Dog's Head Hammer

[Chris Christenberry]

I finished forging the initial shape of my Dog's Head hammer.

 

 

I still have to punch the handle hole.  (I've got to make a punch and a drift yet)  But I'm curious..............does the face of a Dog's Head hammer have a slight crown, or is it absolutely flat for making the bevels?  Right now mine is flat with a forged bevel around the face.

[Alan Longmire]

That's up to you.  Sheffield bladesmith's hammers are pretty much flat, as are filemaker's hammers.  A saw-doctor's hammer is highly crowned.  I like a very slight crown myself.  

[Jeremy Blohm]

I like a slight crown myself. But is all personal preference. Just make sure to radius the edges to not leave any hammer marks. 

 

This is my power hammer punch but I prefer the same grind on my hand hammer punch.  and the slug it produces. This slug is from a 10 lb hammer billet. Smaller hammers produce a thinner slug. 

This is my hand hammer punch with an experimental grind. I really dont care for it. 

[Chris Christenberry]

I have a nice pick axe head that I'm planning on using to make a hammer head drift.  Heck, it's already got the tapers, so less work.  How should I heat treat it to use as a drift?

Edited June 12, 2020 by Chris Christenberry

[Alan Longmire]

Don't bother heat treating it.  Just cool it off every three or four blows.

[Gerald Boggs]

Know at this point, I'm sounding like a stuck record. 

Get Mark Aspery's first book.  It will show in great detail and explanation, how to forge a punch, drift and hammer eye drift.  He introduced me to the Klein Tools bull pins

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/pins/standard-bull-pins

They're already tapered, great for all manner of drifts

Edited June 21, 2020 by Gerald Boggs

[Jeremy Blohm]

I was going to mention bull pins also. I dont have the book but a friend does and I have to say it is VERY informative!!!

[Jeremy Blohm]

The only thing I dont like about a bull pin is the lack of handle. 

[Chris Christenberry]

1 hour ago, Alan Longmire said:

Don't bother heat treating it.  Just cool it off every three or four blows.

Okay, thanks.

1 hour ago, Gerald Boggs said:

Know at this point, I'm sounding like a stuck record. 

Get Mark Aspery's first book.  It will show in great detail and explanation, how to forge a punch, drift and hammer eye drift.  He introduced me to the Klein Tools bull pins

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/pins/standard-bull-pins

They already dome tapered, great for all manner of drifts

Thanks, Gerald.....................honestly never gave bull pins a thought.  Thanks for the link also.

[Gerald Boggs]

If you get any, shop around.  On-line Home Depot is $20, Amazon seller is two for $182. 

[Gerald Boggs]

Having just posted that, went back to the Klein and saw a "Buy Online" button.  It gives you links and prices to a number of seller.

[Chris Christenberry]

Gerald, do you just use them in their round shape, or do you forge them into an oval shape for hammer head drifts?  (I know, I know, another "newbie" question.)

[Gerald Boggs]

Both, but more of an oblong then oval.  Mark's book has all this in great detail  

[Chris Christenberry]

I'm sure Mark's books are wonderful to have............but there's no money for that right now.  I just puckered today over spending $10 for a couple of 5 gallon buckets.

 

When you say "both", can you tell me when I'd want a round hammer head hole?

[Gerald Boggs]

1 hour ago, Chris Christenberry said:

round hammer head hole?

Rounding hammer.

 

Actually, I use the round drift for a lot of other things.

[Chris Christenberry]

What shape would you recommend I use on a Dog's Head hammer?

[Gerald Boggs]

If you take about five inches of 3/4 round, that will give you the drift the you use to get the hole.  First a short taper on each end and then flatten it into a oblong, it will be about 7/8 by 1/2"  The drift to give you a hour glass hole will  the tapered drift.  Whatever size and shape the first drift is, try to match the proportions with the tapered drift .  I'm pretty sure Mark has some youtube's that show this.

 

On the book, If you have a local blacksmith group, they might have a copy.

 

I was joking about the round eye for the rounding hammer.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Gerald Boggs

[JenniferP]

I use the same shape for all hammers included top tools or any handled anything..  The difference is the bevel and that is about it. 

Just punch it round and once you get close to the desired size.. Just flatten it out some..  The eye will turn oval..  

It's explained in the Set hammer and Flatter videos as well as the Hammer thread on IFI. 

Dogs heads, German and French hammers are about the easiest to make because the round punch to oval works perfectly and was the common way of doing it. 

using a Drift or Mandrel was used to forge the cheeks of the hammer to elongate that section for more handle support. 

You can see in these first photos of the hammer which has peen marks..This was punched round, then forged in to get an oval, then a mandrel was inserted..  This needs a mandrel to keep the eye from closing in on itself while the cheeks are forged.  It's about 50% done.. Not sure of the final shape so it's been in limbo over a year. 

The hot chisel and the eye punch are just straight punched round with nearly no bevel as the handles are left straight with no wedges as they are held not swung.. Makes it easy to replace handles. 

The next set is for a domming hammer.  I use for bowls, spoons and for Shuriken forging. 

Edited June 15, 2020 by JenniferP

[Chris Christenberry]

1 hour ago, Gerald Boggs said:

On the book, If you have a local blacksmith group, they might have a copy.

 

I was joking about the round eye for the rounding hammer.

 

Don't think our group has one, but I'll ask.

 Oh, and it's not nice to do that to a newbie.

 

46 minutes ago, JenniferP said:

Just punch it round and once you get close to the desired size.. Just flatten it out some..  The eye will turn oval..  

 

Thanks, Jennifer................I didn't know that.  DUH!!!

[Charles dP]

On 6/15/2020 at 1:27 AM, JenniferP said:

Shuriken forging

That sounds interesting...

[JenniferP]

On 6/16/2020 at 5:26 PM, Charles dP said:

That sounds interesting...

 

[Chris Christenberry]

Well, it's been an interesting journey.  but this is my first hammer head.  It's a whole lot different from the picture in my first post of this thread.

 

Not real purdy, but kinda cute.  Here's my Dog's Head Hammer Head in all its shining glory. 3 1/4" long.  Butt end measures 1"x1 1/4", head upset to 1 3/4".  Weighs 1 1/2 pounds.

 

 

 

Now to find some Hickory for the handle.

[Alan Longmire]

Looks good!

[Chris Christenberry]

Thanks, Alan.

[JenniferP]

Nice work Chris..  When you start working larger stock it does change the process some.. 

I have found over the 40+ years that the process/skill set does not change much only the time it takes to do the same operation..  This is true working with bigger materials for sure.