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I Forge Iron

I wanna make a hammer and a couple other things


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Ok! I've been looking through my blacksmith books, (practical blacksmithing, the blacksmiths craft, and the village blacksmith) and I want to make some tools.

I'd like to make a cross peen hammer and a hot cut to fit under my treadle hammer.

In order to make a hammer though I need a drift. I guess that the drift coule be made from leaf spring as could the hot cut possibly! (Though the hot cut would require a whole lot of upsetting to get it thick enough for an eye.) Leaf spring, skill saw blades, and lawn mower blades are all I have on hand.

So what are hammers generaly made out of? Where do you purchase it? Do you use square or round and what size? I think that I can handle all the forging parts, though the tempering might take a couple of tries. All I want to know is what kind of steel is best used. I think I've heard 4140 and 1090! Are there junk yard pick-ups that can be used? Just a little of materials help please!
Thanks!

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i have recently started makeing hammers again (last year or 2) when i first started i made a few from car axle steel but latest ones i used 4140 i picked up from evilbay . it was relatively cheap and they came out nice ! there are a few threads on makeing your own hammers ... in fact quite a few ... ide go 4140 and temper in a oven at about 400 degrees should work well and good luck!

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Dave;
Brian Brazeal prefers 1045 but often uses 4140. 1090 is likely to be over hard for optimum hammer material though I have heard of it being used especially for small hammers. Generally axle steels are about right in alloy and sizes. Lots of farm equipment axles are 4140. Square or round are both fine and easily altered by forging. Another good source is to buy old hammers from flea markets and reforge them. Hammer heads are often available for as little as a dollar and though I usually redrift them, having a starter hole saves some time and heat. I sometimes like to use old pry bar material. In the larger sizes it is good stock for hammers though it does take a bit more effort to forge out. These are often available at flea markets or antique stores (often overpriced but if you watch you'll get some at good bargain prices). A big bar can yield enough metal for up to a dozen hammers. I have one just acquired which should make 12 small detail forging hammers (1" square stock)... I paid $5 for it. I bought some nice 9" drops recently of 1 1/4" round 1045 for about $3 apiece (say $4.50 with shipping) which would be fine hammer metal. Check the fire sale section here:Speedy Metals

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Dave;
Brian Brazeal prefers 1045 but often uses 4140. 1090 is likely to be over hard for optimum hammer material though I have heard of it being used especially for small hammers. Generally axle steels are about right in alloy and sizes. Lots of farm equipment axles are 4140. Square or round are both fine and easily altered by forging. Another good source is to buy old hammers from flea markets and reforge them. Hammer heads are often available for as little as a dollar and though I usually redrift them, having a starter hole saves some time and heat. I sometimes like to use old pry bar material. In the larger sizes it is good stock for hammers though it does take a bit more effort to forge out. These are often available at flea markets or antique stores (often overpriced but if you watch you'll get some at good bargain prices). A big bar can yield enough metal for up to a dozen hammers. I have one just acquired which should make 12 small detail forging hammers (1" square stock)... I paid $5 for it. I bought some nice 9" drops recently of 1 1/4" round 1045 for about $3 apiece (say $4.50 with shipping) which would be fine hammer metal. Check the fire sale section here:Speedy Metals



Yea that speedy metals place is what I come across on a brief google search!
I see that they have 1045, 1 1/4"x7" for $1.94. That might make a hammers and a hot cut!?
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Fine for a hammer not my favorite for a hot cut; but will work. High alloy steels like S7 or H13 are my favorite for cutting tools or punches that get buried in hot steel.

Car axle should be free and you can make the drift as well as the hammerhead from it.

From my files: "Axle materials. When I begain work at the axle shop I believed from various sources that axles were 4140. I quickly found out that the industry standard was 1045H below 1 3/8" stock and 1541H for axles above that size, for trucks. PTree"

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A lot of PTO shafting is 1045...



Hey I have some of that! Didn't know it would be carbon! I was going to toss it.....or at least I think it's in my toss pile. We bought an IH bailer, and tried to hook it to a New Holland tractor, with a John Deer pull bar. We ditched the pull bar (hey is it carbon.....I still have it!) and just cut down the PTO! I don't have pieces large enough for a hammer I don't think, but I do have some that would be big enough for a cutting tool, and punches.

Thanks for that! I've got some on hand.....yehaw! Now I feel like a pro! LOL

I'm going to check out my junk yard for the axle.....or maybe the radio station when I call asking for an anvil!
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I made my hammer and my daughters ( I will post the pics of hers very soon). Here is the link to my thread (not to high-jack yours)

If you like I can take some pics of the punches and drifts we used. Making a hammer is a very easy thing to do, or I think so. Maybe I have found something I can do no problem, a leaf on the other hand I have trouble with, go figure.

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I've been told that leaf making is all about hammer control! That's what I've been told! It does seem a hammer head, minus tempering, would be easier simply because you are dealing with a large mass of steel.

Oh yes pictures of the punches and drifts would be great! I don't mean to sound boastfull or braggy, but a lot of times I can make something if I see it. I can visualize pretty good sometimes.

I dug up the PTO shafting that I had tossed.......disapointingly it was not in very big pieces and there weren't very many! There are only three pieces about 1 inch all around, each.
I do have some other pieces. On picked up off a RR track.....it looks like a latch or coupling of some sort.
I also have plow part that the plow point hooks to! The curved arm that the point bolt on.

I just cut a piece of something in half too. It looks like a huge track-hoe tooth maybe! It's some sort of plow or tractor part that does digging, anyway. I cut it in half and am forging it out into usable pieces for punch/chisel maybe.

Thanks for the link......I'll check that out!

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