Welcome to Allmetalshaping Ken!:D

Rick:

Thank you.

Air Hammers
 

I think you have the wrong idea about the hammering with a rivet gun based hammer. You hold the metal on the lower die, the upper just rests against the subject metal. Inside the rivet gun, there is a piston that moves up and down hitting the upper die. So, yes, if you get your fingers in there, it will pinch. However, you'd have to work at lifting the upper die (it will only move a little) and getting your finger in there.

Now with a typical power hammer, trip hammer or helve hammer, it lifts the upper head off the material and slams it back down - so finger pinch is a real concern.

I'd look at a small rivet gun, 1x to 3x size, perhaps Kent's dies, perhaps home made to replicate the hammers you are using. Of course, regulator for air control.

Kent has done brass, copper and art work. If you look at his website www.tinmantech.com you'll find where you can send him a question and he'll get back to you.

Might not be the answer, but it's a lead.

Welcome Ken,

Just a point of clarification. The correct term is reciprocating MACHINE. They are not hammers and have no provision for storing/releasing energy. Tim Doty gave a great example..."Hammers HIT, reciprocating machines PUSH". If you start getting die to die contact with a reciprocating machine, loud, expensive things start to happen.

If you have an opportunity to get down to North Alabama, stop by for a shop visit and I can show you some of the various machines.

I have a local artist friend (Barb Lawrence aka Copperetta on the site) who works in copper and makes the most amazing copper art. Several years ago she was out and we were talking about how the group build reciprocating machines were just too big for her work. I had a momentary brain storm and came up with this:

http://allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=2494

It's been several years now and Barbmax is still going strong. I'd think something like this would work well for jewelery.

John:

You are absolutely correct I had the wrong idea about rivet guns. Thank you for clarifying how one works. A rivet gun may very well be the best solution. Thank you for pointing out Kent's site again. I will research that option and learn more about how he has worked copper and brass. I have been wondering if there were any hammers that use an internal hammer striking a tool and the rivet gun answers that question.

Kerry:

Thank you for pointing out that a reciprocating machine is not a hammer. I am slowly grasping diversity of tooling available for shaping metal and thank you for offering to let me see your shop and machines in North Alabama, I may very well take you up on that some time in the future.

I bet your machine made Barb Lawrence a happy jeweler. The right tool can make all of the difference in the world when faced with production work and deadlines.

Well it looks like what I need to do is continue to experiment with hammers and make some specific anvils or stakes until I develop the best way to do the work I need to do by hand. Continue to do research about available equipment and eventually should be able to determine the best way to step up my game so to speak. I will post some pictures soon of some of my work and challenges.