# Plainishing Hammer



## mofosheee (Mar 13, 2021)

Hello
Does anybody have any resources on a home built pneumatic plainishing hammer?
Thank you


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## C-Bag (Mar 13, 2021)

How big? How fancy? Frame, portable or hand held? What’s your budget?

 Are you doing big work like dent on a car repair or little copper pieces?

There are quite a few DIY planishers on YouTube but the cheap place to start is a hand held here:


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## mofosheee (Mar 14, 2021)

Thanks for responding.  I should have been more specific.
Bench top mounted, motorcycle tanks, fenders. Budget $1250 to $1500
Home built frame, acquire a quality set of anvils, thinking of using a rivet gun per the link below;








						Chicago Pneumatic 3X Inline Riveter Used
					

PN: 11951Chicago Pneumatic 3X Inline Riveter Used    Push Button Trigger    Aluminum Rivet Capacity: 3/16"   Quick Change Spring Included




					www.yardstore.com
				



or using a scaler
or a scaling hammer


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## C-Bag (Mar 14, 2021)

I have an old 4x Skill air riveter from the 40’s right out of Lockheed’s old plant in San Diego. Even though it’s totally controllable I like my cheap little muffler cutter that Hotrod Hippy mentions in his vid for planishing. That Skill is a beast. It’s great for stretching and forming, it’s too much for planishing. You will have a panel totally stretched in seconds.

 If you watch any of the pro vids when they planish by hand it’s lots of small light hits. The same is true for air. Maybe you can work up to a large riveter when you know what you’re doing but until then you are going to do more damage and be chasing fixing what you’ve done. Creeping up on it is way better than blasting through it. Now if you want to do heavy metal shaping and forming that’s different.

That vid may seem like too basic but he knows of what he speaks. Big is not better in planishing.


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## mofosheee (Mar 14, 2021)

C-Bag
you wrote; * "That  Skill is a beast. It’s great for stretching and forming, it’s too much for planishing. You will have a panel totally stretched in seconds' * I take it that you probably throttle down the air with your 4x Skill air riveter to use as a planisher ?
If I understand you correctly,  a "needle scaler" used as a planisher hammer would deliver kinder gentler hits (the small light hits you mention) for planishing while an air riveter in my unskilled hands would do probable damage quickly.   
I have been very successful planishing by hand and want to advance my skills.  Build it once and correct with no regrets about not spending a couple of extra bucks
The author of this article mentions needle scaler; https://www.hotrod.com/articles/1206sr-planishing-hammers/
This guy (



)  responded to me; Chicago Pneumatic weld chisel or scaler


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## C-Bag (Mar 14, 2021)

Interesting links. Ron Covell is a great resource. I’m more in the Jere Kirkpatrick camp. Cost effective (cheap) DIY. To each their own. That Skill I can throttle back to just on tap, but its like trying to feather the throttle on a dragster  Jere has a great vid on making your own dies for the beader and his design for a ball cutting attachment for the lathe. So with that I’m going to make my own dies for the beader and planisher.

I’ve been using air tools for going on 50yrs (!) and for most of those years because I was strapped for cash I used HF. I was shocked when I used a Chicago it was no better. Obviously that just me but in this case I was going to replace my 1/2” HF for a 1/2” Chicago for tire work. Good thing I got to try it out as I gave it back to the tool man. HF makes nothing in the range of the old Skill, but I just bought one their needle scalers and it works great. But why do that when you are going to have to mod it to take planishing dies when i can just cut the handle off like HH did?

My take on a planisher frame would be much different, but he had some interesting ideas.


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## mofosheee (Mar 14, 2021)

Thanks for the info!    Agree with the short cut of not having to mod the needle scaler to take dies and using the rivet gun with the handle cut off.


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## C-Bag (Mar 14, 2021)

If you look at Chicago small frame hand held planishers that are BIG $$$, now why would you want a double reinforced frame, especially if a hand held unit is strong enough do fine planishing? Folks have gotten good use out of the lowly HF planisher and while obviously not top drawer, you couldn’t hardly build it for that. I am totally out of space but would rather have a small floor standing unit I can tuck out of the way somewhere than a big unit or a benchtop. But that’s my preference for what it’s worth. Like this for $3k?


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## mofosheee (Mar 15, 2021)

Yup, like that for $3K.  Beautiful unit and I'm sure it does a fine job.  I'm outta space also, that's why I'm opting for the bench top version.


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## C-Bag (Mar 15, 2021)

It seems we all have different takes and things we focus on. Like I would never do hardlines on any pneumatic. Too much trouble when poly line and push on connectors are so much easier and was easier to mod or replace. I’m not big on disks for bases either. The idea of using a foot pedal on a handheld planisher I think would bug me too.

