Tim McCoy Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 I just finished a lengthy search of IFI and couldn't find an answer to this: Will stainless steel work for a hammer head?? While at the scrap steel yard I found a 1 1/5 x 6" 5# piece of stainless round bar - unknown composition = $3. Shiny and hard I had to have it, now what to do with it? I would like to make a hammerhead, but am unfamiliar with how it might hold up under hot work. I am thinking; cut off 2#, heat it, shape it like a BBS2 hammer, oil quench it and smack something. Thanks ahead of time for your input and support of another beginner. The bar is milled at each end with a 45 degree bevel, and the sides have a scratchy finish like it has many small rings, perhaps it was turned on a lathe ... ends look like they were cut with a band saw. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Hey Tim, unless it is a 400 series stainless you can forget about heat treating it. Stainless will work harden really fast though, just try drilling a piece, and let the bit spin on the surface to see what I mean Stainless in and of itself is some tough stuff, so you could probably use it as is for some time. It also holds up well to high temps. Sounds like you have been having fun out on your scrounging expeditions :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 The stainless steels which do harden via heat-treating will harden in air. They are difficult to forge, barely moving under the hammer. I just about wore myself out last time I played with the stuff. Of course, if you have access to a power hammer... Or a striker... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Seelye Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Just curious, How do you know it's stainless? I would be reluctant to hit anything that I didn't know what it was. I have a friend that had a chip of a hammer head under his scalp for a couple hours because he hit something almost as hard with it. Just my opinion... but I would stick with what I knew for a hammer head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 One of the favorite hammers in my shop is unhardened, (Lynch collection, my guess is that it went through a bomb induced fire in Europe during the war...) It still works fine on mild steel when the mild steel is Hot! It also doesn't ding my anvil or mess up my hardy when students use it in learning mode. If you want a SS hammer I would make one and use it. if you want to be hardcore about it hammer the face to work harden it a bit at the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McCoy Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Thanks to you all! It is stainless - and it is somewhat soft at this point - I dented it ... so now I just have to finish the forge and get'er hot. I'll leave it "soft" and see what happens once worked. Photos later. Maybe a linemans hammer style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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