doing metal work is after you buy one machine you raise your level of skill and now need a larger one and 2 more of something else. It is never ending.

Out West and in the South near Nascar you always see them pop up.

Good luck

[BRIAN]

http://www.southern-tool.com/store/BaileighPowerHammer.html

Not sure if that will work. Dake has a smaller model. As you can see you can adjust machine to work like a shrinker or they even say wheel but it looks like pain in the ass especially for production shop.

[ironworks]

If I was to do it over again, I might buy one of these.

Expensive but alot of different machines in one. Less shop floor space to take up and can do a lot of different jobs on one machine. But in a large shop, you would not be able to share equipment among the guys easily. One guys could not planish while another is using the pullmax.

http://www.bii1.com/metal-forming/power-hammer-mh-19.php

[J2SpeedandCustom]

It was definitely an involved side project...
The hammer head was purchased from Michigan Pneumatic and cost ~$800 plus the cost of hammer dies.
http://www.michiganpneumatic.com


TJ do you know which hammer you are using? That machine is awesome!!!

[lhkustoms]

TJ do you know which hammer you are using? That machine is awesome!!!

its the short hammer heres the link
http://www.michiganpneumatic.com/customer/mipnto/extrahtm/planishpartsref.htm

[pacificustoms]

If I was to do it over again, I might buy one of these.

Expensive but alot of different machines in one. Less shop floor space to take up and can do a lot of different jobs on one machine. But in a large shop, you would not be able to share equipment among the guys easily. One guys could not planish while another is using the pullmax.

http://www.bii1.com/metal-forming/power-hammer-mh-19.php


I was actually looking at that some time ago and thought it was a great idea. The thing I do worry about in tools like this is yea, they do a lot, but usually that means they do a lot of different stuff well, but nothing specific great. Kind of universal. I'll have to give them a call and discuss this more with them. I was hoping to find someone who had one that could give some real feedback on it as the videos look impressive.

[ironworks]

Robbie

Email this guy and he might know where one of those machines are in Cali. Tell Him I sent you.

[email protected]

[pacificustoms]

Robbie

Email this guy and he might know where one of those machines are in Cali. Tell Him I sent you.

[email protected]

emailed him. Thanks!