stryped wrote:
On Monday, January 6, 2014 6:40:16 PM UTC-6, Clare wrote:
On Mon, 6 Jan 2014 07:48:15 -0800 (PST), "

wrote:



On Friday, January 3, 2014 12:01:35 PM UTC-5, Clare wrote:
To build a T-Bucket out of steel I would want a slip-roll
former, a planishing hammer, an english wheel, and a bead
roller - as well as a good tig welder. A rosebud torch for
annealing the steel would also be a requirement - to get rid of
the work hardening. A plasma cutter would make the job a bit
easier as well. Make a wooden buck frame and build the sheet
metal around it - kinda like an old Fisher body
Could you elaborate on when one would want to use an English
Wheel and when you would use a planishing hammer. I have not
used either, but to me it looks like a planishing hammer is kind
of like a powered English Wheel. There is another sheetmetal
tool that is kind of a mechanical planishing hammer. I can not
think of the name right now. It uses a lever action to move the
anvil. And will put a lot more force on the metal being worked.
I have been trying to think of the name so I could look at plans
on the internet. It seems to me one could make an English Wheel
and have a conversion kludge to use the same frame for a
planishing hammer. Dan
You are thinking of an arbor press. A planishing hammer and an

english wheel do the same job, but a wheel is easier to make long

smooth curves (or to smooth out the work done by a planishing
hammer)

This got me thinking. I looked at a planishing hammer set up at
harbor freight. ALl it was was an air operated air hammer in a stand.
This got me wondering. I was reading where someone built a CObra out
of Aluminum using a wood buck. (I did not realize the original Cobra
was aluminum until I read the article)

I know aluminum is much softer. Could a person use a hand operated
air hammer like this to hammer the aluminum to the form of the buck
thenjust use the English wheel to smooth out the marks left from the
air hammer? It seems too simple so I am guessing it would not work.

A planishing hammer isn't "just an air hammer" There are different dies
used top/bottom to form the metal. It also has a much shorter throw and
doesn't hit as hard as a common air chisel type hammer.

Trying to use a common air hammer on a buck will give you some serious
dents to deal with.
Oh an aluminum is easier to form, but it also takes a lot of practice to
form it and make it smooth because it is soft.

Then you need to weld it. That takes even more practice than steel.

--
Steve W.