This question
about use of the ball pein hammer sent to me by Emily Mancini prompted
the article
below. Thanks, Emily for your thought-provoking question!
Hello!
I
have a question about hammering metal. I have a jewelry
business specializing in hand stamping. I hammer most of my metal
(copper, brass and silver). I have tried about 5 different ball pein
hammers for different textures. I usually work with a 16 oz.
I would like to know what the difference is between the many ball peins
out in the market. I see some that are as much as $75 and as cheap as
$6. Does the shiny mirror like finish on the ball have to do with the
the final finish of the metal? I like the matte finish for some pieces
but would like some hammered pieces to have a high shine.
Does the
texture and shine of the ball have to do with the final hammering
sheen? And the weight, does that have to do with how deep the dents
go?? Thanks for any advice you can share as I learn more about the
world of ball pein hammers :)
There IS a world of difference in ball pein hammers! Because I teach in
many places and have met lots of people, I have had an opportunity to
try a wide variety of hammers! There are some very important
considerations when choosing a hammer. Personal preference is an
important factor, but also the styles and qualities of the hammers
factor into what makes one hammer more desirable than another.
I'll share with you my preferences in ball pein hammers.
Size: Yes, size
does matter! Too large of a hammer and they're unwieldy
and difficult to use. For hammering discs and wire on a small steel
bench block, I've found that a smaller head allows you more
control in just exactly where you place that hammer face. That control
is why I prefer a ball pein style hammer as opposed to a chasing or
planishing hammer. Nice hammers, but not for working close to your
fingers. In class, I refer to them as 'finger mashers.' More about
these hammers later!
While the ball pein hammer comes in an assortment of head sizes, I use
a
2-1/2 inch head with a 3/4 inch flat face and a smooth nicely rounded
ball. It's a 4 ounce size (head only) and has a nice long solid hickory
handle that is tapered at the neck to allow the hammer to have a
whipping action. The flexibility of the handle allows the hammer to do
most of the work for you and is very comfortable in the hand. I've
included a photo of the hammer. They typically sell in the $12-25 range.
Most home supply stores
carry the larger sizes of this hammer, but you don't need a super big
hammer to get the job done. Remember, you're not building a house,
you're
creating jewelry! 8 and 12 ounce and larger head sizes hammers are not
only more difficult to use, they also get very heavy
when wielding
one for long periods of time. I have a one pound dead-blow
hammer and it is heavy! I can't imagine wielding one of those mongo
hammers for delicate or lengthy hammering work! Also, I want to
determine
where I land my hammer face and where the metal is being flattened or
where a
texture is being added. The more control you have, the better results
you'll get!
The opposite is true for ball pein hammers that are very lightweight.
If they're not beefy enough, you are forced to make up the difference
by raising the hammer higher in order to apply more force, thus
reducing accuracy and risking bruised fingers and flattened areas where
you
didn't want them!
Face
Shape:
I prefer a flat face instead of a slightly domed face. The
actual striking area of a domed face is smack-dab in the center of the
face. That domed face is great for moving metal in some applications,
but for texturing and flattening wire, you have to get too close to
your fingers to actually make contact with the metal and the area
you're trying to work on is hidden by the face of the hammer. How can
you see what you're doing if your hammer face is in the way?
A smaller, flat face allows you to work with more accuracy in tight
places. I call this 'hammer control.' It also allows you to keep your
fingers safe!
Handle: I like
natural wood handles. The first thing I do with any of
my hammers is, if it has a lacquer coating I sand it off with very
fine sand paper. This gives the hammer handle a super smooth feel in
the hand which I find very comfortable. Coating on wood can feel
'sticky'. Fretz makes beautifully crafted hammers with extremely
comfortable handles made of rosewood and other hardwoods. No varnish or
lacquer on them! The heads are all polished to a mirror shine. Yes, I
do have several of their hammers and I love them, but they are
pricey! The Fretz mini hammers average in the $55 range and their
larger
hammers $80 - $125 each.
Here's my favorite ball pein hammer. Note the nice slim neck
on the hickory handle. It's available for purchase in my Etsy store
or contact me through the website.
Polish:
Many steel hammer heads are coarsely finished. To solve this, I
sand the face and the rounded ball of the hammer using different grits
of sand paper. It takes about 15 minutes to get a high-polish finish on
the face. Any texture you have on the striking surface will transfer
itself to the soft metals you're working on. You can really see the
difference when dimpling metal. You can see in the photo below how the
dimpling pattern looks when made with a highly polished strike surface
vs. a strike surface that is slightly rough.
