brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Here are some hammers that LDW and I forged last week for a horseshoing school in Denmark. They were forged by hand with a striker one at a time. Each took less than an hour to forge, then I ground and heat treated them in about 20 hours. By the time I put the handles in, there will be about 32 man hours in 8 hammers. P.S. We finally have internet access back, so I'll be checking in more regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bush Bugger Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Great work brianbrazealblacksmith a lot of hammer work where they ground on a linsher,or belt sander? and great attention to detail as the finish is perfect ,how the steel colours have come out thanks for the pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Are there 3 different weights Beautiful job as always Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.pierson Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Brian, Those really show the color run on them. Did you polish them up before HT? Looks great and glad to see you two back on line. I know I missed your input on here. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Thanks, guys. I used a belt sander to grind them and a wire wheel to take the scale off. There are 4 different weights. 3 1/2# to 1 1/2#. We used 2" round for the big one, 1 3/4" round for the next three, 1 5/8" round for the next two, 1 9/16" for the next one, and 1 7/16" for the last one. Farriers prefer lighter hammers usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Are these made from 4140 like the others ? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 Most of them are 4140, but the three made from 1 3/4" are made with 1045. I wish I had a source of 1045 like I have for 4140. 1045 is sure alot easier to move than 4140. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 very nice and whatever you did with those pictures makes it open up nice, (the picture of the ear rings was huge) I am sure they will be pleased with the hammers, I keep mine close by at all times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Just a question. Why not use a power hammer you use a powered belt sander? You do great work by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 Just a question. Why not use a power hammer you use a powered belt sander? You do great work by the way. I don't have a power hammer. When I can afford one, I will get one. If I could afford it, I'd have induction heating, robots, power hammers, and computers doing all this forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 If you had robots and computers your hammers would be worth 10 bucks like all the other hammers at Home Depot. As a professional smith you can't afford not to have a power hammer. I went form living with my parents to owning a home partially because I have a power hammer. Started with a used 50 lb star hammer I got for $1500. Now I have a Tom Clark hammer I would be lost without it. You are a good smith BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 I'm not in the hammer making business. I only make them when I need them or when someone else wants to learn how to make them or when someone asks me to make them. I know that making them with a striker is a bit "barbaric", but it can be done relatively efficient, and there are alot of people out there that would like to learn how to forge. I doubt that I'll ever stop forging with hand hammers, but I know it can be done more efficiently with modern technology. I'm talking about forging technology, Heat, Hold, and Hammer. That is all there is to forging, basically. You heat it up, hold it under the dies, and hit it. When I say "dies", I'm not just talking about power hammer dies. Top and bottom tools are dies and so are the surfaces of your hand hammer and anvil. I can change dies much quicker with my hand hammer or with a striker with top and bottom tools. When I get around power hammers, the first thing I do is make more dies for that hammer. I'm starting to ramble now, so I'll get back to your point. I agree wtith your point about needing a power hammer to produce work for the market, but I'm not trying to sell my work. I will sell anything I make, but I'm still looking for my place in the world before I hang out my shingle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Nine hammer heads.. they all look almost alike.. except for size... I have found, due to insufficient practice.. the first looks of a series looks ok, the second looks better ... the third gets thrown away forth is ok and the fifth gets thrown away... yes I have gone 1 at a time or in pairs.. Brian, great work as always! Cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 Thanks, Cliff. I know what you're talking about, but the tooling made these. All I had to do was hold them under the dies, and they practically made themselves. The people who took the hammer making classes know what I'm talking about. I made the tooling for these hammers with 1" hardy holes in mind, and it really did simplify the process and cut down on the amount of tools I had to carry around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscar C Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 good looking hammers brian! induction heating robots would be awesome!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 Brian, fine job! Ive always been a fan of rounding hammers. I have two that I use regularly. A 1 1/2# for small delicate work and a 2 1/4# I use for most regular forging. They have always just felt better for me. I suppose its the short round design, my 2# champion cross peen is made like that too.. . I am also technilogically impaired when it comes to moving metal We dont have a power hammer either and we'er not exactly in the best place to find one. When your trying to move big chunks of damascus or HC stuff it sure makes you wish you had one dont it?? If you decide to start selling your hammers Id love to check on a 3-3 1/2 pound rounding hammer like in your pics above..Have a good one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortdog Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 Brian-- The hammers look fantastic. I like the shape and balanced look they have. That's some very nice work there! Any chance of you posting some pictures of the tooling you used on them. I'm assuming a top/ bottom fuller, but what else? Thanks-- Wesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted February 6, 2010 Author Share Posted February 6, 2010 Brian-- The hammers look fantastic. I like the shape and balanced look they have. That's some very nice work there! Any chance of you posting some pictures of the tooling you used on them. I'm assuming a top/ bottom fuller, but what else? Thanks-- Wesley This is the anvil, and the other pic is the tools minus a hand hammer, sledge hammer, and flatter. Kboy, I will make a hammer for anyone who askes me to, but I don't just make them up and try to sell them. I'd rather show others how to make their own hammer. Making a hammer will teach you alot about forging, and it's a good way to start to learn. I wish I would have done it from the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Brian, I have found it is often about the tooling. I don't do enough forging for it to be worth while to make a great number of tools. I don't know how many times I have said .. "If I just made a tool to do that i could take out this many steps/ heats/ hammer blows.. and frustration. One of the best things I have built myself was a guillatine/ fuller... love your hammer design by the way. One of the funniest things I ever heard was "I'll bet I could do that! If I had the tools and only knew how...." I has laying a hard wood floor at an orthopedic surgeons home. I am a carpenter by trade. The doctor was talking to my boss. The least funny moment was when I was working my forge one day and said the same thing... You give me encouragement with every picture and project, Cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steeler Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Wow those are great looking tools! I'm inspired. Steeler. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentBob Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Brian, Do you slit and drift with a single tool? Or is the lower one, below the drift, of the handled tools the slitter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted February 14, 2010 Author Share Posted February 14, 2010 Brian, Do you slit and drift with a single tool? Or is the lower one, below the drift, of the handled tools the slitter? The handled tool is a slot punch. I punch the hole with the punch, and then I'll use the drift next to draw out the cheeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentBob Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Brian, I’m fascinated by your few tools and obvious success forging with them. I have a thousand questions, I hope you don’t mind. The first picture looks like it shows the slug from punching with the slot punch, but the picture of your tools looks like the punch is sharpened. Would you show a picture of the punch? It would be hard to drive a flat punch that size through that thick of steel. But the hole looks clean, do you get fewer rags with this method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted February 15, 2010 Author Share Posted February 15, 2010 I rarely use a flat punch for punching holes. Most all of my punches have the same grind. They do punch clean holes and the plug will fall out unless your not lined up properly on the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I have just about left my Tom Clark cross pien in the rack lately...I love my Brazeal hammer. The coolest part is that I "helped"...when not missing and sending things flying across the shop! Great hammer! Thanks again for the experience Brian. Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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