That’s one thing about the needle scaler I really like is the way it triggers and it’s the right diameter for my hand. I got the smaller HF unit and it’s universally loved. Main reason is it’s low CFM. it does a good job even throttled way back. I’m going to have to look at it close to see what it would take to put a regular shank hammer bit in it. The other thing with the hand held like HH points out is keeping the head perpendicular to the work so you don’t gouge/ding the work with the side of the hammer. Looking through eBay I saw new to me interesting thing called the Ox planisher. It looked like a modified nailer on a metal sled. That might be a good way to not gouge the work.









						Ox Planishing Hammer / Hand Held Power Hammer - Autobody, Aviation, Sheetmetal  | eBay
					

History: During the past 39 plus years Allen Buresh, owner of Coachsmithing, has been commissioned to re-body and or refurbish classic Ferrari cars as well as Porsche, Delahaye, Cobra, Lotus and others.



					www.ebay.com


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## mofosheee (Mar 15, 2021)

I also saw the Ox planisher.   Interesting.   Don't know much about them........... but it appears rather useful.  Looks its place is probably where a bench or floor mounted planisher won't go (a body panel mounted on a car).
Quit pointing sheet out to me!   All I need are more tools.  
Not seeing HF listing pneumatic planishing tools


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## C-Bag (Mar 15, 2021)

mofosheee said:


> I also saw the Ox planisher.   Interesting.   Don't know much about them........... but it appears rather useful.  Looks its place is probably where a bench or floor mounted planisher won't go (a body panel mounted on a car).
> Quit pointing sheet out to me!   All I need are more tools.
> Not seeing HF listing pneumatic planishing tools


Hey you asked and we here at H-M are all about TAS (Tool Acquisition Syndrome ) and enabling members to drive the economy through tool purchases

Yup, several of the old standbys at HF have gone away like the planisher, the plate beader etc. only to be picked up by other companies at 2-3x’s the $$. i think it’s been a year or two. If I remember right the HF planisher was like $140? Now the same exact things are $3-500. I keep an eye out for used HF stuff. That’s how I got my beader and 3n1 and vert bandsaw etc, etc. I have been saving floor space by integrating my beader and soon my shrinker/stretcher onto the frame of my English wheel. If I ever find or make a planisher it will get tacked on to the EW too. That was a crazy good deal I wasn’t ready for but couldn’t pass it up. This is what the old HF planisher looked like:






						Woodward Fab Planishing Hammer with Stand
					

Eastwood is the best place to find a great planishing hammer for sale. This pnuematic planishing hammer from Eastwood is a quality metal forming tool.




					www.eastwood.com


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## mofosheee (Mar 16, 2021)

That is freaking awesome.  Researched the Ox on you tube.    One will find its way into my arsenal soon along with a benchtop.  
Thanks for the lead!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## C-Bag (Mar 16, 2021)

You going to buy one, or make one? With those vids I think I can make one. It looks like it’s a palm nailer with a handle and shoe on it. Great idea, just too pricey for me as I’m not in the trade.

Actually thank you for getting me on this track. This is one of the great things about riffing on tools is becoming aware of new stuff. This looks like the sweet spot between the Hotrod Hippy and the frame type planisher. I like the small size and that it's a shoe instead of a small head that can dig in and ding the work. There's no keeping the head perpendicular to the work.


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## mofosheee (Mar 17, 2021)

The Ox looks like a time saver.  Upon reviews and videos I purchased one for reasons that I have too many iron's in the fire then the time involved in converting my palm nailer.  These days, I am very time aware and what I do with mine.  We agree it's $$$ but as my mom once said;   "why don't you spend some of your money? it's just gonna go to other family members (predators) who........."  which sadly is the case.  
I'm making sure that won't happen and she would be proud of me. 
I have used my palm nailer for driving rivets (until I bought a rivet gun).  I see how it can be modified with a platform
I'll send you a "user review" of the Ox shortly.  Thanks much for the tip!


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## C-Bag (Mar 17, 2021)

I know all about those times where you don’t have the time to experiment and just want to get ‘er done. As my SO often tells me “it’s only $$”. I look fwd to your review. It sure looks satisfying in the vids.


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## mofosheee (Mar 28, 2021)

Hello C-Bag and friends
My use of a slapping hammer & dolly brought this fender to a very respectable point (wish I had before pics)  In about 5 mins the Ox hammer made it about perfect ....I'm rather impressed.  Would have saved me much time had I had this tool.  Lastly I'll be using an 80 grit detail sander before it goes in for powder coat.  Looking fwd to building a bench top version.  An English wheel is also on the horizon (ya'll know all about tool acquisition syndrome)  
Thanks again


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