# Making Small Hammers



## george wilson (Feb 27, 2015)

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 Making a small hammer head.

This is a test on uploading pictures with the new format.

The hammer head is first contoured out on a lathe. You can use freehand HSS wood lathe cutting chisels,to smooth out the contours, after you rough out the shape with normal metal lathe tools. Then the hole is milled for the eye,and the cheeks are milled flat on each side. I prefer to accurately smooth out the contours before milling the flats. This helps keep the edges of the flats nice and sharp.

The eye is stuffed very tightly with fine steel wool with a hammer and a flat nosed punch. This keeps the head from cracking through the eye when quenching. These hammers were made from 1" 01 drill rod. Hardened,quenched in a gallon can of vegetable oil,and drawn to a spring blue color to be about 52 RC.


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## Andre (Feb 27, 2015)

Wow, those really look great!

I saw your post of these hammers on another forum, I turned a handle for a 2oz ball peen in the same style as one of your chasing hammers. It's my favorite hammer now, handle feels great and almost pivots in your wrist. I also used tru-oil as I had some left over from a stock refinish,


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## brav65 (Feb 27, 2015)

Awesome hammers. Thanks for the post!


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 27, 2015)

George, when ready to upload the pics look under the pic. It will say Thumbnail -- Full image. Check the full image and it will post the full size pic. I edited and did just one of yours.

"Billy G"


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## george wilson (Feb 27, 2015)

Thank you for alerting me,Bill. I did not see that. Well,now I have 2 full size images,and cannot seem to make one of the repeated images go away.


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## Bill Gruby (Feb 27, 2015)

Hmmmm -- I only see one George?

 "Billy G"


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## george wilson (Feb 27, 2015)

Somehow the pic of hammers got lost. Back again now. I must say,the images load instantly.


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## middle.road (Feb 28, 2015)

Did you marked your name on them somewhere? That way a few hundred years from now if they show up at a tool show, folks will wonder who 'Wilson' was.


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## george wilson (Feb 28, 2015)

The angle of the pictures don't show it,but G.Wilson is stamped on the flats,with the year of manufacture. I always mark my tools.


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## randyc (Feb 28, 2015)

This is one made for my sister who designs and makes custom jewelry.  It is called a chasing hammer and has a very strangely shaped handle.  In fact I've made SIX of them so far and she still says they they don't "fit" her hand, LOL.  She was specific that the head had to weigh 8 ounces so the shape had to take that into account.

The material is pre-hardened 4140, first roughed on a horizontal mill then turned in my old Sheldon.  Finally - and the most challenging part of the process - the head was transferred to a toolmaker's vise mounted on a rotary table and the elliptical mounting hole produced on a vertical mill.

Handles are oak and myrtle, bandsawed to rough shape and refined on a knife sander.  The aged patina on the head was produced by immersing the head in a solution of vinegar/water.


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## randyc (Feb 28, 2015)

Forgot to mention that sis insisted that the head be angled 2 degrees with respect to the handle axis.  Sheesh !  If I'd known that she was going to be so picky I would NEVER have volunteered for this - but I suppose jewelry makers are picky by definition.


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## george wilson (Mar 1, 2015)




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## george wilson (Mar 1, 2015)

Well,I can't do any writing because I uploaded the pictures first. Needless to say,these are other chasing hammers. The large (1 1/2" one) one was case hardened for hours in my electric furnace way back in 1979. The smaller,1" dia. ones are hardened drill rod.

The other hammer is to show that my name is stamped on them. I was not aware of the dust on the "graceful hammer". Things really show up in magnified pictures!

The chasing handles are all ash,stained with potassium permanganate (KMNO4),and varnished a bit with Tru Oil gunstock finish. The regular chasing hammers have bulbous handles,and the "graceful" hammers have very small ball pein type handles made of hickory. I have to make them,because you can't get real small ball pein handles any more. And,if you could,they would likely be miserably ugly Chinese oak handles.

