I have that second hammer, (the Blacksmiths Depot one) and be forewarned, under that epoxy potting in the top of the eye, is a ring wedge, which as you know is worthless, mine had the head fly off within a year. I shortened it and re-wedged mine, and had no problems since. My one suggestion, is once the faces are dressed, it is a little hard to tell which face is which at a glance, so I burned one side of my handle, and follow “flat black”, meaning if the black side of the handle is visible, the flat side of the hammer is towards the work.
I took a metalworking shop class in college (BS in ME) and our old instructor told us to report to Bldg 8xx the next week. Special Guest! That building was the old coal-fired forge, only unlocked once a semester, and the Guest was our instructor's DAD, who was 93! He fired up the forge, foot-pumping it to get it hot, and proceeded to hammer out the first three links of a chain; fascinating! Glad to see there are clubs out there to keep this rare, manual skill-set alive.
As a beginner blacksmith, ive found many heads to hammers. Then I started to watch your channel to learn how to make handles. Turns out it doesn't have to be metal or wood, I just like making things. Thanks Rex.
Usually smithing channels talk about re-handling, I would LOVE to catch your take - especially as a woodworker! Thanks for the video Rex, they are always appreciated! To be clear - not that the smithing channels are not good at making handles...but when you are an expert in metal, sometimes it takes away from properly teaching re-handling a tool!
Blacksmiths learn how to properly rehandle a tool the hard way pretty quickly. It only takes a couple of flying hammerheads before you make damn sure they don't come loose.
There are any number of blacksmith and farrier suppliers on line. Easily accessible and with quite satisfactory range of products. From budget to artisan pricing. Blacksmithing is a very diverse area as tooling goes. I bought my first anvil from a farrier supply, brand new and at a fairly reasonable price. I still use it, its a north carolina short sugar i like it because it has the shoe bending forks built on so the bending fork you need for bending long pieces isnt necessary. And i paid about 3.50/ lb. Thats a huge market as well, from the used market to brand new, to artisanal styles. What is right for you is whats in your wallet. That goes for steel supplies as well. From mild steel to tool steel. Do the research guys, it pays off. Good advice Rex, i myself started out with a 3 lb drilling hammer. Interesting note, modern day rounding hammers in blacksmithing in the farrier world is referred to as a clipping hammer. I mostly run into that reference in the UK though. Decorative iron work is a popular and profitable subject these days. And blacksmithing is fun. After you get the basics down, you can make most of your tools. Lets not forget, steel sourcing extends to the scrap yards too if youre not worried or knowledgeable about steel grading for tools or knives. Thats why i got into it, knife making as a hobby. 🤝👍
I smithed years ago but it was hard to find someone to work with and life got complicated. I ended up lending my tools to my nephew and I never got them back. word to the wise. I have been slowly rebuilding my blacksmith shop, thankfully I still have most of my hammers and tongs. I got a screaming deal on a 125 pound anvil that has a good rebound to it, living where I do, having an open hearth forge is out of the question but a nice gas forge will do the trick. years ago I cleaned up the face of my hammers, but what I also did was take some time to make sure the handles fit my hand properly, that alone made a big difference. one of the most important things I had to learn was that you do not need brute force to forge. If you watch a good smith, they seem to do it with out even thinking about it. they are encouraging the metal to move not forcing it to move. there is a big difference. happy smithing.
huge alex steel fan and beginner blacksmith. been a metal worker all my life. always hated wood cause i'd rather take a handful of slag over a splinter any day. got my hands jacked up as a kid building wood fences, awnings and granny barns. just now getting into woodworking since my neighbor is a retired farmer and amateur woodworker. i do all his metal work and tool repairs and restoration of vintage tools. would love to see more blacksmithing and tool restoration vids. especially if your smith projects are incorporated into your wood projects.
I have a friend who is a blacksmith, and I see him once a year at the only show we both do any more, the Oregon Country Fair, think of a hippy renaissance fair.... He was wearing a shirt one year that said, "Blacksmithing is a polyhammerous thing'..... Loved that! In another life line, I might have been a black smith...
As a 13 year old blacksmith, I say buy a 10 dollar hunk of steel and forge your own hammer. It’s a lot of work, but it’s well worth it. I’d also say buy or restore a good sledge… my grandpa had one and I just wire brushed and re ground it, and made a new handle. I personally also love cross peens better.
Look for farrier hammers at agriculture supply stores opposed to blacksmith rounding hammers. Yes I know there are at least 2 types of farrier hammers, but one of them commonly available is a rounding hammer. I generally see them for between 15 and 30 USD near me(mid Atlantic) depending on weight and brand. Also since these hammers are for moving hot metal already, generally do not need to have the handle replaced
@The_Bell_Tower that would be a special video. Mr steeles puppy like energy with Mr Kruehers calm and clear Delivery. The plane iron would be so spectacular.
