hammer selection?

[Andrew Garrett]

Ok fellas...

I bought a small anvil.
My boss is hooking me up with a stump.
I'm waiting on my regulator, guage, and hoses from Darren Ellis so I can fire up my forced-air forge.
I have a functional atmospheric forge ready to go.
I have a couple sets of tongs that Bob Warner threw in with the forge he sold me (thanks Bob).

Now... I bought a 2.something lb. cross-peen hammer that arrived the other day. However, the angle is off. The head is about 10* off square with the handle. I went to Lowe's and picked up a new handle in the hopes that the wood is the problem and not the hole in the steel.
While at Lowe's, I noticed that they had 4lb. cross-peen hammers with nice fiberglass handles for half what I paid for the smaller one.

Questions:

Is a 4lb. hammer too big for bladesmithing? ..for my little 55lb. anvil?
The 4 pounder also has a slightly rounded face. Should this be flat? (If so, is grinding ok or will that screw up the temper of the face?)
I also noticed some nice 3lb. drilling hammers with shorter handles. I thought they might be nice for finer hammering needs. Thoughts?
I was even tempted by a bricklayer's hammer, though I may have just been suffering from 'Shiny-tool syndrome'. (This is common when I'm at Lowe's.)

All the hammer advice you gents care to share is welcome. Thanks!

[B.Finnigan]

A 4 pounder will come in handy sometimes. I rarely use anything over three lbs. After some forging you will get a better idea of what you will need. Everyone forges differently but you will want three sizes of your most used hammers. I graduate down in sizes as the knife gets closer to being finished.

I had the worst problems trying to use hammers that were too big. If you can afford tool steel hammers vs cast you will be better off also. Tool steel gives good rebound so you use half the energy to accomplish the same job. Your arm and sholder will thank you.

Down the road try making some of your own, it is far less complicated then making knives and you will save a huge amount of money. I have never spent more the $8 for a chunk of brand new tool steel for a hammer.

[Delbert Ealy]

Andy,
I used a 6 pounder for awhile, that was a little too much. I now use a 2# and a 2 1/2#, but they both have 16" handles. I like the lighter head with the longer handle. Something to think about.
Del

[nifeman]

I have an assortment of hammers, however I only use 2-3 regularly. A3 lb cross pein for my rough work, a 2 lb for my light work and a 1lb ball pein for my finish work. Once in a while I'll use a flatter to smooth things out, Oh and a walnut Swhocker for counter bending ...Bud

[James Puckett]

I use a 2.5lb hammer for most things including welding cable and dont where myself out.
I just purchased a 50lb little giant and am looking forward to days off so i can set it up.

[Ron Hicks]

Andy
sounds like you are about ready to go.
I would stay with wood handles
I think the 4 pounder is to much for the anvil.
I have a 4 pounder straight pein but dont use it much. 4 pound will wear U out takes a while to get use to it.

I like 2 1/2 pound myself and U can use cross pein for everything I do.

My most used newer hammer is a Peddinghaus Swedish Pattern Hammer, Good Hammers.
Big ball peins are great.

Look at some Blacksmith hammers on the net -
http://www.centaurforge.com/departments.asp?dept=106
http://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/
http://www.blacksmithsupply.com/cata...&DeptID=146746

Ebay is a good place to find hammers also


Ron

[hammerdownnow]

Andy, a slightly round face is preferable for "moving" metal and helps prevent sharp corner dents that are hard to hammer or grind out. A flat faced hammer or
"flatter" can be used lightly to flatten and straighten at the end. Most people, as said above, start out with way too heavy a hammer. I use a Tom Clark Custom 1.14oz. and the Hoffi hammering style. Technique and finesse will get you futher than sheer weight of a heavy hammer. Easier on the joints too. Wish you could have stopped by last summer. An afternoon of hands on can take the place of a bazillion questions. Watchin Tai hammer for a day and a lesson from Tom Clark helped me out a lot.

[Raymond Richard]

There was once a time when I had a 16 pounder in each hand and I just had to give one up. Most my forging is done with a 2 1/2 pound cross pein hammer. I always re grind the face on my hammers with a slight dome. I had bought a Stanley with the pho plastic handle thinking they won't come lose but just found out they do. I wouldn't worry about getting to many hammers to start since now every time you see a stray hammer you'll end up bringing it home.

