Forging Carver Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Hi, I have a hammer in which it has a chared handle and I am debating whether or not I want to remove the char or not. Have any of you removed the char on your chared handle? If so can you give me a picture of what the handle looks like once the char is removed? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Don't have any pictures but i've sanded handles down after charing for a lighter look. Use some sandpaper and see what it looks like. can always char it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 Alright. The hammer is the one that's my profile picture. It was sent to me charred. I don't mind the look, but I also like the look of plain old wood. I suppose that the plain wood will get all dirty looking too over the years, and not look like the brand new piece of hickory. I guess I will just leave it for now. I'm kind of on the edge but I will figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I believe it's all personal preference on that. I've done some fully burnt, some with a twist patern like in the first picture and some I didn't touch that I got back, or made by RThibeau. On handles I burn I do it light then sand with a fine grit like 400 then while hot wipe em with beeswax, Turpentine, linseed oil mixture then hit em lightly on a buffing wheel but that's just personal preference. Seems to seal em up good. Mia there a reason other then looks you were concerned about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Learn when to remove the handle from the heat before it chars. Flame browning or toasting hardens the wood but char is weakening. At first it's just on the surface but still. I only heat mine till they just begin to show darkening then wax them with Trewax. Johnson's paste wax works well too. At temp the wood draws the wax into the cells and is hardened more than just heat. Gives my hammers a nice smooth nonslip grip without being sticky. WAY better than varnish and heavens oh my BETTER than tape! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 Alright thanks. Well my hammer handle is pretty darn black, but it was made by Alec Steele so I am sure it is not too weak. Right now it is a bit sticky. I need to find a way to get rid of the tackiness, and do what you do with the trewax. Maybe I will sand it all off and then char how you do so with the dragon breath of my forge. I just know that whenever I do stuff like this, I wind up liking the original better. I will see what happens. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I've always liked the texture and grip left behind after taking the wood to the wire wheel. Oiling it after running it through the wheel really gives it that perfect feel, for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxFire Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I've come to the conclusion that hammer handles are simply, comfortable springs that connect users hand to the hammer head. I don't burn/char, wax, or sand beyond a quick wipe with 80 grit. I haven't found charring to do anything other than make it look better faster. Wax just makes it sticky and technically costs more than the oils my hand secretes for free. Finally, I like the grip I get leaving it mildly rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 So I started to take off the char with some steel wool and 220 sandpaper. I ran out of 220, but I don't think the hammer looks too bad how it is now. I am debating whether or not to keep sanding it down or not. The stickiness is gone and the hammer is much smoother. Not to mention I like how it looks better now anyways. I have to remember at the handle will darken over the years of use. Tell me what you guys think I should do. Thanks. Heres the before and after. well The way it showed up is the after then before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 You should USE IT and stop over thinking how it looks! Me I wipe the handles down with the oily rag after soaking the heads in linseed oil---clean the oil off the steel with the rag, wipe the handle down and any others that could use it and then burn the rags in the forge---can't spontaneously combust if already burnt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 The client will not give you $20 just because the hammer handles are pretty. They pay for the product produced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelonastick Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 16 hours ago, Glenn said: The client will not give you $20 just because the hammer handles are pretty. They pay for the product produced. BUT the hammer sure does look pretty now... Leave it as it stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted February 19, 2016 Author Share Posted February 19, 2016 Yeah I agree. I kind of got into the thing a bit too much. But I also have to say, who wouldn't want a nice lookin hammer? If your willing to put in the time, why not? I know you have heard this a million times from me, but a nice looking gamer will make me forge better. You guys can disagree all you want. The prettiness builds confidence and makes you forge with much more confidence. Somehow it works for me. Strange. Just like how I can't lift up my pinky without my ring finger stuck up. There's is a whole bunch more that would leave you guys puzzled. We will save that for another time . Thanks everyone on this thread for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Do you proof read your posts before submitting them? If you do then I understand how a "nice looking GAMER could make you forge better." NO, I don't need nor want to know about the game thank you very much. Nothing wrong with good looking tools though pretty ones should be kept in display cases or you'll get them dirty. "Prettiness builds confidence" make me think of a Monte Python skit. "Oh I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay I sleep all night and I work all day!" Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Maybe this should be a new thread but I notice that the business surface of some of these hammers is not parallel to the handle. I have the feeling that to me parallellity is important to my ability to hit squarely. Is that just me? Or it is the pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Some of the cutler's hammers have angled handles and I have an odd Spanish hammer where the faces are angled to the axis of the handle but in general I greatly prefer them to be parallel and for some slightly off hammers I have dressed the handle to deal with the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted February 19, 2016 Author Share Posted February 19, 2016 Yeah, I proof read twice but you wouldn't believe how easy it is to overlook such things. Gamer was meant to be hammer. There was actually a test on a tv show called Brain Games where they made you read a sign that said something like "Suzan was was going to the store. " Me and probobly tons of other people skipped over the second was and didn't even notice there were two. Oh course it was more easy to fall for then. That's what happens though. You skip so much of the grammatical errors in your own writing. That's why in school they tell you to let a friend proof read your writing since they would be able to pick out such things much easier. Well I went a bit on and on here, but I guess you guys get the point. Spell check too is terrible. It changes words before I even get to finish writing them. Anyways, sorry about that. I will try to pick look harder when I proof read. 10 hours ago, gote said: Maybe this should be a new thread but I notice that the business surface of some of these hammers is not parallel to the handle. I have the feeling that to me parallellity is important to my ability to hit squarely. Is that just me? Or it is the pics? If your referring to my hammer, I think it's just the pics. It could be that the fullering that separates the cheeks from the faces maybe was made a bit crooked by accident, and that makes the faces appear crooked. As far as I can tell though on my hammer, I don't see it to be crooked. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForgeMan32 Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 If you find that you don't like the char or the handle I can give you an address where you can send that beautiful hammer.lol. put that thing to use and don't look back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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