my ? Is which one should I buy? I am looking at the air powered baliegh or the dake . My budget is $10, 0000 with dies and ready to go. Just wondering what everyone has used and what do you think?
I have no personal experience but I am pretty sure @cornfieldcustoms has a Baileigh power hammer although I think it's one of their big ones.
If you've got the room get a Pullmax. They can shear, cut circles, cut & form louvers, with custom die holders you can duplicate any beading or beltline, tip an edge, and with planishing dies do all the work of an air hammer. And doming and shrinking dies.
Yes, but can I get a pull max and dies for$ 10,000? The baliegh air powered one and the dake are both around 6500, that leaves me 3500 to tool up with. The dake seems awesome, has anyone used one? And the air powered baliegh, how much air do I need?
Would mention the metalshaping thread Jim, Toreador, from nearby Nashua, NH, built (see his demo) a power hammer.
A 'Pullmax' is a reciprocating machine and a hammer is, well, a hammer. They do different things. In order of usefulness a reciprocating machine, like a Pullmax, will have far more shop time than a hammer. However, if you want to do serious coachwork you'll have both. As far as tooling for either, you'll find you'll be making your own tooling for the most part. You even make the tooling to make the tooling, if you follow my meaning. With a 10K budget you should be able to find a nice Pullmac with some basic industrial tooling and get yourself outfitted. You'll need a bigger budget for a proper hammer.
As an example a used/new equipment dealer in Albert Lea Minnesota located a Pullmax P5 in Michigan for me that I did purchase. A few years later I found a P3 7 miles from my shop which I also bought and resold. Purchase price for each was less than $2000.00 Some years ago yes. Recent work forming floor channels in a new box for a 37 Dodge Brothers PU with shop made tooling.
Another vote for a Pullmax. No knock on a hammer but a Pullmax has much more versatility. They're few and far between so you'll need patience. Then again, there are fewer people looking for one, especially at an auction. Same as if you were shopping for a car-do regular searches and start documenting what price range they sell for. Also, get hip to what sort of price you'd be looking at to have it shipped from out of State. May very well need 3 phase power, especially for a big unit. Consider yourself lucky if you find one within a days drive and can go get it yourself with a lowboy trailer. Do a national search for shop/industrial auctions. If you score one for a real decent price you may make out, even with truck delivery. Friend of mine bought an out of state CNC center with tooling so cheap he was able to have it trucked in and still made out great. Here's a monster P8; https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/au...0050/lot-2fbb8d75-798b-484d-a9c0-a9a0001f8ee7
This might still be available Jim. A P6.... https://hgrinc.com/?all=1&view&aisl...=pullmax&per_page=24&min_price&max_price&pn=1 and another source for parts etc....http://www.toolsforshaping.com/pullmax-tools--accessories.html
BTW that P8 went for 3950CDN$ + taxes + buyerès premium, it was 20 miles from my place. I picked up this P3 three weeks ago for 575USD$ https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/au...0252/lot-88310458-b478-4f5b-88fd-a95b010215e9 This one for sale right now for 5,000$ CDN ( 3000$US ) right now https://www.lespac.com/becancour/ou...=YT0wJmI9MSZjPTUxMzE4NjU2JmQ9MA&requester=SCH Prices are all over the map for these things....
I’m going to jump on board with the pull max kid down the street from me has one in his shop great machine. He got his at auction but it was pricey even there.
So, what does a recip machine like a pull max do that a hammer doesn’t? I want to make body lines and pound out shapes that I can finish on my wheel.
I happen to have a brand new TM Technologies power hammer that was never used. I bought it 2 years ago and never used it . I do have a lot of dies with it and no use for it now. Willing to take a loss . Vic
If you've got a wheel already defiantly start with a Pulamax then maybe a pneumatic plannishing hammer then replace your wheel with a mechanical power hammer over time. The Pulmax machine or similar has a positive stroke allowing you to "press" beads, body lines, flanges etc. & they're easy to make your own tooling. They also have the ability to shrink using thumbnail dies or dies similar to an Echold machine. If you can come up with the extra cash Beileigh makes a "power hammer" that allows you to lock out the spring and make it a fixed stroke like a Pullmax. It's the smaller hammer they offer. If you ever want to try out a Pullmax or Power Hammer you're welcome to come to the shop and run both our machines.
THAT would be a sweet machine, anything Kent offers is top shelf stuff. I get stuff for my Rams Head hammer from him, he is one of the best in the business.
For precision work such as body lines and other detailing a bead roller and or reciprocating machine is ideal depending on many factors. An easy inexpensive way to "pound out" shapes is do so with bossing hammers on a shot bag followed by wheeling to smooth. Muscle work on a shot bag can be eliminated with the rarely mentioned Helve Hammer. Much can be learned using simple tools before moving into power equipment. Trouble is all the equipment mentioned in this thread has a place. There is some overlap of course. Let your experience and requirements guide you in the selection sequence. Hammer away!!!
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