All About Metal Shaping Hammers
No gold parachute pants and patent-leather shoes—just one of the most versatile tools known to man. Obviously a hammer is one of, if not the most, important tool in any metal shaper’s toolbox. There as many different hammers as there are methods of using them and results they can give. This month we are going to touch on the basics that any metal shaper should have within reach. Probably the most recognizable metal-shaping hammers are going to be those commonly referred to as body hammers. The most common of those typically fit three different head styles intended to give you the most bang for your buck to allow you to do just about any hand hammering. You’ll see them being referred to as “bumping,” “finishing,” and “pick” hammers.
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I originally intended for this month’s column to be titled “Hammers and Dollies,” but while preparing this installment I decided that both topics required their own column. So next month we’ll be looking at dollies, anvils, stumps, and beater bags. Then I’ll delve into how you can combine different “hammers” and “anvils” to achieve different desired results. If you have any questions or suggestions for the column you can reach me at [email protected].