Horseshoeing is easier Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 First hammer head, didn't turn out too bad. I hardened it, and like an impatient boy, I bounced it, lightly, on the anvil a couple times. I have 2 cracks now. They run from the cheeks to the face. I just tempered it, cause who cares at this point. But is it weldable? I have mig and arc, would I have to grind a groove in the cracks? xxxxxxxxx Would I need to anneal first then reharden and temper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Oof.. I'm sorry to break it to you, but I would scrap it and start over. You could probably weld the cracks you can see, but if you don't fill them completely or if there are any other cracks you don't see and a piece flies off you might have an even bigger problem on your hands. If you're going to try to weld it --which I personally don't recommend-- anneal it, grind out the crack as much as possible, preheat, weld, post heat the weld area, normalize, harden, don't tap it on the anvil, and temper. That's a bummer man, minus the crack it turned out nice. Next one will be even better right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Agreed. I know how frustrating it is, but you do NOT want your hammer coming apart on you! Also, welcome to IFI! Tell us about yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Me too. Its a great addition to your scrap pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Hammers can be a pain to heat treat as they have a wide range of cross sectional areas in them making the stresses more likely to result in failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horseshoeing is easier Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 Thanks guys! I appreciate the knowledge and experience that I expected to get. I'm saddened that I made such a bone head move. I will retire it, but I'm going to fit a handle for show. I'm already slowly starting my next 2#er, and will be much smarter. Also, I ended up tempering in the gas oven 400° for 2 hours, till I got a nice brown/purple. But all I seem to see online is to temper with a hot drift. Is that the best way? I'm not spending big $ on a temper oven, I'm doing this for my own tools, not to sell. Quickly, since you asked, I'm a 37 yr old horseshoer from Illinois. I've made a few hoof knives, this hammer, and random little things. Along with handmade show shoes 3/8x1, 1/2x1 1/4...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 It's best to put your location in your profile settings, as none of us will remember from one discussion to the next. Tempering in the oven is perfectly fine. In theory, tempering with a hot drift will give you a graduated temper, with hard faces and a slightly softer body. Whether or not this is actually an advantage is hotly debated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 For hard use tools a graduated temper can help prevent chip and crack propagation as you can have the "inner sections" softer but still have the outer ones hard to resist wear. Most folks don't worry about it so much anymore as it's easy and relatively cheap to replace tools these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 When you do a differential temper, or temper by the reserve method, You can get that brown/purple about half inch or so on the face. the rest will be a graduated blue or darker twards the eye. Then quench. This gives a tough hammer face and a softer, but not soft, core. Its pretty forgiving as well when tempering. It aint rocket science. With a little experience, you can control the movement of the colors and maintain a constant temp from side to side/cross section. This means the color you see on the sides will be the same through your hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horseshoeing is easier Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 So I'm back with an Update. It looks like it's been 5-6 months since my original post. So, I fit a handle that day, thought I'd have a nice little souvenir, set it next to my rasp snakes and what have you, and just be proud. But then I got to thinking.... who cares if she explodes on me?! Might as well see if this dog hunts! So for the last 5-6 months, it's been my day in day out rounding hammer, hot shaping, cold shaping, turning 3/8x1 toe weighted shoes COLD! It's literally the best hammer I've ever used!! I definitely tempered it back a little too much, but I'll take a flat spot on my round side, over dents in my relatively new 160# JHM, or a chip flying off into a horses chest any day! More farrier turning blacksmith in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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