yaktelcom Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I was curious if homemade hammers are possible for blacksmithing. I also am curious as to why blacksmiths wouldn't use a solid metal hammer.(I haven't hammered yet), but.......I have used a solid casted hammer before. One of the foundries I work in they would pour hammers for us to use in knock-out. Would it be beneficial to use these and add rubber to handle for vibrations. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Absolutely you can make your own hammers. You're a blacksmith, right?!! You can make most any tool that you need. As for cast hammers, I am not familiar with any and have never used them. But I do have a couple that I have made. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaktelcom Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Curly I was wondering cause I see lots of people talking about buying hammers? BTW I wouldn't go as far as calling a blacksmith yet. I am in the beginning stages of getting started. Found an anvil. Now gotta make my forge. Shouldn't be long though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 There's no doubt that buying a hammer is a lot easier, and cheaper if you count the labor, But it's satisfying to know that you can do it. Admittedly, I have bought FAR more than I have made. But it makes a good conversation starter, too. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Even with a rubber handle metal shafted hammers tend to aggravate RSI in an industry/hobby devoted to RS. Why I don't use them---I prefer less pain in my life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hey Doug, Welcome to IFI. Patience and perseverance will get you where you want to go in your blacksmithing endeavors. Many people make their own tools out of necessity and others because it is a challenge and instills a sense of pride. There are a lot of highly experienced blacksmiths here that are willing to help. I look to them for answers all the time because I'm learning too. What type of forge were you thinking to make? Good luck! Mark<>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 solid hammer isnt a good idea for anyone useing them for extended period . even with rubber handles it is hard on the hands. forged hammers are made all the time look in archives for lots of threads on makeing hammers . have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaktelcom Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Great these were the kind of answers I was looking for. I did search but couldn't get what I was looking for. Pain + Necessity = me buying a hammer or forging w/o handle(later). I know pain! I sometimes tend to be too frugal to point that its not practical and I have to check myself every now and then or get someone to check me. lol Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaktelcom Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 What type of forge were you thinking to make? I think I want to build a solid fuel type, maybe something along the lines of the brake drum? set-up with table? for starters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 The hammer is perhaps the most dangerous tool in the blacksmith's shop. If not used with care and proper technique, it can slowly damage your forearm, your elbow and the nerves in your neck. It's a gradual, incremental process and by the time the symptoms appear, the damage is hard or impossible to reverse. In a day's forging one might swing the hammer thousands of times. Every blow generates a shock and if the technique is poor this runs right up the bones of the arm. There are too many smiths who can no longer swing a hammer or have to severely limit their activity for this reason. I went part way down this road myself until I wised up. A steel handle is about the worse thing. It has no flex and transmits the shock to the hand without any softening. You can feel this when using such a hammer. It actualy stings the hand. A rubber grip helps only a little. Proper technique does not come naturaly to most people. If you are serious about forging, I urge you not to just pick up a hammer and start swinging. Learn from someone who knows good technique. One place you might go is the Uri Hofi Ergonomic Hammer video. Worth every penny IMO. Many smiths make their own hammers, big and small. It's a fun thing to do and sometimes you need a special tool. Anything over 2lbs is tough without help from a striker or a power hammer. If you are interested in this, do a search in these forums for "Brian Brazeal" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Regular mechanic's ball peen hammers are good. The more various sizes the better. Next would be a 2 pound "blacksmith's hammer" from Craftsman. Shorten the handle by a few inches, clean up the face and make the radius of the peen much larger. Now you will have an all around forging hammer. I would then figure a way to aquire a straight peen. Could be a good first project for you, making a straight peen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Note that for the obsessively frugal you can often split handles out of seasoned firewood and draw knife them to shape. Whenever I spy a broken axe or sledgehammer handle I pick it up and reuse it for a smaller hammer or set tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spears Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I've never made a hammer or a nail for that matter only