You may want a rougher hammer face to create a linen or silk look, but
for a
high-polish blemish-free surface, your hammer strike area must be
clean. The Fretz line of hammers are a true joy to use and each hammer
is precision-crafted and polished to a flawless mirror finish. Sadly,
they do not offer a ball pein hammer, but they do offer a couple of
hammers you can use instead. But then, you have to buy two hammers to
do
the job of one. This being said, if they come out with a ball
pein hammer, I'll probably be one of the first in line to get one!
Here is a picture of the ball pein hammer that I prefer after the
striking areas have been sanded smooth. I also show a closeup
of the Fretz dimpling hammer which
will create two different dimple sizes.
Quality:
You want a hammer that is well made - one that you can trust
that the head is not going to fly off or crack in half. I've had both
happen. With use, hammer heads can loosen. To tighten them up try the
following technique:
Tool
Tip:
This handy tip was given to me about how to tighten up the head of a
hammer if it loosens. It really works!!!! Here's what you do.
1. Place the hammer or hammers in a plastic container
head-side down.
2. Fill the container with just enough anti-freeze to cover
the hammer head. You don't want to immerse the whole thing in
anti-freeze!
3. Cover and leave the hammer to soak overnight.
4. Remove your hammer and wipe clean.
The anti-freeze won't cause the steel parts of the hammer to rust, but
will swell the wood to tighten the heads up. This method works really
well.
WARNING!!!
Anti-freeze is deadly to animals. It smells
and tastes sweet to them and just a spoonful is enough to kill a large
beloved pet. Please be careful to put your container where no animals
or
children can have access to it. The cover is not a necessary part of
the process, just an extra safety measure to prevent an animal from
getting to the anti-freeze.
Weight and balance are important. Is the wood lightweight? Splintery?
I don't know about you, but I wouldn't trust a hammer like that and I
don't want to have to worry about splinters!
One of the first ball pein hammers I bought was from the craft
section of a discount store for $4. It has a 4 ounce size head on it
and a hardwood handle
of unknown origin, but the handle's short - 6 inches long. I like the
fact that it fits into my tool case for convenience, but the short
handle hits my hand in the wrong area, which can cause problems over a
long time if you use it a lot. Some craft stores carry a
similar hammer for around the same price. I've noticed that today
they're not made as well
as they were years ago...the wood's lighter weight and splinter, and
sanding doesn't help! So...if you go that route, be sure to really
inspect the wooden handle. In the photo below you can see my original
short-handled hammer next to my favorite ball pein.
Grip:
Move your hand to the back of the handle and let the hammer do the
work for you! For adding a dimple texture, let that hammer bounce
lightly in your hand! You want to DIMPLE the metal, not MASH it! Stiff
arming your hammer will result in sore elbows and wrists! Use a firm
grip when you have some serious shaping or flattening to do. Then
strike with a quick hard hit! The more force behind the hit, the larger
your dimple is going to be. Experiment with this....you can create
very different looking patterns just by using different amounts of
force behind the blows.
A
Note on
Chasing Hammers:
Chasing hammers generally have a large face, either domed or flat, with
a ball on the opposite side, and long bulbous handles. Because
of
its design the
chasing hammer allows you to ignore the rise and fall of the hammer and
concentrate on the effect the strike is having on your project, while
usually allowing for long periods of hammering with very little muscle
fatigue. The slender neck of the chasing hammer
creates a whipping action during hammering which allows for a higher
impact and maximum movement of the metal, without having to strong-arm
it.
A larger hammer can withstand the force of harder blows. Using a
lighter hammer for those great mashing blows may result in the breaking
of the thin neck of the handle. Yes, I've seen hammer heads go flying
during
class (not a safe situation). This is especially true with the lower
quality versions of this
popular hammer. I think the chasing hammer is best
for Repoussé
and metal forming applications and not general hammering of wire, etc.
As you can see by the pictures, the actual strike zone is in the center
of the hammer face which is some distance from the edge of the large
face. This means you not only have to work closer to your fingers when
using this style of hammer for general wire work etc. on a small bench
block, but you also can't see exactly where you are hitting, making
accuracy more difficult. I mentioned this up above. I've actually had
students bring in chasing hammers with a 1-1/2 inch diameter rounded
face and try to flatten a little piece of wire on a a 2-1/2 inch square
bench block. With a huge hammer face on a small working area, accuracy
is difficult (yep...finger mashers).
Final
Thoughts: There
are many, many different hammers out there. Here I've only
touched on the ball pein and why I think chasing hammers are unsuited
for general wirework. The article reflects my
opinions and observations from my own experience with these
hammers and the situations I come across during my classes and
workshops and, of
course, listening to the comments of others about their own experiences
with these hammers. Your individual preferences may be different. Don't
be afraid to try different hammers so you can find what suits you best!
The bottom line is this: The proper use of a quality
hammer and using the right hammer for the job will make your hammering
experiences not only more enjoyable, but you'll get more consistent and
desirable results!!
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