I would love to see blacksmithing done by you! A lot of blacksmithing channels are more for entertainment than instruction (which is totally fine). I like how you break down complex tasks! But also people commenting might be like myself, loyal fans who'd watch anything you do! So perhaps a second channel like someone suggested might not be a bad idea? On the other hand I've rarely seen second channels being successful in terms of views. It could be also be a low-pressure playground for you though. Anyways, thanks for all that you do!
Hmmmm well you know...... perhaps by my name.... amateur smithing is my primary, well you know. So yeah Rex, I'd love to see what you bring to the forge and anvil. Oh and yes, quiet by happenstance, my very 1st ever blacksmith project was a rounding hammer. In a class taught by Daniel Moss and James Davis....in Ohio..... never ever forget that time in my life! Blessings abundant Sir Crawford out 🙏🔥⚒️🧙🏼♂️
the first training i did had us making tongs and hammers. we learned case hardening and such as well. but making our own tools was great because as i used it i figured out where i wanted to change it and i knew i could. i've been using film backed cubitron for moving metal with my random orbital and it goes sooo much faster than aluminum oxide stuff. it's far more noticeable than it was on wood. might save some time and effort when you're doing a lot of shaping.
That Burton forge is where I first learned!! Really cool to see it in a video; Great folk! I walked in with no experience at 13 years old back in 2014(?) and they just handed me a hammer and piece of metal and started me on hooks. I Couldn’t have asked for a better place to learn, and I wish I still lived near there
Around the same price, depending on where you buy it, is the Diamond 61B farrier's hammer. Has a lightly crowned face and a round face, I think I had to give it a once-over as the pics do show a bit of a chamfer. I really like it, it's a good weight for me at 36 ounces. A little caution - you can find it at a lot of places, some around $50, some around $100. It's a nice hammer though. I'm still a beginner for sure, but enjoying the craft.
Wish I had a club in my area. I'm a long time sub'er on woodworking, just set up my forge coming back to it after years of living on a boat and Rv doing bucket list stuff. Got a 3.5 pound cross peen, (big box store 20 bucks) literally ground the flat down shorter to a 3 pound and another 1/4 pound tucking up the cross peen. Then re-hardened, re-handled with hickory (some cheaper heads are only case hardened, no sense guessing). Total in, about $30, 2 hours using a 2x 42 Grizzly 36 / 80 grit own to 300. Rounding is good for 360 spread - for directional move, you need to cross or straight peen.
Always happy to see a variety of projects/materials/techniques. As an industrial arts teacher I need to have my toe in many ponds so content of all sorts is inspiring
What exactly defines a "nice" hammer? When I started smithing years ago I was told to get a 3 lb cross pien so I did. Then a few years later the Hofi hammer came on the scene and everybody said it was the best hammer ever. So I got one of those. I hated it instantly. Then one day I was talking to a guy and he told me to try a smaller hammer which was counter intuitive for me. I bought an 800 gram Peddinghaus cross pien and it's my favorite. I'm more accurate, I can move metal faster because I can strike faster with less fatigue and since I make less mistakes I can complete tasks faster. Not only that but when I miss a strike with a bigger hammer it takes more work to fix the resulting ding. All that is to say that there is no such thing as the perfect hammer. The best you can do is find your favorite hammer. I think I paid around $25 for my favorite hammer. Striking with confidence is key so whatever hammer you use, if you can do that, you've got the perfect hammer. In the end, a hammer is just a hunk of metal on a stick so what it was designed for is irrelevant. Even a poorly heat treated hammer is harder than the red hot iron you're hitting with it, even if only slightly so. Having said all that, other people may have their own needs figured out, and that's fine, but you'll have to swing a lot of hammers to find what works best for you. Don't make things harder by falling into the trap of believing a good blacksmith hammer has to look a certain way and taking a lot of options off the table. Just for funsies though, you should try a smaller hammer and see what you think. After all, material that's half an inch or less isn't that hard to move anyway
The “thinish” portion of the handle near the head is called the neck and is intended to do some minimal flexing to help dampen the blows and save your arm. For those blacksmithing all day maybe it is a consideration, but I dislike them. I always do the same thing and look for handles that are “thickish.” I have also seen handles which are very “squarish” and I am not overly fond of those either but they can be shaved to more of an oval shape. I tend to collect extra hammer blanks. I got one from Australia made of gum. Talk about a hard wood. No flexing of it at all- solid. I have a collection of hammers and can’t say for sure which is my favorite. For beginners lighter is best. Save the heavier hammer for certain jobs. 2 lbs or less to start. Build up from there.
