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I Forge Iron

New Hammer


 brianstucker

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I'm only getting around 50% rebound. I heated the whole head to non magnetic. Quenched in oil. Then tempered 2 cycles ar 425. Its mystery steel.  It's a shaft from an old sawmill. The part that holds the circular blade. Is that normal for a hammer of this type or should it rebound more? It does work.  I used it on a blade I'm forging. There is no dents or chipping to the face. Thanks in advance.

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It works? That's what counts. 

Did you do a spark test to guesstimate the metal? did it harden from the quench in oil? Going through the motions means nothing with the wrong steel and no desired results from it. 

But, you made a useful hammer. If it works, it works. :) 

 

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I spark tested the metal. It's some kind of high carbon steel. Then I file tested it after the quench. The file skated right off the metal. What's a good hammer making steel?

1 hour ago, Lionel h said:

Looks good , I want to make one myself ,I'm gonna use an axle for mine . How hard was it to drift the handle hole, I've never tried to drift a hole in that thick of steel?

I drilled a couple of starter holes first. And connected them with a die grinder. That made it easier. But it still was a chore. I also made a drift out of some other mystery high carbon steel.

image.jpeg

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A couple good hammer making steels are 1045, and 4140. 4140 being the more difficult to forge.

                                                                                                            Littleblacksmith

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Good Morning,

Most shafting is about 1045. I looks like you didn't finish the Hammer face, you need radius edges and NOT a flat face (unless you are making a Flatter). You will learn how to make Hammers after you have a bunch. Using mystery Metal is a waste of your time, equipment and energy.

Be careful when using 4130, 4140, 4330, 4340. Look up in the Heat Treating Data for Temper temperatures. They are "Blue Brittle"!! When the data sheets say to not temper to a certain temperature, there is a reason.

Neil

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2 hours ago, swedefiddle said:

Good Morning,

Most shafting is about 1045. I looks like you didn't finish the Hammer face, you need radius edges and NOT a flat face (unless you are making a Flatter). You will learn how to make Hammers after you have a bunch. Using mystery Metal is a waste of your time, equipment and energy.

Be careful when using 4130, 4140, 4330, 4340. Look up in the Heat Treating Data for Temper temperatures. They are "Blue Brittle"!! When the data sheets say to not temper to a certain temperature, there is a reason.

Neil

I appreciate the advice. And I agree with you. I was just researching radiusing hammer faces. I thought I had a radius on it. But mine is more like a bevel with sharp edges. I am going to find some good steel for hammers. I really hate mystery steel but it was what I had on hand. 

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I've got a block of 4340 I'm planning on making into a hammer in a few weeks. I've thought about trying out a hammer like this, I have an axle I would use, just curious what the front heavy forging hammer feels like in use

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