diff --git a/content/pages/equipment/hammer_dressing.md b/content/pages/equipment/hammer_dressing.md index 830e381..7aa0adc 100644 --- a/content/pages/equipment/hammer_dressing.md +++ b/content/pages/equipment/hammer_dressing.md @@ -6,33 +6,63 @@ tags: - howto --- {{< notice warning >}} -Always wear a respirator and eye protection when grinding metal - +Always wear a respirator and eye protection when grinding metal{{/br}} Never operate an angle grinder without the guard securely installed {{< /notice >}} ## Why should I do this? -Dressing your hammer face will prevent unsightly marks left by the edges on the faces of most commercially produced hammers. It is also a way to reprofile the hammer face, making it more (or less) convex and thus more (or less) aggressive in moving material. +The edges on the faces of most commercially produced hammers are sharp enough to leave marks on your workpiece if a strike lands at a small angle. +Found hammers that you wish to re-purpose or rescue from the rust pile may come with an overly rounded surface, an indented or tilted surface, or even have chips knocked out of them +Dressing your hammer will reduce the chance of these problems marring your work. + +Experience and personal taste will eventuallly inform as to how much one should round off a hammer's edges. +A reasonable starting point is to create a radius of about 2 mm (1/8 inch) on the edges of a hammer that you intend to use to smooth a surface. + +On a hammer that will be used to fuller (spread out) the work you might want to reprofile it to a rounded shape. The more convex (the rounder) you make it the more agressively it will move the metal. + +Avoid using a double cut file for dressing as it will likely leave marks on the tool. +Someone with good filing technique may be able to dress a tool without needing to finish by sanding or grinding. + +Flatters and Setters may also be dressed. +Both need their striking surface to be absolutley flat, with the edges of the flatter rounded gradually from about 4 mm (1/4 inch) from the edge, and the edges of a setter to be made as square as possible. + +Using a vise to hold the hammer as you work on it is recommended. +It is important to keep the striking surface perpindicular to the axis of the hammer. + +When cleaning up a hammer will require a larger effort removing the handle can make it easier to clamp the hammer's head as you work on it. + +Machine grinding will obviously speed up the dressing process, but one has to pay close attention to the grit used, and how the grinder is held to the tool. +A sandpaper grit of 120 or smaller value will leave scratches on the tool's surface that can affect the finish of the workpiece. +Tools for working softer metals (gold, aluminum etc.) should even be polished to as high as 500 grit to ensure success when planishing. + +{{< notice warning >}} +Using machine assistance to dress surfaces correctly requires skill and stability to avoid harming the utility of a dressed tool. +The tool being dressed is best clamped, leveled, and arm supports used to hold the grinder perpindicular to the axis of the tool. +Using a flap wheel is not recommended as there is less control over the position and angle of grinding than with a belt or surface grinder. +{{< /notice >}} ## You Will Need -### Materials +### Consumable Materials -- [ ] Sandpaper, flap discs, or grinder belts +- [ ] Sandpaper +- [ ] (Optional) flap discs, or grinder belts ### Equipment -- [ ] A hammer +- [ ] the hammer to be dressed +- [ ] flat, single cut file(s) - [ ] (Optional) an angle grinder or belt grinder -- [ ] (Optional, but very helpful) a vise (to hold your hammer while you sand it) +- [ ] (Best Practice) a vise ## The Process ### Make sure the flat face is actually flat -Sometimes commercially produced hammers have a very slight indent on the flat face. Grind or sand the flat face down until it is flat +Sometimes commercially produced hammers have a very slight indent on the flat face. Grind or sand the flat face down until it is flat. +Gluing a sheet of sandpaper onto a panel or table top and then rubbing the hammer head over it can make it easier to keep it vertical. ### Remove sharp edges -Most commercially produced hammers have sharp edges on one or both faces. These edges will add unsightly marks to your work and should be sanded or ground away. +Most commercially produced hammers have sharp edges on their edges that should be smoothed and rounded off to mitigate the risk having them mark on your work.