Question for the hammer boys

Gossman Knives

Gossman Knives

Edged Toolmaker
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Apr 9, 2004
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Ok I've got a small anvil and would like to try my hand at some forging. My question is what hammers do I need to get? I plan on just making small hunters to start with. Also what is the square hole in the anvil that's at the opposite end of the horn used for? Where is a good source to purchase the right tools for forging? Thanks:)
Scott
 
Hey Scott,

The square "Hardie" hole is for various tools to rest in. Cut-off's are most common.

I collected hammers like crazy when I first started forging.

I now use two.

I use 1 engineering 2lb hammer and a Peddinghouse 1500 gr hammer.

One end of the engineering hammer is flat , the other is very rounded.

The Peddinghouse is curved on a single plane

Look up Kayne and Son on the net. Good folks to deal with.

Mark
 
The cut off tool [like a chisel] is the hardie .And it fits into a square hole , the hardie hole ! Other tools fit into the hole also.
 
I use 3 hammers. 1 is a 3# with a cross fuller for forging in basic shape, bevels and tang. 1 is a 1# ballpeen for forging in the belly and the tips, and 1 is a wooden hammer I made to use for straightening. Wood hammer or mallet will straighten and not move steel. Thats all I use.

Have fun

Bill
 
Thanks Mark and Mete. Mark that's what I was hoping to hear, few hammers as possible.:D I've become a tightwad in my old age. Maybe Nowicki has some hammers laying around he doesn't use.....hint, hint.:D Anyway I'll check out that source for tools. Thanks again
Scott
 
Good hammers make a difference, especially in the finish you can forge to. Its not necessary to go buy a high dollar one to get started with though. If you've got a 2-3 lb cross peen hammer laying around, give it a try. A ball peen would work also. I've got one I use quite a bit thats about 2 lbs and the faces are slightly convex. Don't know what its called, or where it came from.
Anyhow, I wouldn't go buying any special hammers until you've tried what you have around and see what you like.
 
It's important to properly face your hammer before using it, the finish most hammers have when new is horrible. You want to break the edges around the face so it has a nice radius that blends into the sides of the hammer. The face itself should have a curve to it too, how much curve is a personal choice, more curved moves metal faster but leaves it more dinged up looking at the end too.
 
Thanks for all the info. I do have some hammers but I think they may be a bit on the light side. The heaviest ball peen I have is a 1 pounder. I have a 3lb. hammer I got from Home Depot but it may not be the right type. I think it was called a drill hammer.:confused:
Scott
 
A drilling hammer will work just fine. Just break the sharp edges.

I wouldnt start with a 3 lb till you learn control and how the metal moves.

2 lbs is just about perfect to start.
 
Mark Williams said:
... I wouldnt start with a 3 lb till you learn control and how the metal moves.

2 lbs is just about perfect to start.
Click to expand...
This is sage advice in my humble opinion. In fact, I couldn't agree with Mark more. A big hammer may move more steel, but control is what it's really all about.

Even now, the heaviest hammer I use (as far I know) is a 2.8 pound custom hammer made by Tom Clark. I did modify a sledge hammer into a fullering hammer, but I've had the darned thing so long I don't remember what the weight is, and it's not used a lot except to quickly draw out the tang.
 
I like hammer's, infact I've got more hammers than I have shorts. If what your calling a drilling hammer has a real short handle thats what it is. If you get around some second hand stores there's always hammers to be found for a good price. I start out with a 6# for the first few heats if there's alot of steel to move but mostly 3# or less for 85% of my forging.
 
Less is good. I use a 3lb for rough forge. I got a flatter but it isn't necessary. 2 ball peens 20 oz for profiling and a 12 oz for finishing and straightening. The wood hammer is good for when the heat treat warps. When you do it over it flattens and straightens without more dings. remember to normalise before HT.
We can get together and go over some things if you like.

Larry
 
I follow suit with the rest of the guys as far as hammers go. One thing I would add is a vise for straightining your blades as you forge. The vise allows you to straightin the hot blade in both directions, lengthwise and crosssectional. It will save you a lot of time at the grinder. Fred
 
I've found some great deals on nice old hammers at junk shops. I'm sure the blacksmith supply houses and custom makers have some nice hammers but the junk in the harware store is just that...expensive junk. I can understand not having a perfect raius to the face, every one likes them a little different but these things are usually loaded with such heavy tool marks that I think they're a pain to grind, and I'm not really all that fussy. For the amount of time you have to spend grinding them they should pay you to take them. I did find a 4 pound cross peen with a nice face on it for $6 in a hardware store but I doubt they knew what they had and I wouldn't expect to ever see another one like it there.

I use a couple of cross peens I like, both in the 2 1/2 pound range. The hammers are almost exactly the same but the handles are different. I use those for most stuff. I have the previously mentioned heavier crosspeen that I use for early oporations expecially on heavy stock and I have a few smallish ball peens that I use here and there. I like rounding hammers for working horse shoes and have several but they usually stay in the truck and I rarely bother going out to get them. I think mine are all inexpensive diamond hammers but I like them. They just don't have the "peen" which I seem to use more and more.
 
Wimps :D :p

I use a 6 pound hammer for most everything, but I do have a small hammer for some stuff, it's 4 pounds, and has a different radius.
 
I've got several but find from start to finish I only normaly use three hammers, for welding up a billet and rough forging I use a 8lb. sledge I modified by choping the handle, I use a a 2.5lb. shop hammer(mini sledge type head) for closer foring to shape and a 1.5lb. cross pien for finishing the bevels and doing any tweeking. That's when my power hammer isn't working, if it's working I do everything but the welding with the 2.5 and 1.5 pounders.

Every hammer I've got I've dressed and polished the faces on, getting rid of any sharp edges.

I don't use the vise to straighten a blade, I bump it a little one way then anouther till it's flat, on the upward curve that I sometimes get too much of I use a chunk of wood as a mallet and knock the curve out of it a little. The wood doesn't mess up the metal as bad as hitting it with a hammer.
 
Great info guys:thumbup: Thanks. Larry I've got a 2 week vacation coming up, maybe I can get away for a day come to your place. We can set something up at the club meeting? Short handle on the 3 pounder and it did have a sticker on it that said drill hammer. The ball peen is 16 or 20oz.
Scott
 
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