- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 4,142
The most important thing to me,other than functionality, is the design of the objects I make. This can be exemplified even in a simple tool like a hammer. I have seen antique hammers that I did not make that have strikingly beautiful designs to their heads. Especially silversmith's hammers. People USED to know how to DESIGN THINGS!
These hammers are not in particular silversmith's hammers. Just useful small hammers to have about the shop,though I must admit they are more especially for forming small metal items metal than for other purposes. My wife confiscated my other small hammers. I kept these.
I would not go using these to strike center punches and the like! Most often they strike brass than silver though.
I also made the handles. Good handles,especially SMALL size handles are just not made these days. Probably not made since the 1950's,actually,if that late. The last small batch are seen resting on my 8" jointer's infeed table. It is near the wood lathe,as you can see from the shavings!
The handles were turned round on my Oliver wood lathe(I HATE wood turning!) and planed oval with miniature planes I also made. A friend of mine,who considers himself an artist saw me making them and exclaimed that "You can buy handles for a few bucks each". I question his artistic vision!! You CANNOT buy THESE quality handles. New handles are very clunky and ILL DESIGNED! VERY ILL DESIGNED!! ESPECIALLY chasing hammer handles. How AWFUL can they make them!!!!!!
There is a picture of a new born hammer head as gotten off of the lathe. It is made of 1" 01 drill rod. The next step is to polish,then hang out out of the side of my milling vise and accurately mill flats the same size on each side,so that they make nice circles around their perimeters. Then,a 3/8" drill and 3/8" end mill to mill the eye. Then,with a rat tail file,to flare each end of the eye to keep the handle from coming loose after it is wedged on with a wooden wedge. Oh,and of course to cut the hammer head off,and finish the face as wanted. The handle will be finished with Tru Oil,a very nice,deep looking finish. Some finishes,like Danish Oil,have a "cool look" about them,which I find MOST UNATTRACTIVE.
The heads are hardened fully,then,I draw them to a beautiful fire blue color,leaving them at least 52 RC. One of the finished hammers has a flat,polished face. The other has a crowned face. I mean to make more that have flattened peins going both across and another with the direction of the handle.
These heads are about 2 1/2" tall,and,as mentioned,1" in diameter. My name and the year are stamped on them.
These are the kind of nice little projects that anyone can make. Feel free to copy if you wish. Enlarge the pictures with grid paper until the heads are 1" wide.
You can cut away most of the tool steel with conventional lathe tools. Then,smooth up the curves with a round nose wood lathe chisel. Even a carbon steel one,just sharpen more often. Remember,for many hundreds of years people made do on metal turning with just hand held tools. They did great work that can be seen in museums today.
These hammers are not in particular silversmith's hammers. Just useful small hammers to have about the shop,though I must admit they are more especially for forming small metal items metal than for other purposes. My wife confiscated my other small hammers. I kept these.
I would not go using these to strike center punches and the like! Most often they strike brass than silver though.I also made the handles. Good handles,especially SMALL size handles are just not made these days. Probably not made since the 1950's,actually,if that late. The last small batch are seen resting on my 8" jointer's infeed table. It is near the wood lathe,as you can see from the shavings!
The handles were turned round on my Oliver wood lathe(I HATE wood turning!) and planed oval with miniature planes I also made. A friend of mine,who considers himself an artist saw me making them and exclaimed that "You can buy handles for a few bucks each". I question his artistic vision!! You CANNOT buy THESE quality handles. New handles are very clunky and ILL DESIGNED! VERY ILL DESIGNED!! ESPECIALLY chasing hammer handles. How AWFUL can they make them!!!!!!
There is a picture of a new born hammer head as gotten off of the lathe. It is made of 1" 01 drill rod. The next step is to polish,then hang out out of the side of my milling vise and accurately mill flats the same size on each side,so that they make nice circles around their perimeters. Then,a 3/8" drill and 3/8" end mill to mill the eye. Then,with a rat tail file,to flare each end of the eye to keep the handle from coming loose after it is wedged on with a wooden wedge. Oh,and of course to cut the hammer head off,and finish the face as wanted. The handle will be finished with Tru Oil,a very nice,deep looking finish. Some finishes,like Danish Oil,have a "cool look" about them,which I find MOST UNATTRACTIVE.
The heads are hardened fully,then,I draw them to a beautiful fire blue color,leaving them at least 52 RC. One of the finished hammers has a flat,polished face. The other has a crowned face. I mean to make more that have flattened peins going both across and another with the direction of the handle.
These heads are about 2 1/2" tall,and,as mentioned,1" in diameter. My name and the year are stamped on them.
These are the kind of nice little projects that anyone can make. Feel free to copy if you wish. Enlarge the pictures with grid paper until the heads are 1" wide.
You can cut away most of the tool steel with conventional lathe tools. Then,smooth up the curves with a round nose wood lathe chisel. Even a carbon steel one,just sharpen more often. Remember,for many hundreds of years people made do on metal turning with just hand held tools. They did great work that can be seen in museums today.
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