Homebuilt power hammers

Self Made Knives

Self Made Knives

Well-Known Member
I've been a stock removal maker only so far, but forging is on my "to do" list. I kind of like building tools and I'm really getting interested in building a hammer. The Little Giants and similar are crazy expensive, so I'm looking at the home brew route.

There are three common hammer concepts that it seems most home builders use. The Spencer tire hammer, the Kinyon air hammer, or a helve hammer. You can get plans for all 3 styles.
Spencer hammer.jpg Kinyon hammer.jpg helve hammer.jpg

Our own Jesse Helms uses a helve hammer, his is a beast. I met a guy at the Branson Hammer-in last year that said he loved his tire hammer. And there are some great videos on the Kinyon style, they look really smooth.

So, age old question: Which is the best? Maybe some of you guys that have been exposed to these more have some first hand comparisons. I've seen a Little Giant in person a long time ago, but that's it.

I think I've found a RR car axle for the anvil post, got to go pick it up still yet. I've got 2 sizes of I-beam , some 3/4" plate and other miscellaneous stuff, but I need to decide what I want to build before I collect any other material. Help?
 
I have been researching hammers for about a year, and found that the Kinyon air hammer's success determines on the head design, some designs may cause the ram's shaft to bend in certain conditions. The Ray Clontz/Clay Spencer tire hammer from what I have seen is rock solid and scales up or down depending on how big you want it. Helve hammers get the job done, but I would build a tire hammer before one because the tire hammer takes up less space and has less stuff moving around that someone could get bowed up in.

I was planning on building a tire hammer this winter, and actually have, and was planning to use a RR car axle blank like your saying. Iron Kiss Air Hammers (which are damn nice hammers) use a weight ratio of 25-20 :1, so if the hammer head is 25 lbs, the RR axle anvil assembly and base plate should be about 625 lbs. The hardest thing I found to source with the tire hammer was the spring, which I read several places is available through Clay.
 
I've used and owned a lot of power hammers over the years, including all of those mentioned/pictured. Of the three, The Tire Hammer is by far the one I would choose. Its the simplest design and build of the three. Its also the least troublesome to own and maintian. The one aspect I will point out is that IF you build a Tire Hammer, I would emplore you to ensure you build in a guard for that spring. I've been on one when the spring broke.....without a guard I would have been dead.

Personally, I've come to dislike any air hammer that isn't self contained. There's just too many things that can (and often do) go wrong, and by the time you purchase an adequate compressor, you're in the same price range as a self contained model.

As far as the Helve hammer...... its my least favorite of the three. All those different angles of motion are a receipe for things breaking. I've seen a couple of those type hammers literally come apart during use.

Having said all that, I certainly am not berating anyone who owns or uses any of those hammers..... I simply have personal opinions on each, based on building and/or using them. I've gone the entire route in my career from Homemade hammers (both mechanical and air), to Little Giants, and currently own/use a Say-Mak air hammer. We all come at things through the lens of our own experiences. The only "step up" I could ever see for me from the Say-Mak would be something like a 3B Nazel. :)

Whatever direction you choose, my advice is to "overbuild" the main "structure", which includes the main parts, and ensuring that the welds are the best they can be. Something else that I think is worth mentioning..... take a note from the designers of the Little Giant hammers....bolts and pins should NOT be anything other then simply "iron" (no grade 5 or grade 8 bolts/pins). Using softer bolts and pins will generally prevent breaks/accidents from being serious (bolts or pins will "give" or break before any major parts will), where as using bolts and pins that are stronger then the parts they hold often cause serious damage to the machine, and also increases the threat of serious bodily harm to the operator.
 
Ed, I'm glad you commented! For those considering building a hammer, first hand experience is everything, which I don't have. I've heard some good things about the tire hammers, but you never know. Some I've seen online looked a little flimsy or weren't bolted down maybe. I think I may buy the plans from Mr Spencer, thanks.
 
I'm in just about the same boat, debating hammers and styles, also trying to decide if I want to build a press instead, I really want both, but the budget will only allow 1 at a time. My perspective is that of a blacksmith who also makes knives and I want room to use tooling in a hammer which is one area the tire hammers seem to fall short. Other than that, and the lack of single hit control as with air hammers, I have heard only good feedback for the Clay Spencer style hammers. I wish Clay (or someone)was still hosting workshops to build them.
 
If someone knows of plans for a tire hammer, please post them.
 
Here's the info from an email for the plans I'm thinking about buying from Clay Spencer:

The Tire Hammer plans are $30, postpaid. Send a check or money order to Clay Spencer, 73 Penniston Pvt. Drive, Somerville, AL 35670-7013. Or Paypal $32 to clay@tirehammer.com.Thanks,
Clay
 
it is way easier building a press than a psycho-jumping ton of steel ;)
helve and tire should be well balanced around beefy axles to run smoothly and all of 3 need a solid foundations, not to mention the needed mass and welding works which should be state of the art.
I would kill for a nice hammer, but i'm not sure i would save money trying to do it myself over finding a good used one...certanly not given i wouldn't probably be up to the task doing it myself.
 
There is a blacksmith in AL that knows Clay and has a license from him to build tire hammers of his design, he also sells many of the components if you want to build your self. I probably still have his contact info if some one wants it, message or email me. Prices were reasonable I'm just undecided on what I want to do just yet.
 
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