Air Hammer pricing

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epicknives

Member
I am looking for a really cheap air hammer and so far the cheapest I've seen is the "iron kiss 50 octagon" what i want to use it for is general forging and hopefully Damascus work, though making one isn't entirely out the window just buying one that is ready to be assembled is more desirable.

Thanks, Tyler

P.S. phone internet is a pain
 
The words "really cheap" and "air hammer" really don't even belong in the same sentence...

If you want to acquire one that is worth it's weight in scrap iron, plan on paying $8K or more. Think hard about what you're buying too. Something like the hammer you mentioned is going to require that you also either already have, or purchase an external air compressor that will meet the needs of the hammer. Personally, I detest hammers that use external compressors..... you can easily spend half the hammer cost on a compressor that will meet the needs of the hammer. That's not your average compressor! Although the makers of various "air hammers" make statements about air requirements....don't believe it! I won't mention it's name, but there is one particular brand of "air hammer" that states it can be run on a given psi/cfm.....and about all it will do is "function"....to actually use the hammer for forging requires at least a 7.5hp/2-stage compressor!

If your going to spend the money on an air hammer.....don't try to find a "bargain".....take the time to review various hammers, talk to those who own/operate the models your interested in, and make your decision based on that....THEN save until you have the money for the one you choose. Personally I chose a Say-Mak hammer from the Ozark School of Blacksmithing (no external compressor)......by the time it was all said and done, it took me over 5 years of saving. It was the most difficult check I've ever written for an item....but has turned out to be the best money I've ever spent on equipment. I've owned/used the hammer for about 6 years now....and am thankful I spent the time doing my research.
 
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Ed you are so right , Tom trained me on one of his Saymak hammers and they are super . I tried to buy one when he passed away but, I was outbid by a commercial dealer . waaaa. I think he bought most of them. I believe he is selling them now . Anyone interested PM me and I will talk to Tom Jr and find out who bought them. You lucky dog ..
 
Tom and I were close,,,,,and we had different opinions about hammers. I do believe that Tom’s hammers were good hammers, just not for me. I have a Big Blu Max 155. Consider that you need an air compressor in the shop anyway. Yes, to run a Big Blu Max 155 you will need more compressor than you would need just to run an impact wrench. Ed is correct, to run this hammer you will need about 21 cfm or a 7 hp compressor. I had a 3 hp 11 cfm compressor when I got my Big Blu hammer. I had been running Kenyon Air Hammers on the 3 hp compressor but when I got the Big Blu I needed more cfm and wound buying a 5 hp with 18 cfm and plumbed them together so now I have 29 cfm and 160 gallons of storage (actually I have another 60 gallon tank in the system plus 1" pipe all over the shop) so I have lots of storage. Getting the 5 hp was cheaper than trying to sell the 3 hp and buy a 7 hp.

I hate the way self contained hammers are making chuga-chuga noise the whole time it is running, even if you are turned away and heating the metal again. My Big Blu is just sitting there quietly until I step on the peddle, then all you hear is the die hitting the hot metal. (my compressors are outside and I have a Harley Davidson muffler on the exhaust.

I finally told Tom that maybe the chuga-chuga was a safety feature because if it was making noise you knew that it was cocked and loaded. The Big Blu (or any Utility Hammer) sits there quietly waiting for someone to inadvertently step on the peddle (read "trigger") and BAM!

Now if you want an effective but inexpensive hammer consider attending a Clay Spencer workshop or buy a tire hammer from Clay or John Wayne Taylor. Attend a workshop and spend about $1,000.00 or buy one built for about $2,500.00. These are mechanical hammers (similar to a 50# Little Giant) and you don't have to buy the compressor.
Or look into building a Kenyon Air Hammer. Get the Kenyon plans from www.ABANA.org and search You Tube for Kenyon Hammer and John Emmerling.
 
Tom was a real character, I am surprised you and I never met . I met Howard Clark there and also Uri Hofi and Quite a few other smiths . I spent a lot of time there at his school . Did you go to the estate sale when Tom passed ? I will look into the info you posted and hopefully make up my mind ?? Thanks for the info I appreciate . ..... Bubba
 
I was there for a week while Tom was in the hospital in 2008 and then went on to the big BAM conference. That was the year that ABANA abdacated the conference and BAM stepped in to fill the gap. I did not go to the estate sale. Come on down to the Batson Blade Symposium the week after Easter and we can visit then.
 
I've got an old style 75lb Bull, I've used various other pheonix hammers, one 155 Big Blu, and a buddy I forge with a lot has the 75lb Iron Kiss that was John Larson's personal hammer. I've also used various self contained hammers up to 200lb tups, including many hours on an 88lb Striker, and some home built hammers.