I started with a cross peen then went to a rounding hammer but today i have gone back to a cross peen as my main hammer. If you get into smithing you'll gather a large variety of hammers no matter what.
I'll have to look into blacksmithing. I just gave away my welders. I'm no longer allowed to get within 3 feet of a welding lead due to a havinng shiney new pacemaker. Since I truly sucked as a welder and I really need the exercise, this might be an option.
thank you so much for this Rex, I did suggest (as I am sure others did) some blacksmithing - thank you for delivering. Have blacksmithed for a couple of years and I learned a couple of things in this video. More of this please (although I love the wood stuff as well).
Hi Rex ! Yes I have been a member for a ;long time at WRABA, Currently recovering from cancer therapy hope to be out and about at the forge soon! Been there and done that and yes you can teach them some seem to catch on Quickly, and others either take a little longer, and some un fortunatly never make it at all. your videos are alwas good keep it up!!
I use a few different rounding hammers that I made myself, but one of my favorite hammers is a $50 Czech cross peen from blacksmiths depot. Really nice hammer, minimal dressing required
This is a great video. It seems that no matter what the subject you are knowledgeable and interesting. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
Should've stuck a straight edge across both of the flatting dies so we could see the difference really well. I bet you could use/make a radius gauge to get a good arc on that face
While smithing is interesting, my primary interest is woodworking. I do enjoy the occasional diversion, but doubt I'll try to pursue it. That is not to say I'll quit watching because you include some smithing. I liked the mica story, too. A good video, Rex. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting video. I disagree with your comments about the handle but I guess that's just personal preference, I don't think there's a need to grip a hammer up by the head. Also, a rounding hammer is for making horseshoes, or turning horse shoes here in the UK, we call them turning hammers. The round face is not great for moving metal in blacksmithing because it gives it no direction. A cross pein is for moving metal quickly (or straight pein). The Bick of the anvil is there to for the same job or even the rounded corner of the anvil face. In blacksmithing jobs involving moving metal you're usually trying to make something longer or wider and the round face of a turning (rounding) hammer would be the last choice. Try it and see!🙂
Have you thought about making a video on making handles for blacksmith hammers? Not the biggest fan of the ones I can buy at the store and have yet to make one I like at home either. Great video once again sir.
So cool, I learned how to work metal making armour for reenactment and had a nice set of about 20 hammers for all kinds of different things, those "vanished" in the divorce but I still my very first anvil made from a length of railroad track lol.
Of course we’d like to see more content! I’d be curious on your take of what is the lowest price hammer you can find with out of the box good usable results.
More blacksmithing content would be great. I haven't started yet but I know I'm going to need to if I want to produce every part of cabinet or other furniture with hardware. Probably not going to be any time soon but I can dream.
I’ve been thinking about starting some blacksmithing and enjoyed the video. I just bought a nordic forge rounding hammer from oleo fairing supply in Denver for $52 and do not see the issues discussed in the video.
@Rex_Krueger I bet you could fix that Nordic Forge flatter die if you used the slack side of your belt sander station near the top roller or back side & round out the face just how you want. The forge work goes hand in hand with the hand tool woodwork I believe so Yes Please. You put out whatever you like at this point. If it's as informative & true to form as your past works I'm sure you will keep gaining subscribers & Patreon followers too.
Chech out the mustard 2# rounding hammer @$60. I acualy have a 20 year old hammer I had to dress the flat when I went to shoeing school. Still use it today.
I love a good rounding hammer, and use one at work for cleaning up and rounding peices. I only wish I could find an affordable one that is in the same size as my general purpose forging hammers(4lbs to 6lbs)
Great video Rex. I enjoyed this one as an added aside to the normal woodworking stuff. Please mix some of these in with your normal great content in the future.
Great video Rex, I run Maui Forge Blacksmith School and appreciate your videos. I’ve watched dozens of your woodworking videos and encourage to create more blacksmithing content. Big mahalo 🤙🏽⚒🔥 I second your advice to join a club. I’m a proud member of the California Blacksmithing association where I learned the level curriculum which was adopted by ABANA and now teach level one here on Maui. If you ever visit our island, please stop by for some hammer time. Much aloha
Hey bro I know this is off topic but I came across a "compass plane" have you heard of it? Looks interesting for working on inside curves. Might make a cool video if you haven't yet.
Great video! It's fun to see creators have multiple interests. Maybe you can get Izzy to help you make an attachment for the angle grinder to smooth out your edges.
