Hammer recommendations for wire wrapping & hammering

**Petal** · 01-09-2009, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by ps_bond

Sorry for being obtuse! A hammer face as supplied usually has a sharp bevel edge around the face; this will put sharp dings in work with a less-than-perfect strike. To dress the edge, you need to round the sharp edges off - a file if it will cut, or abrasive papers if not (I use a linisher, a bit like a belt sander). Then you want to work progressively through the grits to make the hammer face & pein shiny, trying to make it as reflective as a mirror. A final polish with something like Tripoli, Dialux green or one of the Abramax polishes gets it the rest of the way. Now if you get an iffy hit in, it will put a rounded ding in which is much easier to remove.

It may seem like a lot of work on a cheap tool, but it needs doing to the expensive ones too - and they all get repolished periodically.

Woe betide anyone who even *thinks* of knocking nails in with your newly specialised hammer!!!

Can I use any kind of file, or does it have to be a special size/weight ? Perhaps I'll try abrasive papers, which type should I get? Whereabouts can I get these polishes from? a jewellery suppliers, or could I use a hardware store type place?

Sorry to ask so many 'basic' questions, but I've never hammered before so you're talking to a complete novice here!

I don't think my OH would dare use my hammer for knocking in nails

!!! otherwise I might use it in retaliation haha DIY is not something he would willingly do, its usually done when I take out the drill and say something like, "I think I'll bung a screw in here, I'm sure it will be nowhere near those electrical points I saw earlier" .... then he whips the drill out of my hands and usually puts it back in the garage

One last question, can I hammer gold and silver plated wire, or does it completely destroy it because of the plating process?

Thanks Peter, where would we be without you

Jules x

**mizgeorge** · 01-09-2009, 07:02 PM

Not Peter

but I've only got one file that I seem to be able to use on my hammers, I found it in a toolbox (ssssh) and repurposed it! Then I use increasing grades of wet and dry paper and finish off with micromesh. I don't bother to polish though. I wish I had some of Peter's tools though!

You 'can' hammer plated wire, but it won't stay plated for long! Get some nice copper wire to practice on. I still make a copper prototype of just about any new wire design I want to try.

**ps_bond** · 01-09-2009, 08:43 PM

I've just sorted a pair of Peddinghaus hammers; they were much softer than any of the files I used. I tried some older (cheaper) Sandvik files that I keep around as knock-about files; followed it up with some Grobet files - didn't need the coarsest (bastard - well, that's pretty coarse

), only used the 2nd cut and smooth cut 12". 320 grit wet & dry (Machine Mart, I think - may have been Halfords) to get the worst of the file marks out, then 600, 1200 to clean that up; finished with Abramax on a sisal wheel (buffing - think that all came from Axminster). They'll do for now. Didn't break out the Micromesh for these.

Some days it looks like I'm out to acquire at least one of every tool going...

**Di Sandland** · 01-09-2009, 08:55 PM

Peter said

Some days it looks like I'm out to acquire at least one of every tool going...

I thought that was the whole point of the game - the one who dies with the most tools wins.

**bustagasket** · 02-09-2009, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by ps_bond

I've just sorted a pair of Peddinghaus hammers; they were much softer than any of the files I used. I tried some older (cheaper) Sandvik files that I keep around as knock-about files; followed it up with some Grobet files - didn't need the coarsest (bastard - well, that's pretty coarse

), only used the 2nd cut and smooth cut 12". 320 grit wet & dry (Machine Mart, I think - may have been Halfords) to get the worst of the file marks out, then 600, 1200 to clean that up; finished with Abramax on a sisal wheel (buffing - think that all came from Axminster). They'll do for now. Didn't break out the Micromesh for these.

Some days it looks like I'm out to acquire at least one of every tool going...

There are some days that i reallt wish i could understand scottish :P god i wish my dad was still alive he was the most amazing engineer, and he would have loved to have talked "business" with you, and then he would have taken me out to his workshop and showed me what he was on about.

**Kalorlo** · 02-09-2009, 09:04 AM

*Keeps an eye on this thread*

I want to do some novice hammering too, so this is all very useful

Need to pick up some thicker copper wire - I have 0.6mm, but I want to combine that with larger stuff, which I haven't got yet.

**EmmaRose** · 02-09-2009, 02:31 PM

What I want to know is why don't jewellery suppliers supply them like that? (and I am not even going to start on what they don't teach you at uni

)
Em

**ps_bond** · 02-09-2009, 02:34 PM

£££

It's more complex from a machining and finishing point of view.

Besides, everyone has their own idea on what the perfect shape is.

I even had to do this to my rather expensive hand-forged Japanese forging hammer!

**ben b** · 02-09-2009, 06:05 PM

....................................

**Petal** · 02-09-2009, 06:21 PM

Hi Ben B,

What size is the riveting hammer then? just in case there's more than one size.... there usually is, when I think 'oh, i'll get one of those and find there's a lot more than one for sale'.

off for dinner and a glug of wine
see y'all tomorrow.

Jules