Power Air Hammer Features - Iron Kiss Hammers, LLC.

Power and Control

Iron Kiss hammers are known for their exceptional power and control, a product of substantial research and development. Many power hammers offer one or the other but not both. Use of large air cylinders and carefully designed air flow circuits permit heavy blows far in excess of the hammer head weight and the lightest of blows for finishing work, all controlled via the treadle. A stroke adjustment lever permits setting the hammer for stock and tooling thicknesses. A tuning knob permits further refinement of the stroke length, power, and speed. It is possible for the hammer to stroke a full 11" or to set it to stroke 3" or anywhere in between. No other manufacturer offers this tuning advantage. Plus a clamping feature is provided. Users find it very easy to use these controls to suit their individual preferences.

Weights and Weight Ratios

Iron Kiss forging hammers have total weights that increase as hammer head weights increase. The Octagon 50 has an anvil and base plate combined weight more than 25 times greater than the 50 pound hammer head. This sort of ratio provides dramatic operational stability, hammer head rebound, and is a well known standard of overall hammer design excellence. For the Octagon 75 the ratio is 20:1, with a greater ratio available as an option. The larger Octagon 100, 125, and 150 hammers have ratios of 16:1 standard and 20:1 as an option. Such dramatic ratios are key performance and value considerations when comparing Iron Kiss to other brands. This is no mere "add steel and brag" feature. It makes a big difference as compared to light duty competitor machines.

Cylinders Used

No cheap foreign made aluminum parts are used in Iron Kiss hammers. Cylinders used in Iron Kiss hammers are premium steel tube Norgren units made in the USA with 2.5", 3.25", and 4" diameters. Each cylinder uses air cushions and large ports. These diameters permit the hammers to run effectively at pressures even lower than 80 psi. As a forging session is using up the air in the compressor's tank, Iron Kiss power hammers will run longer than competitive brands that need as much as 120 psi to function. Iron Kiss air forging hammers re very snappy performers in the 80 to 150 psi pressure range and can be tuned to run at least four blows per second at short strokes or tuned to run slower with longer strokes. Users can adjust their hammers to suit their preferences. Such tuning capability is nowhere else found in the industry and is the product of years of research and development.

Octagon Nomenclature

The Octagon series of Iron Kiss forging hammers derives its name from the eight-sided hammer head shape. Reminiscent of the old heaviest-duty Nazel hammers, the costly to produce octagon shape provides precision surfaces for the V-guides and also eight alternative die positions. The bottom of the hammer head and the bottom die holder block are easily rotated to fit the needs of left handed smiths, for example. This is even better than the good old days.

Dies

Dies are available in traditional flat or combination flat/fuller configurations. One set of flat dies is supplied with each power hammer. They are dovetailed and attached to the hammer with traditional tapered wedges. Combination dies are available at extra cost. Unusual dies from other identifiable suppliers are available. Ordinarily made of heat treated 4140 or 4340 steel, dies are also available in S-7 alloy at higher cost. Owners are not tied to Iron Kiss in making their future die purchases. Iron Kiss Hammers are designed to last for decades with components that can be acquired easily from commercial sources. For example, pneumatic components are from Norgren, a central USA company doing world-wide sales and service.

Height

The new Octagon 50 and 75 hammers are 78" tall for easy maneuvering through doorways and under low ceilings. These sweethearts are industrial strength, but affordable and intended for hobbyists and small art studios. The 100 pound hammer is 86" tall and the 125 and 150 pound hammers are 87" tall. The top lifting eye is removable where ceiling height is restrictive. The Octagon 100 is industrial strength and will do quite heavy duty work that exceeds what other brands' 150 pound-plus machines do. Really! The bottom die is 36" above the floor on the 50, 75, and 100 pound hammers and 37" on the other two hammers. The two smaller hammers use a 9" maximum stroke and the three larger machines use a 11" maximum stroke. If a special request is made for more stroke distance, hammer height increases 3" for every additional inch of stroke--the air space between the dies increases by an inch, the cylinder increases by an inch, and the hammer V-guides increase in length by an inch.

Throat Depth

The distance from the center of the dies to the frame of the hammer is 11" or more for all hammers. With the dies set in the 45 degree angled position, there is ample clearance at the frame for forging long and wide objects. Larger throat depths are available as an option. Dies may be set for left-handed users very easily. Iron Kiss designs are very user friendly.

Machine Shop Quality

Every piece used in an Iron Kiss Hammer is machined for accuracy and adherence to quality standards. Standards in the building process have been developed to ensure fit and finish consistent with expectations of discerning users. Cheaper methods of production that compromise quality are not permitted. Design features are consistent with the Iron Kiss quest to produce the best utility air forging hammer on the planet.

Anvil Widths

Anvils increase in width as hammer heads get bigger. The Octagon 50 anvil is nominally 7" wide and of one-piece construction. The Octagon 75 uses an 8" wide anvil, the Octagon 100 uses a 9" anvil width, the Octagon 125 uses a 10" anvil width, and the Octagon 150 uses an 11" anvil width.

