Author Topic: Chasing hammers (Read 8759 times)

A.Merrill · « **on:** February 09, 2011, 12:05:20 AM »

What weight chasing hammer should I buy, 3, 4 or 6oz.? What is the difference between the $35.00 germany made and the $12.00 Economy Pakistan hammer? Thanks guys AL

Ky-Flinter · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2011, 12:35:44 AM »

Al,

The head on the $35 hammer is probably installed straight, square, etc. Handle is probably pretty wood.

The head on the $12 hammer is may be installed straight, square, etc., then maybe not. No telling what kind of wood the handle is.

The graver won't be able to tell the difference.

-Ron

Swampwalker · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2011, 01:16:47 AM »

My 'economy Pakistani' hammer is much to heavy to make a good engraving hammer, though it otherwise is a good hammer. I would go with the lighter weight hammer. You will probably have to re-work the handle to further lighten the action.

bama · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2011, 02:49:32 AM »

The German Hammer will probably have the more balanced handle and be better constructed. You normally get what you pay for, difference between a Caddy and a Chevy.

With that said I have seen a small cross peen hammer used by someone that knows how to engrave and do exceptionally well.

I personnally started out with the cheaper heavier hammer. I could not figure out why I kept breaking points on my graver until I got to use a lighter higher grade hammer. Thats when I fond out the difference a few extra dollars will get you. I was putting to much force on the graver with the heavier hammer, when I went to the lighter hammer I broke much fewer points. I also learned how to sharpen a square graver which helped, the sharper the graver the easier it is to cut, the easier it is to cut the lighter the hammer needs to be. A lighter hammer is easier on the arm and wrist.

You will have to figure out what weight is best for you but I would start with the lighter one and spend as much time learning to sharpen the graver as you do swinging the hammer and you will be on the right path.

David Rase · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2011, 05:33:46 AM »

I seen in a class years ago where Dave Dolliver made chasing hammers out of a 1/2" nut and bolt with a 2 piece dowel handle. Maybe he will jump in here and elaborate or correct me if I am mistaken.
DMR

Dave Dolliver · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2011, 07:21:36 AM »

OK, Dave R. Here it is:

We made these quite a few years ago for a beginners demo/class on engraving at a n Oregon Gunmakers' Fair:

Take a 1" dia dowel 4" long and drill a 5/16 dia hole about 1" deep lengthwise in one end.
Now take a piece of 5/16" ramrod about 7 1/4" long and insert it in the hole in the dowel with glue.
That's your handle!

Take a 1/2" dia hex head bolt with a threaded shank 1 1/2" long and smooth the suface of the head as they often have some raised marks forged on the head surface. 7/16" from the under side of the head, drill a 5/16" dia hole through the threaded shank of the bolt.
That's your hammer head.

Push the 5/16 dia portion of the handle through the hole in the threaded shank of the head. Thread a 1/2" dia hex nut on the shank up against the handle. If you want more weight, add a second nut on top of the first one.

The total weight, including 2 nuts is about 5 to 6 ounces.

It isn't great or pretty but it only costs about 75 cents!

Dave Dolliver

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2011, 07:55:44 AM »

You might check GRS. They sometimes have a real good price on a pair of chasing hammers of different diameters and weights.

smart dog · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2011, 07:08:41 PM »

Hi Al,
Go with the middle weight head that you listed (4 oz). You may find that even the German handle needs to be lightened a bit to increase springiness of the action. With a very sharp graver you will not need much force and you never make a deep cut in one pass anyway. You gradually deepen the cut if needed. I also would urge you to think about buying the lightest hammer for shading. In fact, you might even grind a little off the head of it. Correct shading really requires a light touch. I could never see the tip of the graver well enough to do proper shading with a hammer and chisel. I eventually learned to hand push the graver for shading, however, you will probably want to use the hammer and chisel as you learn and thus a really light hammer is useful. You might consider the German-made hammer for the heavy work and buy a light cheaper one for shading (it will probably have to be lightened and thinned even further). Also Al, I urge you to buy Steve Lindsay's sharpening system for chisels and eventually push gravers. Some folks will tell you to view Lynton McKenzie's videos and use his sharpening system, which is quite inexpensive. I've been there, done that and it works pretty well but it is not nearly as precise as the Lindsay templates. There is no bigger frustration in learning to engrave than a poorly sharpened graver.

dave

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2011, 07:43:44 PM »

I use a 3 oz antique brass hammer that I found who knows where.... I had an idiot come into my shop one day and notice the head was loose so he wacked off 2" of the handle and remounted the head.

