Twisting a L & R hammer

[frogwalking]

I need to twist a percussin hammer on a L & R lock about 5 or 10 degrees .   (probably 5).  That is. the nose needs to be twisted toward the center of the barrel just a little.  Having read what I can find on old threads, it looks like I can do it cold. I just wondered if L & R uses an easily bendable alloy for the hammers?

[jerrywh]

 If you can file it you can bend it cold [ SOME]

[smylee grouch]

I have twisted the L&R hammer's over before. They aren't as "beefy" as some others and the few I have done went ok.

[Hungry Horse]

A box end wrench that will fit over the hammer face works very well for putting a little twist in the hammer contact point.

  Hungry Horse

[Mark Elliott]

I would heat the bend point red hot just to make sure you do no damage. 

[Smoketown]

I would heat the bend point red hot just to make sure you do no damage.

Yup,

It's a lot easier to re-polish the hammer than it is to weld AND re-polish it !!   

Cheers,
Smoketown

[frogwalking]

I think I will heat it.  When I was a teenager, our muzzle loading mentor, who was a retired blacksmith, told us "The devil will get you if you work cold steel".  He might be watching.

[Hungry Horse]

My black smithing mentor said there is an old saying, that there are only three blacksmiths in $#*!, one for not charging enough for his work, and two for working cold steel.

  Hungry Horse

[Curtis]

I would heat the bend point red hot just to make sure you do no damage.

In my experience I would second Mark's advice.

Curtis

[FALout]

Heat it.   It can be a hassle getting it just perfect, trial and error, but heating the hammer will be less likely to break on you.

[Whaleman]

This is how I figured out how to bend the cup up and down. Hard to hold without messing up the cup. I had to grind the  tool some to make it work. I had to heat red hot for this bend. Very small sideways bends I was able to do cold. Dan

[smylee grouch]

If the hammer strikes the nipple ok but not squarely could you just use a bottoming drill on the inside of the cup to change the angle and save your self the heating and bending operation?

[Whaleman]

The heating and bending operation does not take very long at all. May take a few heats to get it perfect. Not more than 15 minutes and then it just looks better to me. Dan

[little joe]

I have bent many cold, and hot but if you cannot do repair work you should heat it. I have broken a few and repaired them.

[frogwalking]

Heated it, twisted with large adjustable wrench.  It fit on second attempt.  Thanks all.  ( I accidentally got the lock inletted in the right spot so I did not have to bend the cup forward or backwards.) 

[Chowmi]

  ( I accidentally got the lock inletted in the right spot so I did not have to bend the cup forward or backwards.)