FlyingXS Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I am wanting to make my first hammer and I have been reading up on the popular Brazeal Style rounding hammers. I am planning on using some axels for the steel. In roughly these sizes 2" and 1 3/4" @ 4 1/2 inches long. What I am interested in knowing is how to make the rounding fuller, how deep and what diameter. Also how symmetrical and smooth it is. Is it better to have someone turn it on a lathe ve forging it? Also how big and what radii are the top and bottom fullers for doing the neck? I have already made a punch, and drift, the straight kind not the handled version. Mine will be all hand done with a striker no power hammers etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 FlyingXS, I don't know how to link any info or attach photos on this site, but several of the young smiths that I have worked with would be able to help explain everything, especially Alec Steele. Forged to finish is the most efficient way to make the tools. The "rounding fuller", which is actually a swage, only takes about fifteen minutes to make, and there are some videos out there of us making that tools. The fullers for making the cheeks and trough lines can be any size you choose as long as your hump tools are the same. There are two people in Australia that have been here and done the "Tools to make tools" curriculum that I've been teaching, that have all the tools and may be able to help you out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 I just watched a video on utube of the 3 Young Smiths making the Rounding fuller. Very well presented. Have you done a video of making a hammer? Any idea who the Aussies were??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I have, a few times, but we don't know how to put them on the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hi FlyingXS and welcome check out Alec Steele and Daniel Lea on youtube Bests Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Just Trying to work out my tool sizes. Assuming my stock starts at 1¾"Dia, and 4" long. Can I get some guidance here: What size is the Diameter of the Ball Swage/Rounding Fuller? -X The Cheek Finishing Fuller is generally about a 3" Dia is that correct? What would the typical size eye be ( A X B )? The top & bottom fullers & Hump tools I have heard that a 1½" Diameter radii/curve is used on the face but what is the thickness of the stock (Z) I'm guessing this it should be something like this sketch I did ?? Does the finished hammer vary much in size from the original stock?? Finally with the tongs. I have started on them and made my reins 18" & the jaws are 8" long but wondering where the bends go. From tip to first bend, First to second bend, and second bend to rivet. It looks to me like the First bend is about 45 Deg and the second near the rivet is about 110 Deg??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Welcome fellow Australian. (Queenslander??) I am not experienced enough to offer you any advice on your hammer making but I congratulate you on your computer skills. You young fellows are awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Welcome fellow Australian. (Queenslander??) I am not experienced enough to offer you any advice on your hammer making but I congratulate you on your computer skills. You young fellows are awesome. Thanks. I'm a Mexican down South mate. VIC. Young is a matter of prospective…….I don't feel young turning the big 40 shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 That's a lot of questions. The round swage should accommodate whatever size hammer you plan to forge. I have made different sizes for different size hammers, but my large one will do every hammer rounding hammer I would care to forge by hand and striker. I've done up to 2 1/2 inch stock, but don't recommend larger than 2 inch. My largest round swage has an inside diameter of about 2 3/4 inches. The top and bottom fullers for dividing the cheeks from the faces and drawing out the cheeks vary to whatever you like or choose, and the hump tools need to match. I usually suggest the 1 1/2 inch as a nice medium, not too big and not too small. I use thinner fullers now than the old one you have in the picture, because they move the metal easier. I still use the same radius though. They also need to fit in between the cheek area, not too long and not too short. I usually forge the top fuller out of 1 1/2 round 4140 3 1/2 inches long, and the bottom fuller out of an appropriate size to head in the 1 inch hardy hole of my striking anvil, so that would be at least 1 1/4 inch round stock. Nice sketch! For that drawing make your fullers and hump tools no wider than 16 mm and about 50 mm long. The humps can be longer because they are just for support as you drive your drift. The finished hammer length and width will depend on how much you upset as you forge the faces and then how much you forge the trough lines. It shortens and thickens when you forge the faces, and elongates when you forge the troughs. I prefer shorter hammers because I tilt my hammer a lot to forge, but some like longer hammers. You can make them how you choose. I've never measured the tongs, but the ones you have drawn will work. When done correctly, they will hold the smallest tool and the largest hammer comfortably as forged. I even use them to pick up the blocks of steel I use to make the striking anvils some times. The inside angle is 90 degrees by the way and I get that with my near and far edges of my anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Brian, Thanks for the response. I have get my head around what I'm trying to make and then I have to be able to explain it to the smith whose forge I get to use once a week. I don't have my own gear so "I'm making tools to make tools, to have tools to make more tools and projects" A bit of the Chicken or the Egg scenario. If I can, what are the dimensions of your eye drift? In terms of the hole is it twice as long as it is wide, or a little shorter? I think I read it is a constant (parallel) in terms of length of the eye but is tapered to the spread the width. Both versions have the Vee chisel grind to the tip. When using the long one as an anvil to spread the checks. Is it on the taper or is there a flat spot? Your help is much appreciated. P.S. Feel free to use any of my drawings if you feel they will be of benefit to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocko 58 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Thanks. I'm a Mexican down South mate. VIC. Young is a matter of prospective…….I don't feel young turning the big 40 shortlyH Hello fellow Mexican I'm StArnaud north west vic pm me i'll