Needless to say the balance was thrown way off. Took months to relearn to engrave with the shorter handle. No one gets in my shop anymore.

J. Talbert · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2011, 08:08:36 PM »

Years ago, at Friendship, when I was just getting started in this, I was listening to Mike Cox, (you can see his work in Robert Weil's book of contemparary makers) tell someone that he still engraved with a cresent wrench (or some sort of wrench) as his engraving hammer. Seems that's what he used to teach himself to engrave, and when he later tried to use a true chasing hammer, he couldn't get used to it.

I guess it's that little pointy end in the other hand that matters.

Jeff

Blacksmoke · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2011, 03:29:00 AM »

Al: The cheaper hammer has a thicker shank above the handle - whilst the more expensive one has a thinner and more flexable shank. The "flex" was designed to take up some of the "shock" when striking the graver. I used to engrave with a small hammer made out of a 1/2" bolt attached to a 1/2" handle made out of metal as well. Then I advanced to the more expensive and proper chasing hammer. My engraving also advanced and became more expensive!

Hugh Toenjes

Rasch Chronicles · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2011, 04:14:48 AM »

The cheap Pak hammer ultimately supports terrorism and terrorists.
Get a piece of rebar and flatten it if you're short on bucks.

Best regards,
Albert “Afghanus” Rasch
Fightin' the Fight! Hitting 'em Hard!
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles™

David Rase · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2011, 04:40:28 AM »

Quote from: Dave Dolliver on February 09, 2011, 07:21:36 AM

OK, Dave R. Here it is:

We made these quite a few years ago for a beginners demo/class on engraving at a n Oregon Gunmakers' Fair:

Take a 1" dia dowel 4" long and drill a 5/16 dia hole about 1" deep lengthwise in one end.
Now take a piece of 5/16" ramrod about 7 1/4" long and insert it in the hole in the dowel with glue.
That's your handle!

Take a 1/2" dia hex head bolt with a threaded shank 1 1/2" long and smooth the suface of the head as they often have some raised marks forged on the head surface. 7/16" from the under side of the head, drill a 5/16" dia hole through the threaded shank of the bolt.
That's your hammer head.

Push the 5/16 dia portion of the handle through the hole in the threaded shank of the head. Thread a 1/2" dia hex nut on the shank up against the handle. If you want more weight, add a second nut on top of the first one.

The total weight, including 2 nuts is about 5 to 6 ounces.

It isn't great or pretty but it only costs about 75 cents!

Dave Dolliver

Thanks Dave for sharing. If I had to choose between the cheap hammer and making one using Dave Dolivers instructions I would use Dave's.
DMR

A.Merrill · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:18:14 PM »

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like it will be the German made hammer or is their one made in the U.S.A.? AL

Pete G. · « **Reply #14 on:** February 11, 2011, 03:12:16 AM »

It is NEVER a mistake to buy quality. You need a light well balanced hammer with a thin springy handle below the head that and has a large striking area. You probably won't end up with the one that you start with because as your engraving experience builds your technique will evolve. If you want to sell a quality hammer that you have outgrown, you will find a market right on this forum.

Captchee · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2011, 07:12:21 PM »

i found through the years that with a chase hammer , the handle is of the of great importance . cheep handles are normally thick and not tapered well . to often the end of the handle is either to large or to small and thus the balanced is lacking as much as the flex .
now that being said . i have to laugh about the wrench post .
i started out using a auto body hammer LOL

bama · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2011, 08:50:28 PM »

A merrill go to the GRS web site they have 3 different weights of chasing hammers you can choose from. They also have a graver handle set up to receive the quick change collets. If you use one of the sharpeng templets that have been mentioned it is real nice to be able to have 3 or 4 gravers sharpened in the QC collets plus you will find it easier to sharpen the graver tips than a graver with a handle on it. I use these and I also use traditional gavers plus I have a Graver Mach AT. I use all of these just depends on the type of engraving I am doing.

A.Merrill · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2011, 11:33:18 AM »

Thanks guys for all the info. AL

T*O*F · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2011, 08:04:43 PM »

Al,
Be aware that some of the best engravers in the world do not use engraving hammers. Many make their own, use small ball peins, or use other small, readily available hammers. For instance, view this video of the Browning engravers and note the hammers they are using. They are common to those used by many European engravers.

The old adage is....whether one uses hand, mechanical, or pnuematic driven tools, it's not how the tool is driven, but who's doing the driving.

News:

Author Topic: Chasing hammers (Read 8759 times)

Dave Dolliver

Rasch Chronicles