Making lefthand hammer

[roamer]

Well I guess Im going to try and make a left handed Bedford hammer.
Can anyone tell me what type of steel i would use and where I might obtain it

[Joe Stein]

Roamer, mild steel from the hardware store will do fine. I would case harden the striking face and the tumbler hole to minimize wear in those spots.  There may be better alloys to use, but I'm not that familiar with the various types.  I'm sure someone else will chip in here soon.
-Joe

[camerl2009]

i like 4140 for just about everything 

[Dave B]

One of the gun makers out our way likes to use O1 for making his lock parts. Its easy to work and will harden up just fine when your all done. You can do this with simple heat treatment using a propane torch and some oil for your quench. Draw it back in the kitchen oven set on 450 for an hour. One of our own Peter Napp discusses the properties of some of the steels used in knife making in this portion from our Archives. http://americanlongrifles.org/old_board/index.php?topic=1113.0

[okieboy]

 I am with Dave b. on O1 steel, it is easy to work and heat treat in the home shop, I always keep some on hand and get it from McMaster-Carr or MSC.
 I just got a copy of "Gunsmiths of Bedford, Fulton, Huntington, & Somerset Counties". I hope you have or can get your hands on a copy. There are lots of lock plates shown that are not rat tail style. Three that I thought worth looking at (if starting with a Siler plate) were a John Amos on page 50, a D. Defibaugh on page 70 and a Jacob Meier on page 113. The variations of hammers is also interesting.

[Blacksmoke]

I make all of my lock screws and bolts out of 01 - wonderful stuff !      Hugh Toenjes

[roamer]

Thanks,theirs a massive Mcmaster whare house within 10 miles of my house ,they allow walk in