How to Turn a Hammer into a Texture Hammer?

Hello, I’m wondering if anyone can share information about turning a regular hammer into a texture hammer? All the instruction I’ve seen is about making line designs on a hammer head with files. The texture I’d like to make is, for lack of a more elegant term, a series of rounded various-shaped blobs. I’d like the edges of each blob to be smooth. The question is, how should I do this? Use a diamond bit to “dig out” the background? Do I need to anneal the metal first and then harden it after I’m finished? I’m very appreciative of any assistance because I’d always prefer to make something myself.

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Hammer heads are almost always hardened so any “working” of hammer faces is difficult. You could try to anneal the hammer head as that would make working on the texturing a bit more easy. You could also “make” a hammer head fro a piece of cold rolled stock or drill stock, cut it to length, drill a handle hole (be sure to get some sort of a taper ie. drill all the way thru with a x sized drill then go half was thru with a somewhat larger drill so make a sort of taper where the wedge will go into the handle at the larger drill part of the hole. Before putting on the handle, do what ever work/texturing then harden the hammer head, then re heat and make it less brittle {look on line on how to “harden” hammer heads/faces} then install the handle.

I hope this is reasonable info and that you understand what I am saying. Also might look up “how to harden hammer heads” on the net. Hope this helps.

JD

Can’t you leave the hammer hardened and using various shaped sintered diamond burs to shape and form the hammer face. Saves a major step in the process as a means to an end. In my instance I can buy hammers at garage sales at flea markets at very affordable prices. Your metal is already annealed so a hammer should Last for a relatively long time.

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As others have said, it would be easiest to just use diamond tools to carve the hardened hammer face…it would be difficult to anneal a large hammer face and then to reharden it…I have a number of round ball shaped diamond tools which would make “blob” shaped dents into your hammer face and result in a very crisp edge around the ball. If you wanted the blobs to be polished, you would perhaps have to get some wood dowels and impregnate them with fine diamond grit to polish the inside of the indentations. This is assuming that you want positive “blobs” sticking out from your decorated piece. Making the corresponding negative decoration for a traditional hammered finish would be more difficult and it would probably look better if you did the traditional hammered finish blow by blow. -royjohn

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I’v carved designs into a hammer head, easily, using carbide tools and a milling machine, both of which are standard machine shop techniques. Also possible to do with a flex shaft, but you have to use much smaller bits

The problem I found isn’t making the textures, the problem is that you can now produce only 1 pattern, or pattern derivation, from that hammer, if you like to change your look frequently your stuck

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Use inexpensive hammers, especially if they will only be used for a short time. When you tire of one, sell it or gift it.

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I’m thinking it might be easier to create a punch with the desired texture from carbon steel round or square rod, and then use any hammer. Heat treating (hardening the tip and tempering the shaft) can be done with a torch and vegetable oil. I suppose it depends on whether you want to texture a large object or a small item :slight_smile: You will get much more control with a hand punch.

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I didn’t;t think of this but get some drill rod (easily hardened/tempered) in what ever size(s/diameters) you want the textures to be, do what ever form you want on the ends of the different pieces of rod, tie/wire them together in a bundle and braze or better, weld the pieces together to make a “hammer head” or a large punch. Haven’t come up with how to attach the “hammer head” to a handle but thinking on it. Could just use the bundle like a big punch!?!?!?

JD

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For about $30.00 you can have one of these. Texturing Hammer with 10 Interchangeable Faces, 10 oz. - RioGrande
You can get a really cheap set of hammers and auto body anvils at Harbor freight. The set comes in a plastic box. Being Harbor Freight tools they are made out of cheap metal and pretty easy to shape.

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I want to thank everyone who shared their knowledge when I asked my question about turning a regular hammer into a texture hammer. It’s given me a lot of options and has sent me down a delightful rabbit hole of tool-making information. I very much appreciate all the responses, what a generous bunch!

great little video feed

I made two different “dimple” hammers. I bought 3.5mm and 4mm stainless steel ball bearings and two regular hammers. Clean the ball bearings and hammer faces with alcohol. Wrap blue tape around the face of the hammer sticking up a little higher than the height of the ball bearings, to contain the E6000 glue. Put a thin layer of E6000 glue inside the blue tape, on the face of the hammer, just deep enough to go up about half way on the ball bearings. Carefully place or drop the ball bearings inside the blue tape “walls” (I used pearl tweezers) with one layer of ball bearings. I let it dry for 2 days just to be sure. Remove the blue tape walls. Trim excess glue away if needed. You can hammer it on sheet metal on your steel block or on “heal leather” on your steel block for deeper dimples. Heal leather is used to make heals on shoes - it’s harder than regular leather.

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I’m the original poster of this question about how to make your own texture hammers and I just saw this listing for an online course being taught at the 92nd St. Y starting early October, 2020.

Unfortunately, it’s on days that I’m working so I won’t be able to participate…

" Andrea Harvin-Kennington: Carving and Creating Texture Hammers

This class will teach students to create their own texture hammers to make unique metal surfaces for handmade jewelry.

MORE INFO: https://www.92y.org/class/carving-and-creating-texture-hammers

Wed, Oct 3 - Oct 31
10 am - 5 pm ET $300.00 Andrea Harvin-Kennington Online"