The grain on that Blacksmith Depot hammer handle is perfectly dead wrong. It's not a question of "if" it will break, but of WHEN. A hammer handle should have the grain parallel to the swing, not perpendicular to it. Fortunately, you have more than the necessary woodworking skill to replace it. Also: 100% agree with the advantage of joining a local blacksmith association!! Excellent way to learn!!
1:14 the hammer pictured is called a 'Hofi hammer' after the guy who invented the shape roughly 15 years ago (called Uri Hofi). It's a great hammer but ones similar to that old cross pein you hold up have been traditional in a number of European countries for humdreds of years.
Been looking into getting started myself. Seems like a club might be the way to go. As far as more content id say stick with wood working and make another channel if you want to do similar style videos for forging. Regardless I'll still check them out either way just might be nice to double dip and have another channel built up on the side. As im just now thinking if you're business has a youtube lol.
My first hammer was a machinists cross peen, and boy golly. It's soft enough to dent from striking hot steel and the handle was so fat I would get strain from gripping within a couple of heats. My personal advice is to get the cheapest hammer you can that's actually hardened, has a wooden handle, and weighs around 2lb (1kg). > You will have to dress any hammer and the effort difference isn't enough to go mid range - buy some kind of grinder with the money you save. > It needs to be at least a little hardened, otherwise you'll ding up the face and then the face will mar your work. Harder and more polished is also more efficient. > The wooden handle is an absolute must because it should to be tailored to your hand, or you'll tire yourself out faster and possibly injure yourself. > 2lb will shift some metal but still work for some delicate stuff. It's not perfect though, you'll want a 1lb, a 3-4lb, and possibly an 8lb soon enough for lighter and heavier tasks.
I got into blacksmithing because good chisels are expensive, but steel isn't. economics aside, those two hammers represent a side not often seen in the tool world: that of customization. Everything is subject to customization. especially to a blacksmith. so those hammers really are exactly what a blacksmith needs: enough metal in roughly the correct shape to be modified into a good tool. at least you dont have to re- heat-treat them as you should with harbor freight hammers.
Rex, where is the open forge held? Been following you a long time for the woodworking, and have been looking into blacksmithing/knifemaking lately and I believe we're in the same general geographic area...
a good place to get a smithing hammer is a farier shop. most of them have an online shop and god shipping. pricings isn't to bad most of the time. i got mine for 70 euro. last year
I like your style of videos so absolutely you should do some smithing videos. Having said that, I would start another channel if I were you. If the channel grows a bit you will have the benefit of having two channels to give you whatever this channel alone gives you. Just a thought. 👍
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I'd love to see some metal working content in your particular style of presentation. Your instructional style works really well for me 👍
I have that second hammer, (the Blacksmiths Depot one) and be forewarned, under that epoxy potting in the top of the eye, is a ring wedge, which as you know is worthless, mine had the head fly off within a year. I shortened it and re-wedged mine, and had no problems since.
My one suggestion, is once the faces are dressed, it is a little hard to tell which face is which at a glance, so I burned one side of my handle, and follow “flat black”, meaning if the black side of the handle is visible, the flat side of the hammer is towards the work.
I took a metalworking shop class in college (BS in ME) and our old instructor told us to report to Bldg 8xx the next week. Special Guest! That building was the old coal-fired forge, only unlocked once a semester, and the Guest was our instructor's DAD, who was 93! He fired up the forge, foot-pumping it to get it hot, and proceeded to hammer out the first three links of a chain; fascinating! Glad to see there are clubs out there to keep this rare, manual skill-set alive.
As a beginner blacksmith, ive found many heads to hammers. Then I started to watch your channel to learn how to make handles.
Turns out it doesn't have to be metal or wood, I just like making things. Thanks Rex.
I like the diversion! I started more as a woodworker but have grown more into blacksmithing. I’d love to see some Blacksmithing for Humans videos!
you can show as much blacksmithing as you want to as far as i am concerned. and thank you i enjoy your wood working stuff alot
Usually smithing channels talk about re-handling, I would LOVE to catch your take - especially as a woodworker! Thanks for the video Rex, they are always appreciated! To be clear - not that the smithing channels are not good at making handles...but when you are an expert in metal, sometimes it takes away from properly teaching re-handling a tool!
Blacksmiths learn how to properly rehandle a tool the hard way pretty quickly. It only takes a couple of flying hammerheads before you make damn sure they don't come loose.
I made that video! It's about 2 years back.
@@RexKrueger WHAT?!? How did I miss that? I’m off to find it!
