dickb Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I am relatively new to blacksmithing. A friend of mine (a machinest) suggested that I should use 1045 steel to make some drifts. It's water hardening, and in the shop where I work, they are reluctant to use oil for quenching. Second, I can get 1045 steel pretty easy. Is it suitable for a 2 1/2 pound hammer? Can an experience blacksmith tell me what is it most suitable for. Finally what are the bad points or limitations associated with 1045 steel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlpierson Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 If you look at this thread you'll see that it's Brian Brazeal's favorite steel for hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 It's probably better than most blacksmiths throughout history had to work with. There are steels that suit a particular use better, but 1045 will get ya by for just about anything, especially in hand hammer work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Dang Grant, are you sure your not related to Frosty? You look like you could be brothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Arftist! One of us is going to have to slap you for that, just as soon as we confirm with our mothers it ain't true! I'd be ROFLMAO if I hadn't been born in Everett! 1045 makes excellent drifts and hammers. It's a medium carbon steel making it tough rather than hard. Though it will make good axes, mauls, etc. and cores or layers in billets for knives it isn't quite high C enough for a stand alone blade. In general it's one of my favorite blends for tooling not intended for cutting. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Good to know as I have about 12' of barstock left over from an 8' discing axle I made years ago for a local hay farmer. He had the prettiest axle for awhile, as the only 1045 I could locate at the time was TGP - turned, ground, and polished . It isn't so pretty now after sitting outside since 1993 when I closed my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double_edge2 Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 any thing you like after you have made what size you need out of it. i use it for .............everything if i have nothing else. hammers and swedges, dies for the bender, sleeves. tongs.....leaves, legs......etc etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.Willis Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Makes good tomahawks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaylan veater Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I have made 2 hammers from it and they work really well. Gaylan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 For what it is worth, The first big industrial forge shop I worked at made several hundred tons of hand hammers for a State side tool maker, all forged on presses in 5 hits including the punched eye, and all were 1045. I have a number of the rejects that I have made into very nice hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksmth Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 The nice thing about 1045 is that after the tool is forged, you can normalize it if you want, then just heat it to approx. 1450 F and quench it in water. If the hammer has thin spots such as a very thin peen end, then it might be subject to cracking, but generally hammers of 1045 are just quenched in water. That is the way Tom Clark and Uri Hofi made 100's of hammers for their classes at the Ozark School of Blacksmithing and that is how they made many of their hammers that they sold. I did not see them normalize the forged piece, but I usually do that with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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