Dear Fellow Metalsmith,
Thank you for your interest in these fine products. As a working smith I know that, while “the tool does not the craftsman make”, having good dependable tools to work with sure does make it easier to do great work!
In the Navy, a jet fighter is termed a “weapons platform”. The Sahinler Air Hammer is designed as a tool platform. It’s +8” stroke, 12” throat ( SM50), instantly interchangeable die setup and sensitive throttle control combine to produce an unbeatable force. Put yourself in control of that steel. With a Sahinler Air Hammer and some Hammerhead Dies steel has met it’s match and will capitulate to your commands.
The self adjusting ram makes working different sizes and thicknesses of material a breeze. I’ve worked 1/2 x 6 edgewise ( yes, even at 6 inches the ram stiill has enough power to move the metal!), then flopped it 90 degrees to the 1/2” thickness and, by opening the throttle slightly with my foot, hammered the thin way. Then back again to the fat way. Instantly. This feature not only facilitates radical size variations but is fantastic when using tools between the dies. Hand set tools, spring tools, die tools-the possibilities are truly endless.
The heart of any machine is its electrical system. I outfit all of my Sahinlers with state of the art high efficiency American made motors: single phase motors by Baldor and three phase motors by General Electric. On the SM50 these are 10 hp, with plenty of reserve power. I also install a Siemens pushbutton electromagnetic safety starter, a feature missing on our competitors machines.
The versatility of the Sahinler line continues to shine through with our base system. The idea behind the base is simple. You want to have a machine that stays put when you’re using it, but is easily moveable when it’s time. The fabricated steel base, which stands 10 inches high, floats on 5 neoprene strips that interface the steel with your concrete floor. A floor-bolted flange at the front prevents the machine from walking. Simple. The steel gives a much better return action than wood and the base has forklift slots for easy transport.
Experience counts. I’ve been providing these terrific hammers to the North American blacksmithing and metal fab community since 1989. All the while I have maintained my business as a sculptor, furniture maker and architectural metalsmith, using an SM50. In this time I have become intimately knowledgeable about this beautifully simple machine. I have developed dies that work, made of S7 alloy steel that lasts.
You work hard with a difficult material. Make your job easier, more productive and, yes, more fun. A Sahinler Air Hammer, coupled with some Hammerhead Dies will go a long way toward satisfying these requirements.
Happy Hammering!
Brian
