Hand Hammer

[HWooldridge]

Here is a small forging hammer I use daily:



I made this some time ago from an old 2 lb farrier's turning hammer that I reworked. The convex side was forged on the power hammer so it flattened slightly into the cross peen and the normally flat side was forged on all sides, which made the face bulge just slightly. A sledge can be used for the forging - I used the PH because it's there and handy. I did very little grinding or clean-up and basically just rehardened then installed a new handle. The handle was a "drilling hammer" replacement from Home Depot and I sanded it into an octagonal section before finishing with Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil.

The nice thing about this design is it will draw very quickly by tilting the head to use an edge. The light head makes it fly and I use it exclusively for anything under 1/2". I still use a 3 lb hammer for big stuff but this little hammer doesn't tire me out and works well on all day sessions.

I know obtaining tools is always an issue and wanted to submit this so beginners could see that a good working hand hammer can be made with little effort.

I also might add that Tru-Oil is a very good finish for hammer handles. It dries quickly and does not react with sweaty hands so the surface is a constant against your palm.