Baseplates

The baseplate on the Octagon 50 is 24"x24" and 2" thick. The Octagon 75 base plate is 26"x26"x2". The Octagon 100 base plate is 2"x28"x28". The baseplates are 3" thick and 30"x30"on the two bigger hammers. The anvils and baseplates are united to form an integral mass for excellent ratios of their weight compared to the hammer head weights. For the 20:1 versions of the 100, 125, and 150 Octagon hammers larger anvils and base plates are used. Even larger anvils and baseplates are optionally available. No other manufacturer is providing so much steel per pound of hammer head weight at under $2.50/pound pricing.

No Foundation Needed

Massive, an Iron Kiss power hammer does not "rock and roll" and "jump around" when forging. Nor does it need to be bolted to a special foundation like many old and new hammer designs do. The mass of the hammer provides this stability and provides outstanding hammer head rebound. A standard installation sets the power air hammer on a piece of 1/2" plywood with a wood or angle iron corral around the baseplate. The corral may be attached to the floor, but it is not necessary unless the floor is extremely smooth. Iron Kiss hammers have been set on timbers embedded in dirt floors. The hammers have sufficient mass to press the plywood into the pores of the concrete to provide a very stable setup. Older machines such as Nazels did not offer as much anvil mass as they perhaps should have so that special foundations were needed to absorb the shock of the blows. If you hand hammer a 10 pound sledge on a 125 pound anvil on a light stand then you know how the anvil is too small. The same concept applies exactly to power hammers. A big hammer head requires a big unified anvil and base plate.

Art Deco Styling

Iron Kiss Hammers are styled in a manner reminiscent of the structures built in the 1930s in the USA such as battleships, streamlined locomotives, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and steel mills. The yellow grade eight bolts emulate the riveted construction of the 1930s while functionally attaching the steel cladding plates. The frame work for the machine is welded construction. Made in the USA, Iron Kiss Hammers provide machine shop quality at under $2.50 per pound.

Long Hammer Head Bearing Surfaces

Iron Kiss forging hammers use long octagonal steel hammer heads reciprocating in long V-guides of malleable iron for the ultimate in precision adjustment and long life bearing surfaces with critical rigidity at maximum stroke. The carbon in the malleable iron makes a superior bearing material that blacksmith power hammer manufacturers have used for more than a century. Standard grease gun fittings allow easy maintenance greasing. The hammer head slides in the V-guides that are precisely set during manufacture, and it is easily possible in a matter of a few minutes to adjust the settings as the hammer ages. This will be seldom needed because the malleable iron V-guides are so long wearing. This guide system was developed over a decade and is considered to be the best guide system in the world.

Cylinder Sizes Used

Cylinder bores are 2.5" for the Octagon 50, 3.25" on the 75, 100, and 125 pound hammers and 4" on the Octagon 150. These relatively large cylinders provide very snappy performance at air pressures even lower than 80 psi. It is a myth that smaller bore cylinders reduce air usage and that is because the smaller bore cylinders require higher pressures. Some competitive brands will not operate very well below 120 psi, which is nearly twice as high as the Iron Kiss hammers. Cylinder stroke lengths are 1" longer than hammer head strokes to provide a safety factor in addition to the air cushions built into the cylinders.

Name Brand Pneumatic Components

American-made and internationally distributed Norgren steel tube cylinders and aluminum valves are used. Cylinders have a life span of a decade or more. Aluminum valves wear out and need to be replaced every several years under heavy use. They will eventually wear out. Replacements and parts are available from any of the many internationally networked Norgren dealers or on the web. Norgren is a top USA manufacturer of pneumatic products with excellent service.

Air Compressor Sizing

Any power hammer will run for a short period of time on a tank full of air, and any compressor will refill that tank if you are patient. But nobody is! The key is to size your compressor and tank so that they match your forging time and reheating times. The bigger the tank, the longer a forging session; but then it takes longer for the compressor to recharge the tank. Forging a railroad spike with the 100 pound Octagon is an example of where a 5 hp 2-stage 17 cfm air compressor on a 60 gallon tank will work. Doing this "one iron in the fire" forging allows the 60 gallon tank to recharge while the spike is being reheated. Yet that same 5 hp compressor will run an Octagon 50 nonstop! It will run an Octagon 75 about 8 minutes out of 10—an 80% duty cycle. A 7 1/2 hp compressor on an 80 gallon tank will permit continuous forging with the Octagon 100. With the 125 pound hammer a 10 hp compressor on an 80 gallon tank is recommended for continuous forging. On the 150 pound hammer a 15 hp compressor on at least an 80 gallon tank is recommended for continuous forging. Less than 100% duty cycles permit smaller compressors to serve larger machines. Up to 10 hp is available in single phase electrical current. A novel method for increasing air supply if you should find your single-phase-electricity powered air compressor is too small is to add a second air compressor on a separate circuit breaker and to link the air lines to feed the hammer. The compressors can start and stop independently that way, and the second machine only needs to be used when doing continuous forging. That is how to use a 150 pound hammer continuously on single phase electrical current.

Features and Advantages of Iron Kiss Hammers