Hammer time

D

Dan Zawacki

Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
366
Well, it's about time for me to upgrade my own beat up stiker. Two years ago, after Ashokan, I went out and bought a hammer to forge with. It's one of those fiberglass handled 3 lb cross peen jobby's from Home Depot. Forged a fair number of blades with it too. However, the face is starting to show that this hammer may not have been made for this kind of work after all. There's three "splits" in the face, where metal has moved enough to split under the stress, and cracks are beginning to form. I noticed this having an impact on a knife I was working recently and figured it's about time for an upgrade.

I shouldn't have much problem finding Flea market, garage sale, estate sale, pawnshop, etc. local sources for a hammer on the cheap. However, I do have a couple of questions.

1: aside from being comfy to hold, so as I don't make myself needlessly tired, and having enough weight to be worth hitting with, what should I really be looking for in a hammer? Anything I should avoid?

2: I have heard people speak about "dressing" the face of a hammer. I assume this means some level of grinding, and I think it's fairly likely that it has something to do with making the transition from the face to the side more seamless (so it doesn't leave those irritating half moon marks). It it really just that simple, or is there something I'm completely missing with this?
 
I found this rebuttal to one of my submissions to be of most help, in choosing a hammer.
the whole thread can be found here.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582858

#14 09-22-2008, 07:54 PM
Justin.Mercier
Basic Member Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Woonsocket RI
Posts: 789

Gah! don't buy those hammers, your hands and arms will thank you. You do NOT want a rubberized handle, or a fiberglass handle, or a metal handle, you want a smooth wooden handle. A rubberized handle will tear your hands to pieces as you forge with it, you don't want a slip-free grip for forging, you want a loose grip that can easily slide up and down the handle. A metal handle will transfer the shock of your blows into your arm and wreak havoc with your joints in the long run, a nice wooden handle has a good spring and give to it that dampens vibration transferred to your arm. A fiberglass handle has flex and will help dissipate the shock, but you cant shape a fiberglass handle with your grinder and sandpaper. You will almost never find a handle straight from the store that's 'right' for your grip and style, and to get the best use from a hammer you should always shape the handle to fit your grip and style comfortably to reduce blisters and discomfort.

EDIT: A good starter hammer is the craftsman 2.5lb crosspein http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00938262000P it comes with a nice hickory handle, and if you screw up the head it's guaranteed for life. You will need to dress the face, but you'll have to do that with any hammer you get anyways.
__________________
Justin Mercier
Click to expand...
 
Dan, how I dress my hammers, I grind a flat spot in the center of the face, then slack belt spinning the hammer in a circle to radius all the way around.
 
Oh, yes, another great reason to start saving my pennies for a grinder! Thanks for rubbing it in Sam ;)

I get the picture though, and can readily enough achive the basic shape in question without one. That does answer the question.

You da man, Sam.

Mr. Carter, I do remember reading that thread, in fact that was one of the reasons I'm not headed back to Home Depot for another fiberglass handled el Cheapo. All things considered, I could've done worse. That hammer made several knives and a sword before was willing to give up on it.
 
Once you have a grinder, you can do a lot with a so-so hammer. Dressing the face was a given on every hammer I have, save the Hoffi. Changing the peen to the shape and amount of draw you like is also a good idea. Shorten the handle and shape it to fit right in your hand.

NOw........If you have a hammer with mushrooming and (worse) cracks....STOP USING IT RIGHT NOW. You don't want a hammer shattering on you. Unless you like to keep the local ER folks employed. A properly made forging hammer is the best way to go to avoid the problems with HF and other non-blacksmith use hammers.
Stacy
 
The only hammers I can afford are the ones I build. I have never spent more then $15 for the steel and wood for a hammer. Over on Primal Fires I did a tutorial on building a 3 Lbs straight peen with just hand tools and a drill press.

Just finished up this 6 lbs straight peen last week.

sixsp3-web.jpg


These are some I have made over the last few years.

http://groups.msn.com/Brentscustomknives/hammergallery.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=457
 
you really should not have done that, alright now I am going to have to make a hammer do you realize how much trouble you have created for me:D
 
scottickes said:
Am I the only one that got the musical reference on this? That was a great reply Sam!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't really call MC Hammer a musician. Performance artist maybe :barf:
If I remember most of what he did was over other peoples music.

Dan, the Sears cross pein hammer is a good basic hammer, dress the face as it needs it and you will get good service from it, if you break it, take it back and they will replace it. My little hammer is the Centaur H130 2 pound straight pein, the one I use the most is an antique 4 pound straight pein I got at an auction. I will at some point make my own. Don't buy tools you plan on using regularly from Harbor freight. You get what you pay for.

-Page
 
Right now I have four "real" hammers, and the two I like best are antiques. A 3 lb. cross peen with a slightly domed face is what I use the most for breaking down and rough-forging. It has an unusually long handle (or at least it seems long to me), maybe 15" or so. I can hold it at the end to really hit hard, or choke up for more control. I got the vintage ones on eBay for around $20 shipped. You could probably do better at a flea market, but eBay usually has a nice selection. There are some actual smiths who sell tools, so the hammers are sound, already cleaned up and often they're dressed for you.

The two new hammers I have are nice, too. I got them from www.blacksmithdepot.com.

Josh
 
A properly heat treated tool steel hammer will not spall or deform and gives good rebound so you work less.

I forged this 2 Lbs straight peen hammer from a 4" chunk of 1 1/2" rebar. I pay 22 cents a Lbs for brand new rebar at the scrap yard. So the hammer cost 44 cents to make. I turned the handle form a scrap chunk of teak and coated it with boiled linseed oil.

rebarhammer1-web.jpg
 
You should take that old hammer back to home depot and tell them you want your money back! I would.;)
Mace
 
Home depot wasn't amused! the customer service / returns lady called the manager to the returns desk, who explained that they do not offer any sort of warrantee or guarantee, and that even if the did, forging would not be covered as it would be considered abuse. Go figure.

Anyhow, thanks mostly to the safety point from Stacy, I went and did a new one. I got a decent 4 lb sledge, and cut out a straight peen on one side, polished up the cutting marks, and dressed the face. I sanded down the handle (which was too thick for my smallish hands) until it was nice and comfy, but I like to have a good long handle. I find that when I want more striking force, a long handle is helpful, but when I'm doing finer work, I am not shy about choking up almost to the head, and having the weight of some of the handle behind my grip helps.

Here's the results:

MVC-009S.jpg

MVC-010S.jpg
 
I think it's great you took that hammer back! Forging is abuse for a "Blacksmith" hammer?????? I would have asked to see the managers boss!!!;)
Your new hammer looks great....hope you didn't get it from the same place.:D
Mace
 
Mace said:
Forging is abuse for a "Blacksmith" hammer?????? I would have asked to see the managers boss!!!;)

Mace
Click to expand...

It was Huskey brand right? - used to mean quality

I would have bitched more, actually you still can.

Maybe I'm just getting older and more ornery, I'm starting to have less tolerance for stupidity and bad customer service.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top