give u some details Cheers John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I know what you mean about the chicken or the egg! The shorter drift with the punch end is the egg. The complete set of tools is the chicken. I've only had to make the egg first when I fly somewhere and don't take my hammer making tools, so I'll make a hammer eye punch with the short drift with the punch on the end to punch a hole then grind the punch off then use it as a drift. The other drifts I have are longer, but they are not quite as you described. I don't usually take measurements so let's see of I can explain this. I like pill shaped eyes for my hammers and top tools because I like my handles shaped the same way. The handles I like parallel, but the eyes are tapered. The drift is tapered. It is a subtle taper. Say you make a drift out of 1 inch round stock. You will want to use some of the original 1" to make the largest eye you can get from that stock when you forge it oval, so you would taper from your original stock and then forge your desired pill shape from the base material to the end of your taper to have the same proportion of pill shape all the way down. If you were to slice it, every piece would look the same. They'd just be different sizes. On the very far end, though, you forge it thinner so that it will enter into the smallest cross section of the hole that you punched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toadharbor Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Just Trying to work out my tool sizes. Assuming my stock starts at 1¾"Dia, and 4" long. Can I get some guidance here: What size is the Diameter of the Ball Swage/Rounding Fuller? -X The Cheek Finishing Fuller is generally about a 3" Dia is that correct? What would the typical size eye be ( A X B )? The top & bottom fullers & Hump tools I have heard that a 1½" Diameter radii/curve is used on the face but what is the thickness of the stock (Z) I'm guessing this it should be something like this sketch I did ?? Does the finished hammer vary much in size from the original stock?? Finally with the tongs. I have started on them and made my reins 18" & the jaws are 8" long but wondering where the bends go. From tip to first bend, First to second bend, and second bend to rivet. It looks to me like the First bend is about 45 Deg and the second near the rivet is about 110 Deg??? The hammer tongs should have a 1 inch opening (or so) when closed so you can work on the 2" thick round stock. that makes the 110-115 degree opening closer to a 90. The idea is that the curled ends of the tong can be used as guides to make the troughs at each end of the hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Well I have made my first pair of tongs ever. They look like they will do the job, but will have to wait and see when I get to the top tool. I'm just chasing some stock metal now for the slitting punch and top tool. I have some 1½" round axle for the drift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 I have sourced some steel plate and hope to turn that into my striking anvil. I have a separate post on that in the anvil section. Tomorrow I hope to finish my slitting punch and drift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 One of the guys here makes handled Brazeal type slitters from garage sale ball pein hammers and they are a treat to use. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Making Square Holes….. Both Plates have a 1¼" Hole and one also has a 1" Hole. The rectangular plate is 3" Die Steel and the 1¼" Drift was tool steel. This one came out quite clean. My plate is mild steel (60 mm thick) and the 1" Drift was also mild steel, it didn't come out as clean and the drift did deform, where the tool steel drift didn't. We had 3 Strikers all with different sized sledge hammers so we had to move around a bit to try and keep it even. Someone (not me) also missed a few times and you can see the mild steel while hot dented quite easily. The dents will be filled with a bit of weld and ground back. I'm also going to have to redrill my oval pritchel hole round. The pritchel holes are centred to two different scribed circles with the hardie holes. So I can place a round bolster plate with a pin in the pritchel and have the holes in the punch plate line up with either hardie hole etc. The small hand held Slitting punch is made and so is the eye drift and the riser blocks. Next will be the slitting punch top tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Here are the tongs, first pair of tongs of any sort I have made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 One of the two Striking anvils we drifted square holes in. Worked a treat making the top Tool. My tools are the ones on the left, My first top tool made with the above items!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 Made a cupping tool today! Next will be the top and bottom fullers.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 Well top & bottom fuller are done so tomorrow I will start the first hammer!!! :unsure: Here is all the tool made so far. I have never welded before in my life but dragged out the old 1950-1960s buzz box that was sitting in Dad's garage and it still worked/ Please excuse the ugly welds. I'll be starting with a 2" round bar 3" long I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireInTheForge02 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 G day FlyingXS! hey if you don't mind, what did you use to cup your cupping tool? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 G day FlyingXS! hey if you don't mind, what did you use to cup your cupping tool? Cheers! Use a big sledge hammer to put the taper on then squashed (jumped the end) in the hardie hole of the striking anvil. The cupping is done by fishmouthing the squashed section, then tidying up with a flatter and a ball swag which was made from a modified tow ball. The tow ball is too round so the centre was ground flater. Sorry for the lousy description but I hope you get the idea. There are some utube videos on how to make them by Alec or Daniel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingXS Posted October 18, 2014 Author Share Posted October 18, 2014 Well the journey has come to a climax…..First Hammer!!!! It's a 4lbs monster. I don't know about a work of art but, a lot of hardwork…..So I'll appreciate it when I use it much more than any store bought item. Still needs to be hardened and the eye tempered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 That's very fine work, hoss. I would be proud to have a hammer like that in my shop. You've definitely got the skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.