I had a friend,who considers himself a great designer,comer into my shop when I was making more small ball pein handles not long ago. He was astounded that I'd be wasting my time,because"You can buy those for a few dollars!" Oh,no,you CAN'T!! You'l get ill designed Asian junk,made of that ugly Asian oak. Not that I'm against every thing Asian,but they can keep their hammer handles! Their bulbous chasing hammer handles are grotesque!!!!!

I spent years gathering old stamp sets with nice letters with serifs,and graceful numbers. Projects stamped with modern "Gothic" stamps are really hurt by their lack of artistic appearance. The G.Wilson and Maker stamps on the "graceful hammer" are one piece stamps made by Buckeye Engraving. They will use any font style you can find on your computer. Great guys to work with. They remember your specs forever if 10 years later,you want more stamps that match the last ones you ordered.

The chasing hammers were stamped with a set of WWI Army dog tag stamps. Look at the "7". They made beautiful stamps back then. I have a set that must be very close to 18th. C.,so crude are the steel shanks. But the letters are immaculately hand chiseled true Roman style,with "Thick and thin" elements,the only such stamps I have ever seen. They are 1/4" tall. People back then,as a general population,were made more aware of artistic things than people these days. It was part of their education,beautiful hand writing,for example,was expected. Today,they are discontinuing teaching any hand writing in schools. Too bad. Tomorrow's kids will be helpless if they need to leave a note,and have no computer handy.

My wife has commandeered the chasing hammers for her jewelry making work.


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## cathead (Mar 1, 2015)

Stunning hammers by George!  I love the detail and the patina too & also the KMnO4 idea.  What is 
a chasing hammer used for?


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## george wilson (Mar 1, 2015)

Chasing is the ornamental work of flourishes,flowers,etc. that you see on silverware,tea sets and the like. This was done with small decorative stamps which you might accumulate hundreds of. These days,you practically have to make your own as few,and bad ones are only offered. The chasing hammers were used to hammer the chasing stamps. But,they have many other general uses in a jewelry shop.

I have accumulated hundreds of antique chasing tools,and have made many more. Google silver chasing images.


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## cathead (Mar 1, 2015)

Thanks for the education George.  I'm off to check out the chasing images.


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## 18w (Mar 1, 2015)

Beautiful hammers George. Now I have to look up Buckeye Engravers. Always wanted something nicer than the standard metal stamps.


Darrell


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## cathead (Mar 4, 2015)

I was inspired by George's and RandyC's hammers so had to make one up myself.  This was made from
the remains of an old truck axle annealed in a wood fire.  It was hardened by heating to cherry red with
the torch and wafting it in some used compressor oil.  The handle was made from ironwood which is
a smallish tree indigenous to Minnesota.
	

		
			
		

		
	

View attachment 96883


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## 18w (Mar 4, 2015)

A question for George, Randy, or Cathead. When you milled the oval hole for the handle, did you mill it with a taper so the wedge could expand the handle or is it just a straight sided hole? I realize these are small hammers, used lightly. Just curious if it is necessary as I am going to make a couple.

Thanks
Darrell


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## cathead (Mar 5, 2015)

It's certainly not necessary.  I thought about tapering the hole but decided that for the way this kind of 
hammer is used, it would be unnecessary.  If course one could easily add that feature if so desired. 
As said before, I made my handle with ironwood which is a very dense hardwood.  The
wedge is made with ironwood as well.  It was a fun day project with entirely satisfying results.


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## george wilson (Mar 5, 2015)

Nice hammer,cathead. The axle is probably something like 4140. I used to save old axles from the junk yard to make milling arbors years ago.

How did you make the accurate round ball pein?

To taper out the onside of the milled eye of the hammer,I take a coarse round file and file the inside of the hole so that it is gradually bellmouthed in both directions,but more bellmouthed on the front end of the hammer head. Only takes minutes to do this.

I do not try to do this with the milling machine,because shifting the head would result in getting the hole a little out of vertical. When I mill the eye out,and mill the sides flat,the head is still part of a long 1" drill rod bar,which can roll some. I know I could do better on holding the head,but just filing the hole is no biggie.


