forging a hammer

[kogatana]

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

[ThomasPowers]

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

[kogatana]

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

[Glenn]

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

[rthibeau]

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.