April 30, 201412 yr Just curious if this rounding hammer would need modification for blacksmith projects. If so, what should be done to modify it? This hammer is the most affordable I have found and just fits in my starting blacksmithing budget. Thanks for any tips, ideas or suggestions.
April 30, 201412 yr I have the 2.5 lb version of that hammer. I found that the hammer needs a bit of dressing since the transition on the flat side is basically a flat facet. I created a radiused transition from the face to the sides. I also domed the rounding side a bit more. I used my belt grinder to dress the hammer faces but there are many way's to do that up to and including sandpaper. I also modified the handle as it came too bulky for my taste. I should mention that I was very careful not to heat the metal while dressing it so as not to affect the temper. I found that using the hammer for a while gave me a better picture of what I wanted to change. I "snuck up" on the ideal dimensions since it's tough to put material back on! Be sure to give the head a nice polish since it's what gives your surface it's final appearance.
April 30, 201412 yr Yes! No! Maybe depending on the projects and how you work. They are good basic hammers and I pick them up when I find them for under US$8 at the fleamarket. I would agree with dressing the face(s) and adjusting the handle to your hand is a basic for most all hammers. You may also want to put in a positive indication of which end is which in your handle---had a lot of students using one switch ends without noticing it until they hit their workpiece.
May 1, 201412 yr I have one of those, I did rework the handle. I used to use it hard, the handles would break fairly often, I reworked the eye (enlarged it with a mandrel). I expect it will be a while before you will need to make the eye larger.
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