What stock do you prefer to make your hammers from and about what hardness do you like for the face? I hear a lot of folks using 4140 and a few using O-1...

I rarely use new metal to make a hammer. Most of the time I end up using old truck axle or salvaged machinery shaft of some sort. Both of the metals that you mentioned are exellent choices for hammers, but I never seem to have any hammer size chunks of 4140 nearby around the time I start cutting the end off of a truck axle, huge j-bolt, piece of rail road rail... whatever! If you have it, or are determined to get it, more power to you. But, some of my favorite hammers were forged out of "junk" metal.

depends on if the hammer is for your own use or to sell to someone else. I use new steel of known grade for hammers I sell. 1060, 1045, O1, 4140, 4340 I have in stock. I have used caterpiler track pins, axles, and other junkyard steels for my own use. You can make a hammer out of almost anything, but again, it depends on the end use and user what it should be. A good source of hammer steel is mexican hammers sold at Menard's, just reforge and heat treat them and away you go.

I used 1045 for my repousse hammers and a Ford pickup axle for my turning hammer. Both worked fine.

Liability concerns say use new known steel for sale.

Another concern is teaching and hammer control. Mild steel will ensure minimum possibility of damage to your anvil from missed blows.

Frosty

Edited June 8, 200818 yr by Frosty

For my actual forging hammers, I prefer them to be at the very least to be softer than the face of my anvil. That way, if there is ever a mis-strike, the anvil does not suffer any indignity.

I just got a Ford Ranger Axle give to me , I now know what its going to be ! LOL I love this site I find out all kinds of stuff
Thanks,Chris

I got some LARGE U bolts from the steel yard for next to nothing. Not sure what steel they are but they make great hammers.

I`ll remeber that simmonds. I need to see if the guy who gave me that axle has any more I think he does:).

The first one I made was from a very high carbon drive shaft off a piece of farm equipment (probably 1080 or similar - I know because I quenched a small piece and it would get glass hard). The nice thing was that scrap was 1-1/2" square and ideal for a hammer head. After forging, I let it air cool and never heat treated it. Over time, it mushroomed very slightly and would dent just a little if I hit the corner of the anvil - but it never broke anything and held together for many years. I finally gave it to my son as a gift and made another for me that was hardened and tempered. I use that one today and do not plan to change again since it should last the rest of my career.

I used 1045 for my repousse hammers and a Ford pickup axle for my turning hammer. Both worked fine.

Liability concerns say use new known steel for sale.

Another concern is teaching and hammer control. Mild steel will ensure minimum possibility of damage to your anvil from missed blows.

Frosty

do you might now what ford axle is? I got some and wanna use it .

I have a chunk of Ti (apx 2"x3"x6') that I hope to make a couple of hammers from; let me look like I'm really something swinging that big hammer!

I can't say for sure, I don't know what year truck it is or other specifics. However, a little searching and I god the number 1040 as "Usual" axle stock from a how to on a 4wheeler web site.

I just used a conservative heat treat to be safe and it's working nicely. It marred a little at first but is work hardening a bit and is coming along.

I like it, I also have a couple more axles in the "stock" pile. Now all I need is a power hammer.

Frosty

Thanks Frosty , I can`t wait to try it !

Most guys prefer to use a water hardening steel for hammer heads old ball peins were supposedly W1 tool steel, but a lot of very good hammers have been made by blacksmiths out of 1040, 1045, and 1050. Which can be water hardened, and are less likely to be so hard that they will seriously damage your anvil, and don't spall as explosively as some of the fancy tool steels... A lot of modern smaller axils are 1545H, and larger sizes of passenger vehicles run 1050 axils ... OLD Cat track pins like mid 80s and older were 1050 steel, newer ones are mild and induction hardened to get the job done, and don't make as nice a hammer.... Mild hammers just normalized are good for striking tools, like chisels and punches...

Water quenched steels are easier to do the differential hardening on than oil quench steels... Nice durable hammers can be made out of "nicer" steel;-), but really good tool steel isn't necessary, or even advantageous IMHO.

At the end of the day if you need to make a hammer You use whatever is the correct size and weight, and work around the material's quirks.

an option is to ask one who makes hammers to make you one out of the steel you think you would like...just be prepared to pay for it.

I make my forging hammers from 4140. I quench them to full hardness in warm oil and temper them to a dark bronze, alsmost purple.