There are any number of blacksmith and farrier suppliers on line. Easily accessible and with quite satisfactory range of products. From budget to artisan pricing. Blacksmithing is a very diverse area as tooling goes. I bought my first anvil from a farrier supply, brand new and at a fairly reasonable price. I still use it, its a north carolina short sugar i like it because it has the shoe bending forks built on so the bending fork you need for bending long pieces isnt necessary. And i paid about 3.50/ lb. Thats a huge market as well, from the used market to brand new, to artisanal styles. What is right for you is whats in your wallet. That goes for steel supplies as well. From mild steel to tool steel. Do the research guys, it pays off. Good advice Rex, i myself started out with a 3 lb drilling hammer. Interesting note, modern day rounding hammers in blacksmithing in the farrier world is referred to as a clipping hammer. I mostly run into that reference in the UK though. Decorative iron work is a popular and profitable subject these days. And blacksmithing is fun. After you get the basics down, you can make most of your tools. Lets not forget, steel sourcing extends to the scrap yards too if youre not worried or knowledgeable about steel grading for tools or knives. Thats why i got into it, knife making as a hobby. 🤝👍
I smithed years ago but it was hard to find someone to work with and life got complicated. I ended up lending my tools to my nephew and I never got them back. word to the wise. I have been slowly rebuilding my blacksmith shop, thankfully I still have most of my hammers and tongs. I got a screaming deal on a 125 pound anvil that has a good rebound to it, living where I do, having an open hearth forge is out of the question but a nice gas forge will do the trick. years ago I cleaned up the face of my hammers, but what I also did was take some time to make sure the handles fit my hand properly, that alone made a big difference. one of the most important things I had to learn was that you do not need brute force to forge. If you watch a good smith, they seem to do it with out even thinking about it. they are encouraging the metal to move not forcing it to move. there is a big difference. happy smithing.
huge alex steel fan and beginner blacksmith. been a metal worker all my life. always hated wood cause i'd rather take a handful of slag over a splinter any day. got my hands jacked up as a kid building wood fences, awnings and granny barns. just now getting into woodworking since my neighbor is a retired farmer and amateur woodworker. i do all his metal work and tool repairs and restoration of vintage tools. would love to see more blacksmithing and tool restoration vids. especially if your smith projects are incorporated into your wood projects.
I have a friend who is a blacksmith, and I see him once a year at the only show we both do any more, the Oregon Country Fair, think of a hippy renaissance fair.... He was wearing a shirt one year that said, "Blacksmithing is a polyhammerous thing'..... Loved that! In another life line, I might have been a black smith...
As a 13 year old blacksmith, I say buy a 10 dollar hunk of steel and forge your own hammer. It’s a lot of work, but it’s well worth it. I’d also say buy or restore a good sledge… my grandpa had one and I just wire brushed and re ground it, and made a new handle. I personally also love cross peens better.
This felt like Rex was reading my mind. Ever since his video on the pole lathe I’ve been considering blacksmithing to make myself some tools.
10000% more smithing is appreciated! Especially from the woodworking perspective or even mixing the two arts
The aggressive dome joke made me chuckle lol
BLACKSMITHING VIDS LETS GOOO
absolutely would love some smithing content from you Rex
Definitely more smithing videos, funny this came out now I'm looking at buying a forge this winter
yes, more blacksmithing, I have enjoyed all of you content.
Look for farrier hammers at agriculture supply stores opposed to blacksmith rounding hammers. Yes I know there are at least 2 types of farrier hammers, but one of them commonly available is a rounding hammer. I generally see them for between 15 and 30 USD near me(mid Atlantic) depending on weight and brand.
Also since these hammers are for moving hot metal already, generally do not need to have the handle replaced
Huh.. wonder if we'll see a Krueger/Steele collab now xD
I would love to see that
I don't think so
Alec is back in England
There are more black smith RUclipsrs near Rex
@@Kroiznacher Airplanes exist. Also collabs dont necessarily have to be in each others shops
Would love to see them making plane irons and chisels one day.
@The_Bell_Tower that would be a special video. Mr steeles puppy like energy with Mr Kruehers calm and clear Delivery. The plane iron would be so spectacular.
I would love to see blacksmithing done by you! A lot of blacksmithing channels are more for entertainment than instruction (which is totally fine). I like how you break down complex tasks!
But also people commenting might be like myself, loyal fans who'd watch anything you do! So perhaps a second channel like someone suggested might not be a bad idea? On the other hand I've rarely seen second channels being successful in terms of views. It could be also be a low-pressure playground for you though.
Anyways, thanks for all that you do!
It would be great to see more content like this. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Not here for the blacksmithing content…. Here for Rex’s content
There are clubs to learn how to Black Smith?!??!
HOLY CRAP! I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE!