because my pursuits in my artwork lead me not to make certain tools like hammers. I would like to mention that I purchased a rounding hammer from Old World Anvils made by Nathan Robertson. I have to admit after seeing this hammer which is no doubt made through a dedicated process, it would be hard for me to even consider spending the time. Not saying a homemade hammer couldn't be just as good, it might just take a few times to make one "that" good. Good luck with your projects. Spears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordcaradoc Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Doug, You can also modify store bought hammers. And by store bought, I include all the hammers you can find in pawn shops and flee markets and even at the scrap yard as heads. I have a three pound sledge I picked up at Harbor Freight a couple years ago when I was starting out. It had two sorta round, flat faces with bad finishes. One side I used a flap-disk in my angle grinder (slower stock removal to keep the face cooler) and made a rounding hammer out of it. I also cleaned up the other face. I recently rehafted it too as the Chinese manufacturing process only has wood about 2/3 of the way through the head and then they epoxy the rest. I use that and my cross peen hammer from Sears and even that needs some work. My next goal is to find some ball peen hammers to work with and over time, I would love to make my own, but work with what you got. Heck, I just watched a very cool video by Brian Brazeal on Youtube about making tongs and his hammer (of course he made it himself) was like a very shallow straight peen, so I am thinking of making something like that too and maybe squaring the other face of one of those Chinese made sledge hammers again. Best regards, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 What got me into blacksmithing was the desire to make metal meet my needs for the sculpture I wanted to make and the only economical way to make the metal move in the way I wanted it to move was with heat and a hammer. It took some time but I soon learned that an acetylene/oxygen torch and a claw hammer was not the way to go so I found a local blacksmith and he set me on a forty year journey of metalsmithing that has been both joyful and painful. You can't get to the joy part without some pain, don't grab the hot end and don't hit your hand, sounds simple but it does take practice and caution. Welcome to one of the greatest group of folk you will ever be associated with, good and true everyone. Get your iron hot and hit it!! :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 The hammer is perhaps the most dangerous tool in the blacksmith's shop. If not used with care and proper technique, it can slowly damage your forearm, your elbow and the nerves in your neck. It's a gradual, incremental process and by the time the symptoms appear, the damage is hard or impossible to reverse. In a day's forging one might swing the hammer thousands of times. Every blow generates a shock and if the technique is poor this runs right up the bones of the arm. There are too many smiths who can no longer swing a hammer or have to severely limit their activity for this reason. I went part way down this road myself until I wised up. A steel handle is about the worse thing. It has no flex and transmits the shock to the hand without any softening. You can feel this when using such a hammer. It actualy stings the hand. A rubber grip helps only a little. Proper technique does not come naturaly to most people. If you are serious about forging, I urge you not to just pick up a hammer and start swinging. Learn from someone who knows good technique. One place you might go is the Uri Hofi Ergonomic Hammer video. Worth every penny IMO. Many smiths make their own hammers, big and small. It's a fun thing to do and sometimes you need a special tool. Anything over 2lbs is tough without help from a striker or a power hammer. If you are interested in this, do a search in these forums for "Brian Brazeal" I would beg to differ with some of the things you state. Some steal handled hammer are better than wood and so is fiberglass the problem is the vibration low frequency vibration cause the damage a metal or fiber glass handle transfers the vibrations from low to high frequency which cause no damage. The method Hofi teaches and claims to be his method is the Haberman method. Brian Brazeal also worked with Haberman and teaches that style and there are parts of the class Hofi missed. The class is on Youtube not in English. Had a friend go through and explain what he is saying. Proper technique is very important and no one swing or stance is good ergonomics. I have posted 2 artical one on hammer myth or legend and the other ergonomics on this web site you might find them helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 The class is on Youtube not in English. Francis, may we please have a link for this foreign language video? Or search terms to use that we may find it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Francis, may we please have a link for this foreign language video? Or search terms to use that we may find it? There is one on tong making as wellhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKLSSnm-inA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thingmaker3 Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Thank you!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.