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## cathead (Mar 5, 2015)

George, 

I did the ball end by eye only.  Thanks for the information on filing and will do that
in the future.


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## george wilson (Mar 5, 2015)

Good eye,cathead.


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## cathead (Mar 5, 2015)

george wilson said:


> Good eye,cathead.


Thanks!


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## 18w (Mar 5, 2015)

Thanks to both of you for your reply's. 

Darrell


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## hdskip (Mar 7, 2015)

This is a chasing hammer I made before I realized I was not destined to be an engraver. Head is O-1 to my best recollection and handle is hickory. Close to 30 years old now.


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## cathead (Mar 7, 2015)

Very Nice!


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## george wilson (Mar 7, 2015)

Keep on making those hammers! They don't take very long to make,and make your workshop a little nicer place to be.

I used to have a ball pein hammer that was probably about 100 years old. Made by a Mr. Quigley. I have several of his other tools. The hammer was faceted as beautifully as a diamond. A marvelous piece of work. It was stolen from me back in the 80's.


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## EmilioG (Mar 7, 2015)

I've seen these types of hammers used in the Bronze Art foundries where I've worked.
What do machinists use these hammer for?


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## 18w (Mar 7, 2015)

EmilioG said:


> I've seen these types of hammers used in the Bronze Art foundries where I've worked.
> What do machinists use these hammer for?



Emilio, I have dozens of different hammers for metal shaping along with the typical ball peens, ect. For a machinist there probably isn't a real use or need that a normal ball pein wouldn't suffice.....except like George said they make your workshop a nicer place to be. Nothing like having beautifully made tools in your shop to help inspire more craftsmanship in one's other work. Amazing that something as simple as a hammer can have such graceful shapes and nice engraving. I have no reason to need one but I am going to make one because I like George's reasoning.

Darrell


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## EmilioG (Mar 7, 2015)

I agree.  If I could, I would own every type of tool I could use.
I love making and repairing tools. Those hammers are beautiful and well made.
I would love to own one or make one myself.


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## george wilson (Mar 7, 2015)

Since I do many kinds of work,including engraving,small die sinking and chasing,I use all kinds of hammers and tools. This enables me to be a full blown,truffle rooting tool pig,which is what I really am at heart!


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## randyc (Mar 7, 2015)

18w said:


> A question for George, Randy, or Cathead. When you milled the oval hole for the handle, did you mill it with a taper so the wedge could expand the handle or is it just a straight sided hole? I realize these are small hammers, used lightly. Just curious if it is necessary as I am going to make a couple.
> 
> Thanks
> Darrell



Mine was tapered.  Making the elliptical shape AND the taper was <ahem> _interesting_ !  I've made only one of these heads and my sister pretty much directed every part of the operation.  I have yet to mark the head with my name and date; I've been playing with electro-etching to produce raised lettering.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/marking-parts-by-electro-etching.32437/#post-276160

I'm astounded by the beautiful heads that George has made !


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## 18w (Mar 7, 2015)

Thanks Randy. That is a fine looking hammer that you made as well.

Darrell


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## george wilson (Mar 8, 2015)

Feel free to copy my heads if you want for your own use.

Get the bulged curve just right so you have a neat circle when you mill the sides flat.

You can print a copy of my rough turned head,and shrink it down to get your shape correct.


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## 18w (Mar 8, 2015)

george wilson said:


> Feel free to copy my heads if you want for your own use.
> 
> Get the bulged curve just right so you have a neat circle when you mill the sides flat.
> 
> You can print a copy of my rough turned head,and shrink it down to get your shape correct.



Thank you George. What is the size of your letter stamp you used on your graceful hammer? I know you said 1/4" height on the WW1 stamps but I assume your other stamp is smaller. I presume G. Wilson and Maker are two separate stamps, yes? I may look in to having two different size stamps made.

Regards
Darrell


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## george wilson (Mar 8, 2015)

That stamp is 1/8" tall. Yes,maker is a separate stamp.


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## vapremac (Mar 20, 2015)

Beautiful craftsmanship on the hammers , I fiqured I would present one that I made for a customer of mine.


William


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