did not want to turn these down, but not sure what I can do with it.  Ideas are welcome.  one is 2 1/4 diameter weighing 5 pounds and the other is 2 in in diameter weighing 4 pounds.  he told me it is 1018 cold rolled.  can they be made into good hammers?  Axes, hardies, etc?

 

 

If it's really 1018,  then it really doesn't have enough carbon to harden for an edged tool.  I'd try it as a stump anvil or set it into a cylinder of concrete and see how it does as a knifemaking anvil.  I'll defer to the hammer makers on IFI, as I've never made one from scratch before.

 

You could forge weld high carbon faces on and make hammers or just make some soft hammers for those times that brass is too soft and hardened steel is too hard. I have some "soft" hammers for driving pins that I don't want to damage. Mild steel hammers will actually forge just fine, in my experience, but if you miss the work and hit the anvil it will mark the hammer face. Nice safe hammer to give a beginner you don't want chipping your anvil!

Make a nice soft face short handle striking hammer for using a touchmark or other struck tool you aren't sure of the hardness on.

If it's 1018 why is it marked A10 which is tool steel and picky about how it's forged and heat treated?

@Irondragon Forge & Clay  I wondered the same thing.  He told me that it is the wrong color code for A10 and was collected drops from a project that was 1018.  I sparked it compared to 1060 (the only known steel I have)  and is was definitely more towards the mild steel side, but a bit more carbony than my regular mild steel stock. 

 

 

Thanks guys

 

It’s always good to have a soft hammer in the shop. As others have said, they’re great for punches and really good for the times your friends want to try to make something. 

Thanks guys.  very helpful as always.