I've found an old hammer and would like to reshape it. Originally it was symetric but I cut about 1" at one end. The cut was rather easy.

Now how to pursue the job? Should I grind it to shape, or heat it (will need a lot of heat for this 3lbs of weight) and hammer it?

Then, what about the heat treatement?

Ludo

How much shaping do you have to do? What kind of grinding vs what kind of forging tools vs skills do you have? Do you have a hammer eye drift to clean up the eye if it deforms any?.

What you *should* do depends on details you have not shared with us.

In general I prefer to forge over grinding----lower cost for consumables and faster for me.

Heat treat depends on alloy used. If unknown start with oil---you will need a *lot* for a 3# hammerhead---say 5 gallons or so.

If it doesn't harden properly in oil try water and then brine if it doesn't harden properly in water. Some people use a hose and play it on the face to harden it while leaving the rest of the hammer softer---easiest when you have a single faced hammer.

Thomas

Hi Thomas,

Thanks, though you ask for details, your questions bring me answers.
I would have quite a lot of shaping, but now this would be one of my first project (my forge is almost but not yet ready). And I don't have any hammer eye drift: would you have any picture to show me the tool? Maybe making the drift would be a good start, it seems to me that hammer forging is not for beginers.

For heat treatement, I have had an introduction to it in Japan (for a kitchen knife).

Ludo

Why not pull the head off the hammer and use it as a "negative" die to form the end of your drift?

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/51/si/drifts

these are various drifts, punches, and chisels I use to make the hammer eyes. Like Glenn suggested, use the hammer head itself as the form to fit the drift to. And no, hammer making isn't usually a first time project.