I would like to have some custom hammers for forging sheet metal. Would it be of value to take an existing hammer and reforge it to the shape I want it to be. That way I dont have to find metal , drift a hole Etc. from scratch. I am thinking the store bought hammer would already be made of "Hammer Metal".
Steve in NC

I have been told that that is a good idea. I guess you should find a good hammer at yard/garage sales and modify them....would be way cheaper

Me too! I want one! Here is a thread from another forum. Not much info other than steel source and some photos of the tools he used for the handle hole.

forging a hammer

there are places you can order sheet metal working hammers for working up to 16 gauge metal w/o to much trouble. Just do a search

I'd go with Tribal Forge's advice and find the style hammer you're thinking of and buy it.....in the long run cheaper and more convenient, they don't cost much more than a hammer you're gonna beat up anyway. Some of them are longer and narrower than a regular hammer so you couldn't readily reforge one.

Buying a really "special" hammer would probably be the way to go BUT don't throw those old hammers you find away. They can be reforged into really useful shapes for general use around the forge.

Hi everyone,

I have never tried forging a hammer before so please forgive me but what is the difficulty in forging a hammer? I am not familiar with the process so I might be missing something. Also, what kinds of steel are used? Are they heat treated or hardened in any way?

The hardest part i find is when you slit the eye for the handle, you mut be real carefule to get it dead center and parallel to the sides or it can get real thin when you try to drift it.

Generally hammers are made from a medium carbon steel---like car of light truck axle material and yes they are heat treated.

I make a mean dishing hammer from dome headed RR bolts---the shaft is about 1" in dia and the smooth bolt head is a good shape for dishing. I hot slit the bolt in the threaded section and drift it out until a hammer handle drift will fit and finish to size that way then heat treat and polish.

Buy your "stock" hammers at the fleamarket or garage sale; I buy every ballpeen I find that costs a dollar or less and have a bucket of hammers on hand for making things out of as well as a fer larger hammers that are waiting for a custon heavy hammer project.

Hammer stock has to have enough carbon or alloy content to accept heat treatment and be hardened sufficiently for the intended use. The difficult part is making the eye hole for the handle to fit in and keep it straight and centered. Then the heat treat can cause problems if not done correctly....I have a couple tool steel hammers that are cracked on the surface like a broken egg.....:)

Thanks for the help guys, I knowI could go and buy one af whatever I needed...but that is not the idea... I want to be able to say I made that one. I think I will look for a piece of axel and give it a run. I would like to have a hammer that is longer and used for dishing in the swage block.
Steve