Air hammer Vs. Mechanical

[12345678910]

Air hammer Vs. Mechanical


Ed

I see from some new shop photos you have posted, you have added a new air hammer.

Say-Mak?

I haven't seen any discussion of this yet and am curious.

What will this new hammer do over the Little Giant that caused you to spend the bucks on the new hammer.

Is is particularly suited to one job more than another?

[stabber]

Welcome to KD!

Think of it like this, Would you rather Grind a blade with a File Or a nice KMG Grinder?:D

[12345678910]

Stabber...

I'm sure he made the change because it's better somehow.
..I'm all about the details, HOW is it better?

?
Bigger material capacity?
harder hit?
faster hit?
finer control?
lower maintenance costs?
Lower electricity usage?
quieter?

needed 2 hammers?

[EdCaffreyMS]

I agree. In my experience its like comparing a Cadillac and a Go-Kart....both will get you there, but one is so much easier on you and much more comfortable.

I owned and used Little Giant hammers (had 2- 25s and 1-50) for many years. After using a Say-Mak hammer at an ABS Hammer-in where I demonstrated forging Tomohawks, I was hooked. With the Little Giants it would take me all day to forge out 6 hawk heads. With the Say-Mak, I did 4 in less than an hour at the demo....and that was with about 20 mins time on the hammer prior to the demo!

Now don't get me wrong, I have soft spot in my heart for Little Giant Hammers. I cut my forging teeth on them, and until I experienced something better, I thought they were the living end.

There are three BIG differences between mechanical and air hammers....

1. Maintenance! The Little Giants require constant attention. Oiling, adjusting, etc. Once the Say-Mak was setup in my shop, the only thing I every have had to do is fill the oil tank (about once every 3 months)

2. Accuracy: Ever hear of "The Little Giant Hula"? or "The Bang, Tap, Miss Blues"? Little Giants have always had accuracy issues concerning where and how they strike. Thats just the nature of the mechanical design, and most of us learn to work with it. On the other hand, the Say-Mak hits in the exact same spot every time. Once you get accustom to your Air Hammer, you will know where and how it will strike each blow...that makes thing VERY nice!

3. Control: Most Little Giants require the user to grow accustom to each particular hammer. Each one strikes a little different, and the control can vary from "reasonably good" to "Good luck controlling that thing".

All of those things add up to saved time and effort, and increase the predictability/productivity of the machine. To give you an idea of how efficient the Air Hammer has proven to be over the LGs, I can literally forge a 4" drop point, hidden tang hunter in 4-5 heats. That starting with 1/4" X 1" 1084 to ready to anneal. And I can actually forge a blade out better with the hammer, and in MUCH less time, than I can by hand.

I'd still love to have a 250 or larger LG for its sheer power, but if I had my druthers.....it would be an air hammer.

[Wayne Coe]

Another advantage is that if the Say Mac it is making noise, a lot of noise. I tell folks that this can be considered a safety feature. If it is making noise it can hit you. It has a self contained compressor. The disadvantage is that it make a lot of noise.

I have a Big Blu Max. 155# hammer. It is quiet unless I am forging. It just sits there like a loaded gun waiting for someone to touch the trigger. The compressor is a 7 hp two stage developing 21 cfm. I like the quiet unless I am forging. I have a Harley-Davidson muffler on the exhaust and all you hear is the dies hitting the metal. I forge 2" square and larger. See my bowls on www.waynecoeblacksmith.etsy.com.

Clay Spencer is doing workshops for a "Tire Hammer" which, I think is about a 25# ram. His workshops run about $1,000.00. It is similar to a mechanical hammer but has great control.<);-)>
Wayne Coe
WayneCoe@Highland.net
http://www.WayneCoeBlacksmith.Etsy.com
423-628-6444
729 Peters Ford Road
Sunbright, Tennessee 37872

[EdCaffreyMS]

That does bring up another thing....the noise. Mine was really loud until I plumbed the exhaust through the shop wall and outside, now its not bad at all.

My Buddy Steve Kelly has one of the Blu hammers....pretty nice machine...but its louder than my Say-Mak ever was. With the Say-Mak, you could work in the shop without earplugs, but that Blu hammer will falt run you out if your not wearing plugs.

[Steven Kelly]

Hey Wayne...

i would love to see how you have your muffler set up on the big blue.. I have the same hammer as you and like Ed says It is a loud beast when it exhausts. I actually have mine sitting right in front of my roll up door. I have been rolling the door up about a foot so that the air can exhaust outside. That's not so bad in the summer. But, right now it's about 9 deg. outside....

[Erik Markman]

I have a 110# BigBlu, the noise is not so bad but in my previous shop i had the exhaust plumbed outside and it was much better.

I wear earplugs anyway.

The mechanical hammer I had before this one was much louder and far less controlable, I prefer airhammers over mechanicals.

[Wayne Coe]

Hey Wayne...

i would love to see how you have your muffler set up on the big blue.. I have the same hammer as you and like Ed says It is a loud beast when it exhausts. I actually have mine sitting right in front of my roll up door. I have been rolling the door up about a foot so that the air can exhaust outside. That's not so bad in the summer. But, right now it's about 9 deg. outside....

I stoped at a Harley dealership and begged a new muffler. Seems that everyone who buys a Harley immediately has a LOUD after market installed. Dealers have warehouses full of the new ones. From time to time they ship them to Europe as after market mufflers (American stock mufflers are louder than European ones). Where the exhaust comes out of the hammer I put a 3/4" street ell and slid the muffler over it. It is held upright with a 36" zip tie around the hammer. Steve Kayne (who used to sell the Big Blu) had trouble with bats and flying squirrels in the attic. He ran the exhaust up into the atic and took care of all of his problems.

[12345678910]

...until I plumbed the exhaust through the shop wall and outside...


I was thinking of that since you mentioned in a different thread, that you add oil as a maintenance measure.

If you kept that exhaust inside your shop then you are breathing in all that oil vapour. Besides the advantage of reducing the noise factor, it's an excellent measure that I imagine very few people consider.

[Wayne Coe]

I was thinking of that since you mentioned in a different thread, that you add oil as a maintenance measure.

If you kept that exhaust inside your shop then you are breathing in all that oil vapour. Besides the advantage of reducing the noise factor, it's an excellent measure that I imagine very few people consider.

The oil used is very minimal. A little on the guides where the ram moves up and down and just enough from the oiler for the inside of the cylinder so that you can see that it is not dry. I have not checked what comes out of the exhaust but the next time I put in several hours of forging with the hammer I will place a paper towel or maybe a coffee filter over the exhaust and see if it gets oily. I will then post back and let you know the results.