Hmmmm well you know...... perhaps by my name.... amateur smithing is my primary, well you know.
So yeah Rex, I'd love to see what you bring to the forge and anvil.
Oh and yes, quiet by happenstance, my very 1st ever blacksmith project was a rounding hammer. In a class taught by Daniel Moss and James Davis....in Ohio..... never ever forget that time in my life!
Blessings abundant Sir
Crawford out 🙏🔥⚒️🧙🏼♂️
I love blacksmithing. I love woodworking.
the first training i did had us making tongs and hammers. we learned case hardening and such as well. but making our own tools was great because as i used it i figured out where i wanted to change it and i knew i could.
i've been using film backed cubitron for moving metal with my random orbital and it goes sooo much faster than aluminum oxide stuff. it's far more noticeable than it was on wood. might save some time and effort when you're doing a lot of shaping.
Do a combo project where you smith accessory parts (nails, handles, etc.) for a wood working project.
That Burton forge is where I first learned!! Really cool to see it in a video; Great folk! I walked in with no experience at 13 years old back in 2014(?) and they just handed me a hammer and piece of metal and started me on hooks. I Couldn’t have asked for a better place to learn, and I wish I still lived near there
Around the same price, depending on where you buy it, is the Diamond 61B farrier's hammer. Has a lightly crowned face and a round face, I think I had to give it a once-over as the pics do show a bit of a chamfer. I really like it, it's a good weight for me at 36 ounces. A little caution - you can find it at a lot of places, some around $50, some around $100. It's a nice hammer though. I'm still a beginner for sure, but enjoying the craft.
Wish I had a club in my area.
I'm a long time sub'er on woodworking, just set up my forge coming back to it after years of living on a boat and Rv doing bucket list stuff. Got a 3.5 pound cross peen, (big box store 20 bucks) literally ground the flat down shorter to a 3 pound and another 1/4 pound tucking up the cross peen. Then re-hardened, re-handled with hickory (some cheaper heads are only case hardened, no sense guessing).
Total in, about $30, 2 hours using a 2x 42 Grizzly 36 / 80 grit own to 300.
Rounding is good for 360 spread - for directional move, you need to cross or straight peen.
Hey Rex, super awesome meeting you again! I want to thank you for giving me extra motivation to start woodworking again!
Always happy to see a variety of projects/materials/techniques. As an industrial arts teacher I need to have my toe in many ponds so content of all sorts is inspiring
Definitely more blacksmithing content, it'd be interesting to learn more about it from someone who remembers starting to learn the craft :)
Cool! I don't smith but have done a lot of aircraft sheetmetal. Our tools sometimes need some fine tuning to get satisfactory results.
I love a good hammer, I'm tempted to get one even though i don't do any blacksmithing.
What exactly defines a "nice" hammer? When I started smithing years ago I was told to get a 3 lb cross pien so I did. Then a few years later the Hofi hammer came on the scene and everybody said it was the best hammer ever. So I got one of those. I hated it instantly. Then one day I was talking to a guy and he told me to try a smaller hammer which was counter intuitive for me. I bought an 800 gram Peddinghaus cross pien and it's my favorite. I'm more accurate, I can move metal faster because I can strike faster with less fatigue and since I make less mistakes I can complete tasks faster. Not only that but when I miss a strike with a bigger hammer it takes more work to fix the resulting ding.
All that is to say that there is no such thing as the perfect hammer. The best you can do is find your favorite hammer. I think I paid around $25 for my favorite hammer. Striking with confidence is key so whatever hammer you use, if you can do that, you've got the perfect hammer. In the end, a hammer is just a hunk of metal on a stick so what it was designed for is irrelevant. Even a poorly heat treated hammer is harder than the red hot iron you're hitting with it, even if only slightly so.
Having said all that, other people may have their own needs figured out, and that's fine, but you'll have to swing a lot of hammers to find what works best for you. Don't make things harder by falling into the trap of believing a good blacksmith hammer has to look a certain way and taking a lot of options off the table. Just for funsies though, you should try a smaller hammer and see what you think. After all, material that's half an inch or less isn't that hard to move anyway
The “thinish” portion of the handle near the head is called the neck and is intended to do some minimal flexing to help dampen the blows and save your arm. For those blacksmithing all day maybe it is a consideration, but I dislike them. I always do the same thing and look for handles that are “thickish.” I have also seen handles which are very “squarish” and I am not overly fond of those either but they can be shaved to more of an oval shape. I tend to collect extra hammer blanks. I got one from Australia made of gum. Talk about a hard wood. No flexing of it at all- solid. I have a collection of hammers and can’t say for sure which is my favorite. For beginners lighter is best. Save the heavier hammer for certain jobs. 2 lbs or less to start. Build up from there.