[Andrew Garrett]

A wealth of info guys! Thanks!

Ron, That list of sources is just what I needed. Graci!

Roc, Yea I wish I could have stopped in too. That would have been a great opportunity for me even if my family would have been less than amused

I'm just gonna go out there and try. I've always been able to learn by doing and reading the feedback I feel through my hands. I'm sure I'll have more questions though, so stay tuned. Hopefully, It'll come as smoothly as grinding did.

Thanks again!

[blacksmith101]

Andy, food for thought... I make most of my own hammers, but I cheat. I stop by Harbor Freight when they have their hammers on sale and snag some for $1.99-2.99. cut the handles off and throw them in the forge. It doesn't take long to burn the wood out of the hole and then I forge it to any shape I desire. The hole is the hardest to create anyway. When you are happy with the shape ....grind it and heat treat as you would a blade. The hammers are cheap but the steel seems to be good. Merle

[Doug Lester]

I found that I could forge longer and with more control with a lighter hammer. Yes I have a three pounder for serious metal moving but the hammer that I use most comes in at about 2lbs. I even have a 1lb hammer for finer work. Another problem with an over weight hammer is that you might set yourself up with a case of tennis elbow. That could put you out of action for weeks.

Doug Lester

[jdm61]

I have 6 hammers and a big ball peen hammer. Two of them are Home Depot specials which I rarely use anymore. I have 500g,(1.1 lb) 1000g (2.2 lb) and 2000g (4.4 lb) French pattern hammers and a 1500g (3.3)Swedish pattern. My absolute favortie is the 1000g Peddinghaus French pattern, but i need the 1500g for initial heavy stock reduction and starting bevels on big blades. The 2000g is used mostly for starting hidden tangs on big knives and breaking the shape and flattening when i am using 3/4 or 7/8 5160 and W2 round bar. The 500g is new and I plan on using it for finish forging. The heavy ones wear me out pretty quickly. I can swing the 1000g all day long, but it takes #### near all day to bust out a point or tang using it on some of the heavier stock I use like my 1 1/2 x 3/8 inch W2 and 5160. The 1000g is all the hammer I need if i am using 1 x 1/4 stock.

[mstu]

hey JDM (it's Joe, isn't it?), if you get tired of swinging those, there's a smith here in Tampa who says he has two 50lb power hammers he wants to sell. I'd love to get one but I think I'll have to save up for a few more years first
Anyway, PM me if you're interested and I'll send you his email address.

Michael

[Mike Turner]

Hey Andy,
I do a lot of forging everyday as my business requires me too. The hammer I use the most is called a rounding hammer and weighs about 2 1/4lbs the flat face is pretty flat with just a very little curve and the other is a very aggressive round. You will find that you will have certain hammers to do certain jobs, I do not have a hammer that can do it all. The most important thing is to round the edges of your hammers faces if you don't they will leave nasty marks that are very difficult to get rid of. You also have to figure in your physical ability, like I use a 6 lb sledge like most use a 2 lb hammer. In other words swing what you are comfortable swinging, it will take time and practice for you to build up your arms and become consistent with the placment of your hammer strikes. When I really want to move some steel I reach for my 50 lb'er, Little Giant. One last word of thought in case you don't know, you want to try to keep your work over the center of your anvil, yes there are times that you have to work over the horn and heel but you want to keep your heavy work centered.

[jdm61]

Originally Posted by mstu

hey JDM (it's Joe, isn't it?), if you get tired of swinging those, there's a smith here in Tampa who says he has two 50lb power hammers he wants to sell. I'd love to get one but I think I'll have to save up for a few more years first
Anyway, PM me if you're interested and I'll send you his email address.

Michael

I bought a press, but it is still in the crates in my garage...lol. After hearing the stories about Cahrlie Ochs having to move his shop to a min-warehouse because of noise complaints, I figured that a press was about as loud as I should get even when I build my shop in the back yard. I had to take off 8 months earlier this year and I just started up again in early October.......whihc, of course, meant that I had to spend stupid amounts of money on new toys like a press....lol. I'll tka e a look at them though...can't hurt