Power Forging Hammers for Blacksmiths

Machine Shop Quality Air Forging Hammers for Artists, Blacksmiths, Bladesmiths, Hobbyists, Ornamental Iron Shops, and other Power Hammer Users

Iron Kiss Hammers, LLC produces air powered forging hammers for discerning power hammer users who insist on quality in the products they make and use. A Baltimore, Maryland business for over a decade, Iron Kiss has focused upon direct selling in the mid-Atlantic region along with delivery and installation. Marketing has been by word of mouth and by hammer demonstrations at blacksmithing events.

Power Hammers for 2010

Hammer head sizes available in 2010 are 50 (new), 75 (new), 100, 125, and 150 pounds. The ratio of anvil + base plate weight to hammer head weight is 25:1 for the Octagon 50, 20:1 for the Octagon 75, and the larger hammers are available with 16:1 or (new) 20:1 ratios. All hammers are priced at less than $2.50 per pound of total hammer weight, easily the best deal in the market. Prices start at $3800 freight on board for the Octagon 50. For further information, see the Pricing page.

Types of Power Hammers

Power hammers have been available in several basic styles for well over a century. Mechanical hammers of this era use a crankshaft, connecting rod, and springs arrangement to produce the reciprocation of the hammer head. Air hammers use an air cylinder to power the hammer head and are of two types depending upon how air pressure is produced to drive the hammer head cylinder. Self contained air hammers use a crankshaft and connecting rod arrangement to drive an air cylinder to pump the hammer head cylinder. Utility hammers use a separate commercially available air compressor to power the hammer head cylinder. Utility hammers driven by steam were originated more than 150 years ago to help build the first steam ships.

Iron Kiss hammers are utility hammers.

Utility Hammer Advantages

All blacksmith power hammers are intended for the same work, but go about it differently. Air hammers tend to have more stroke length flexibility compared to mechanical hammers. Mechanicals often need the connecting rod length adjusted with a wrench for a new stock thickness. Mechanical hammers have a slapping blow that uses the rebound of the hammer head to assist reciprocation. In dramatic contrast, Iron Kiss air hammers, like the old steam hammers, have a squishing blow that accomplishes more blacksmithing work without loss in speed.

Utility hammers have the virtue of being quiet when they are not forging and standing ready for immediate use. When the air compressor is located outside the work area the only thing you hear is the fire in the forge. By contrast, self contained air hammers have a running motor and pumping cylinder that are noisy. Users soon develop a habit of manually turning the machines off and on as they reheat their metal. However automatic this reflex becomes, it is time consuming and counter productive for the busy blacksmith. Typically, the air compressor for a utility hammer starts and stops automatically when the tank is recharged.

Another virtue of the utility style of power air hammer is that it is less expensive. To include a devoted air pump in a self contained hammer approximately doubles the cost of production. And the air compressor's high volume, low pressure characteristics make it useless for powering the compressed air system of the blacksmith's shop. The air compressor used for the utility hammer, by contrast, does this double duty and as far as cost goes, modern air compressors are relatively affordable and available from many suppliers. Plus, many users find it easy to buy used air compressors much cheaper than new prices.

Iron Kiss has built self contained hammers, but has focused on creating the best utility hammer on the planet.

The Octagon Design Series

Iron Kiss power hammers in the proven Octagon Series are available in 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 pound hammer head weights. The name of the series comes from the octagon shape of the hammer head and bottom die block. This shape provides eight alternative die positions so that, for example, left-handers can be comfortable using the machine. Old time machines were set up for right handed users and left-handers had to adapt. Iron Kiss hammers are user friendly.

The hammer uses a massive solid steel anvil and baseplate, a box beam frame and hammer head cabinet, and a 1" solid steel top plate. All critical bolted connections are in tension, not in shear, for maximum design integrity. The frames of the box beam and hammer head cabinet and the anvils are of welded construction. The large mass of steel used provides a power hammer that stays put during operation without being bolted to a special foundation, a virtue of Iron Kiss hammers.

Iron Kiss provides machine shop quality at affordable prices, producing small machines for hobbyists and artists and larger machines for industry. Every part of the machine has been machined in some way. Commitment to quality is at the heart of the quest to build the best utility hammer on the planet.

Mechanical movements are kept inside the hammer head cabinet. Mechanical hammers and some air hammers are known for having exposed works that can be dangerous to blacksmiths when linkages and springs break. Guards created for those hammers to contain broken linkages tend to be ugly.

Art Deco Styling

Iron Kiss hammers are unique in their performance and styling. Inspired by structures such as battle ships, skyscrapers, and bridges of the 1930s era in the USA, the art deco styling employs plated grade eight bolts to attach the side plates in a manner reminiscent of the riveted beams of the 1930s. The aerofoil shaped lifting eye on top of the hammer is inspired by the 1930s focus on streamlining. Surfaces and edges are kept smooth and crisp in keeping with the American modern style of art deco.

Iron Kiss Hammer Capabilities

Air cylinders in Iron Kiss hammers are relatively large and provide substantial additional force to the blow at heavy treadle while providing exceptionally snappy performance at light treadle, even at air pressures less than 80 psi. This and other pneumatic design features surpass the competition.

Stock that can be worked in the 100 pound hammer can be much heavier than in a 100 pound mechanical hammer. And with the stroke adjustment lever and stroke tuning control it is possible to adjust the die separation to suit the dimensions of the work piece and the tooling. Welding and working 3" thick Damascus billets in the 100 pound hammer is so easy that few blade makers will see the need for one of the heavier machines. Stock thicknesses obviously can be greater with the larger machines. When hammering on a railroad spike at full treadle depression you can see the spike get hotter as it is forged.

There is 9" maximum die separation on the Octagon 50 and 75. There is 11" on the larger hammers. Allowing for 3" of reciprocation stroke of the power hammer head means material plus tooling can be 6" tall on the smaller hammers and 8" tall on the larger hammers. The hammer will perform with as little as 1" of hammer head stroke for the occasional thick work piece. In contrast with many other power hammers, Iron Kiss hammers do not need a large hammer head stroke to perform strongly.

As the treadle is initially lightly depressed the hammer head reciprocates with an inch or so of stroke, and as the treadle is depressed further the stroke length grows to four or so inches at full treadle. At this point the force of the blow exceeds the needs of typical forging projects in carbon steel. Stainless steel requires more forceful blows and someone using mostly stainless steel is better served with the 125 or 150.

Power with exceptional control is a hall mark of Iron Kiss hammers. The heaviest hammer can do the lightest work, such as when tapering thick stock down to a fine point. Users find it very easy to learn how to control the hammer to do the delicate work, and they also quickly learn how to achieve full-force single blows with quick depression of the treadle.