I started with a cross peen then went to a rounding hammer but today i have gone back to a cross peen as my main hammer. If you get into smithing you'll gather a large variety of hammers no matter what.
I also use a cross pein most of the time.
I'll have to look into blacksmithing.
I just gave away my welders.
I'm no longer allowed to get within 3 feet of a welding lead due to a havinng shiney new pacemaker.
Since I truly sucked as a welder and I really need the exercise, this might be an option.
Combining wood working and smithing seems like a natural pairing. Add as much as you like.
Rex could narrate paint drying for an hour and I’d still be excited to watch it.
You're much too kind.
Agreed. Just don't ask him to snap with his left hand
thank you so much for this Rex, I did suggest (as I am sure others did) some blacksmithing - thank you for delivering. Have blacksmithed for a couple of years and I learned a couple of things in this video. More of this please (although I love the wood stuff as well).
Hi Rex ! Yes I have been a member for a ;long time at WRABA, Currently recovering from cancer therapy hope to be out and about at the forge soon! Been there and done that and yes you can teach them some seem to catch on Quickly, and others either take a little longer, and some un fortunatly never make it at all. your videos are alwas good keep it up!!
I use a few different rounding hammers that I made myself, but one of my favorite hammers is a $50 Czech cross peen from blacksmiths depot. Really nice hammer, minimal dressing required
This is a great video. It seems that no matter what the subject you are knowledgeable and interesting. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
Should've stuck a straight edge across both of the flatting dies so we could see the difference really well. I bet you could use/make a radius gauge to get a good arc on that face
While smithing is interesting, my primary interest is woodworking. I do enjoy the occasional diversion, but doubt I'll try to pursue it. That is not to say I'll quit watching because you include some smithing. I liked the mica story, too. A good video, Rex. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting video. I disagree with your comments about the handle but I guess that's just personal preference, I don't think there's a need to grip a hammer up by the head.
Also, a rounding hammer is for making horseshoes, or turning horse shoes here in the UK, we call them turning hammers. The round face is not great for moving metal in blacksmithing because it gives it no direction. A cross pein is for moving metal quickly (or straight pein).
The Bick of the anvil is there to for the same job or even the rounded corner of the anvil face.
In blacksmithing jobs involving moving metal you're usually trying to make something longer or wider and the round face of a turning (rounding) hammer would be the last choice. Try it and see!🙂
Making some tongs would be good to see too
Have you thought about making a video on making handles for blacksmith hammers? Not the biggest fan of the ones I can buy at the store and have yet to make one I like at home either. Great video once again sir.
So cool, I learned how to work metal making armour for reenactment and had a nice set of about 20 hammers for all kinds of different things, those "vanished" in the divorce but I still my very first anvil made from a length of railroad track lol.
Definitely would be interested in more smithing content.
I’ve driven past Nordic Forge while traveling for work. Tiny town. Barely noticeable building except for the name painted on the side.
Great video that’ll be super useful for beginners and be directing newbs here.
Of course we’d like to see more content! I’d be curious on your take of what is the lowest price hammer you can find with out of the box good usable results.
More blacksmithing content would be great. I haven't started yet but I know I'm going to need to if I want to produce every part of cabinet or other furniture with hardware. Probably not going to be any time soon but I can dream.
Thanks Rex! As always, you’re great at explaining things.
Great video, I’d love to see more smithing content!
I’ve been thinking about starting some blacksmithing and enjoyed the video. I just bought a nordic forge rounding hammer from oleo fairing supply in Denver for $52 and do not see the issues discussed in the video.
Love to see the smithing stuff. Keep it coming, just don't forget about the wood. Mix it up, Rex: keeps the channel interesting.
@Rex_Krueger I bet you could fix that Nordic Forge flatter die if you used the slack side of your belt sander station near the top roller or back side & round out the face just how you want. The forge work goes hand in hand with the hand tool woodwork I believe so Yes Please. You put out whatever you like at this point. If it's as informative & true to form as your past works I'm sure you will keep gaining subscribers & Patreon followers too.
Thanks Rex, a well rounded video, you might say, hammer geometry Is a vast subject !
Chech out the mustard 2# rounding hammer @$60. I acualy have a 20 year old hammer I had to dress the flat when I went to shoeing school. Still use it today.
I love a good rounding hammer, and use one at work for cleaning up and rounding peices. I only wish I could find an affordable one that is in the same size as my general purpose forging hammers(4lbs to 6lbs)
All the content is good Rex would you build on blacksmithing techniques to make hardware for woodwork?
