I was going to grab a Harbor Freight planishing hammer only to find out they're discontinued and no one has any left in stock. So I started looking into making my own. I already have a Sioux Tools 3X rivet hammer and the frame design seems pretty simple. My biggest hang up right now is I can't find the dies for any cheaper than $45 a pop! The whole HF unit was $65. Are there any cheaper die sets out there I'm not finding? My plan B is the $150 unit from Northern Tool but it's mentally difficult to pay twice as much for the same unit HF used to sell...
I responded on the Garage Journal as well but it basically boils down to the fact that when the tool is only $150 why would anyone build their own and then use the same cheap crappy dies you get with that $150 unit to save a few dollars?
When you start with the word "cheap" you already have 1 strike against you. Not to pay $150. because it's twice the price of the cheap hf discontinued Chinese made unit is strike 2. Now I may get a lot of shit because of my opinion but I believe if you can't afford it don't do it. Pat
If it's something you use once in a great while, what's the problem with trying to save some money? I'd buy the best on anything if I could afford it, and if it's something I use a lot, then I'll save until I can get it.
The point isn't about wanting to save money the point is how many people are going to make their own hammer to buy cheap dies to justify anyone taking the time to make them if you can buy the whole thing for $150. HF sold the things for $90 most of the time and they obviously didn't feel they were selling enough of them to make it worth their while. By the time you buy a rivet gun for a head, the dies, steel for the frame and stand, a pedal to operate the thing, fittings and hoses for that then factor in welding gas, wire, cutoff wheels, paint etc for $150 most people will just say fuck it I will just buy the damn thing. Now if you wanted to make a better quality one it would make sense but then you would be defeating the purpose by buying cheap dies for it so it boils down to there is more than likely a VERY limited market for anyone looking for cheap planishing hammer dies.
Like I said, if I can't find cheaper dies plan B is to buy that unit. I'm trying not to drop $400 making a tool I've never used before just to try it out. I can put the money and time into making a nicer tool once I've had some experience with one.
My point was someone is already manufacturing cheap planishing dies in mass quantities since Northen Tool, Eastwood, and HF all sell the same unit. I was thinking maybe they existed on their own somewhere but I couldn't find them.
On something like a planishing hammer or english wheel, the dies are exactly where you should be spending your money. Those cheap dies are worthless. Put those cheap dies in the most expensive hammer out there, and you aren't going to get good results. Dies are 100% worth it. If I was hell bent on not buying a set, I would spend the time to machine, harden, and polish my own.
The Jalopy Journal