If you don't have the air, then a self contained may be ideal, but you can easily run a 75lb Bull/Pheonix or Ironkiss on a dual stage 5hp compressor with an 80gal tank, Assuming that its a higher cfm industrial quality unit, like an Ingersoll, Quincy, Champion, etc. You need a minimum of about 15cfm. I ran my Bull for a long time on a single Ingersoll T30, dual stage 5hp unit. Even running at 125psi, I never ran out of air, even breaking down Don Hanson's big W2 rounds, but that was allowing some recharge time while reheating the work. If I was cold texturing, I probably would have had some downtime.

Now I'm running two IR T30's in tandem, and the second compressor rarely kicks in, and that's only really sessions where I'm pulling one piece out of the fire, as I'm putting the last one in. My friend's Ironkiss is even more efficient.

I'm not trying to contradict Ed's experience, I'm in the market for a 150+lb self contained hammer myself, over a certain size the air requirements get hard to handle on a utility hammer. I just want to point out, that not all utility hammers are created equal. I've met some home made kinyons that were horrible, but if you think all utilities suck, and you haven't tried an Ironkiss, you owe it to yourself to check one out. The Bulls aren't made anymore, but I can crack an egg with mine or do huge single blows.

I wasn't as thrilled with the Big Blu I've played with, but it may not have been set up correctly.

FWIW, I've only got about $1500 total in both compressors, but they're used units, I had to replace the motor on one of them (I bought it without one). Having that air has opened me up to a world of useful pneumatic tools that I never could run previously, so I think that's another bonus.
 
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I know the Iron Kiss hammers very well. John Larson who manufactures them is a member of my blacksmith guild and I've run his hammers a lot over the years. I can say with complete confidence that his hammers are some of the highest quality machines I've ever seen. The 50lb hammer is a great, snappy little forging machine and would work well for general forging and smaller damascus work. Note, when I say "smaller" I mean I'd probably run a 1 1/2"x2 1/2"x6" billet on it with confidence, but going a lot bigger than that you'll want more machine. I can also tell you that the 50# Iron Kiss does require an external compressor, but it needs much less of one than other hammers.

If you're thinking about it at all, call John and talk to him. He will give you the 100% straight truth on his hammers. John is one of the most straight shooting guys I've ever encountered. When he gives you a spec for what his hammers need, it's dead on as he spends a lot of time testing, understanding, and improving his hammers.

As I said, I've spent a lot of time running his hammers, so fire away with any questions you have and I'll happily answer what I can.

Edit: If you have a little time to look for a deal, watch Craigslist for compressors. I picked up a nice used unit with a Quincy two stage head and an 80 gal tank for $300 a while back, and I've seen loads more since then in the $300-500 range.
 
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As Ed says cheap and air hammer do not go together at all; but then thats true with most tools of quality. Mechanical hammers can be acquired for less money than an air hammer; but to me air hammers are the most versatile of all hammers.
I've had a 100lb Big Blue hammer in my shop since 2001 and its been in steady operation since then. Air supply is a 5hp dual with a 100 gal tank and 1 inch lines. An air hammer is well worth saving for; the work they do makes it so.

Fred
 
A powerhammer will make life much easier in the shop! I agonized about what to buy for a long time. I wanted a self contained hammer for the same reason as most, i didn't want to deal with compressor issues. Since Tom Clark passed, it has been difficult to figure out where to find a say-mak, so i researched Anyang. Most smiths are dead set against chinese hammers because they got a bad rap due to quality control issues that i believe had to do with reps here in the US, and for the simple reason that most want to buy american. James Johnson is the U.S. rep for Anyang, and he goes above and beyond to make sure you are getting a quality machine. I settled on an Anyang 88 (88 pound) and i am extremely impressed with this machine. James Johnson installs some simple check valves to help the oiling system run more efficiently. These machines are designed to forge 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week. I had talked to many smiths about the Anyangs, including the late Grant Sarver, and Ted Simon (who has six 88's!). I got my 88 in early january and have been very happy. It hits like a striped ape, seems like a much bigger hammer than an 88 pound. Since i wanted a hammer that i could still buy parts for down the road, and a rep i could count on to be there if problems did happen, i decided to buy new. It was a difficult decision to spend $10,000 on a tool, but it has made me money from the get go. I do ornamental work, and am just starting to really forge blades when i have no other work on the books (which is most of the time since i just started my metal business full time in january). IMG_2041.jpgphoto-3.jpgIMG_2040.jpg
 
By the way my name is Brian! I introduced myself here around six months ago, maybe i should re-introduce myself. I just wanted to show another option in the hammer category, James Johnson at Anyang USA has been great to deal with, and i would like to see him succeed. If i could have found an american made hammer to suit my needs, i would have gladly spent the money. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for, and it won't be cheap. Grant Sarver told me that he sees so many smiths driving $40,000 dollar trucks, but they are skimping on buying a hammer that will make them lots of money!
 
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