Great video Rex. I enjoyed this one as an added aside to the normal woodworking stuff. Please mix some of these in with your normal great content in the future.
Soon, I plan on forging a bronze knife from casted bronze in a mold. I'm curious how it will turn out.
Great video Rex, I run Maui Forge Blacksmith School and appreciate your videos. I’ve watched dozens of your woodworking videos and encourage to create more blacksmithing content. Big mahalo 🤙🏽⚒🔥 I second your advice to join a club. I’m a proud member of the California Blacksmithing association where I learned the level curriculum which was adopted by ABANA and now teach level one here on Maui. If you ever visit our island, please stop by for some hammer time. Much aloha
They make a high polished version of the nordic forge hammer. I think its only a couple bucks more.
You sir nailed it.
Hey bro I know this is off topic but I came across a "compass plane" have you heard of it? Looks interesting for working on inside curves. Might make a cool video if you haven't yet.
Engraving/Chasing next week?
As someone who wants to get into smithing, I'd love to see some heavy metal content.
Great video! It's fun to see creators have multiple interests. Maybe you can get Izzy to help you make an attachment for the angle grinder to smooth out your edges.
Awesome Rex! Definitely more smithing! 😃
It's good to see honest and helpful reviews
👍
This blacksmithing content was fun to b watch. It will have little relevance to me right now but i still really enjoyed it and would like to see more
Love to see more smithing
My woodworking tools usually need tweaking and refining out of the box. I'm not surprised you need to refine a hammer.
Yes add Blacksmith content.
The grain on that Blacksmith Depot hammer handle is perfectly dead wrong. It's not a question of "if" it will break, but of WHEN. A hammer handle should have the grain parallel to the swing, not perpendicular to it.
Fortunately, you have more than the necessary woodworking skill to replace it.
Also: 100% agree with the advantage of joining a local blacksmith association!! Excellent way to learn!!
1:14 the hammer pictured is called a 'Hofi hammer' after the guy who invented the shape roughly 15 years ago (called Uri Hofi). It's a great hammer but ones similar to that old cross pein you hold up have been traditional in a number of European countries for humdreds of years.
Been looking into getting started myself. Seems like a club might be the way to go. As far as more content id say stick with wood working and make another channel if you want to do similar style videos for forging. Regardless I'll still check them out either way just might be nice to double dip and have another channel built up on the side. As im just now thinking if you're business has a youtube lol.
Great video! More 'smithing content please . . . very interesting.
My first hammer was a machinists cross peen, and boy golly. It's soft enough to dent from striking hot steel and the handle was so fat I would get strain from gripping within a couple of heats.
My personal advice is to get the cheapest hammer you can that's actually hardened, has a wooden handle, and weighs around 2lb (1kg).
> You will have to dress any hammer and the effort difference isn't enough to go mid range - buy some kind of grinder with the money you save.
> It needs to be at least a little hardened, otherwise you'll ding up the face and then the face will mar your work. Harder and more polished is also more efficient.
> The wooden handle is an absolute must because it should to be tailored to your hand, or you'll tire yourself out faster and possibly injure yourself.
> 2lb will shift some metal but still work for some delicate stuff. It's not perfect though, you'll want a 1lb, a 3-4lb, and possibly an 8lb soon enough for lighter and heavier tasks.
I got into blacksmithing because good chisels are expensive, but steel isn't. economics aside, those two hammers represent a side not often seen in the tool world: that of customization. Everything is subject to customization. especially to a blacksmith. so those hammers really are exactly what a blacksmith needs: enough metal in roughly the correct shape to be modified into a good tool.
at least you dont have to re- heat-treat them as you should with harbor freight hammers.
Great video, did you consider using the lathe to round the head on the hammer?
Rex, where is the open forge held? Been following you a long time for the woodworking, and have been looking into blacksmithing/knifemaking lately and I believe we're in the same general geographic area...
Fantastic video, Rex! Thanks a bunch! 😊
Keep us updated!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
a good place to get a smithing hammer is a farier shop. most of them have an online shop and god shipping. pricings isn't to bad most of the time. i got mine for 70 euro. last year
Great work as always 😃😃
Oh also does cord wrapping the skinny part of the handle make it better or worse?
I like your style of videos so absolutely you should do some smithing videos. Having said that, I would start another channel if I were you. If the channel grows a bit you will have the benefit of having two channels to give you whatever this channel alone gives you.
Just a thought. 👍
Awesome video
Do you know about the Hofi hammer? Hofi just passed away six months ago or so.
Backyard blacksmithing setup when??
You’re wrong cross peen hammers have been around longer than rounding hammers and in my opinion cross peen are better
i love blacksmithing :)