Dead blow hammers for hammer forming

[TheBrick]

Hi all,

A seemingly simple question but the older I get the more I realise nothing is simple...

I am going to have bash at hammer forming. I have a some good stumps so the next thing seems to be dead blow hammer(s).

What weight(s) should I buy?
Are the cheapo ebay sets any good (example) or should I just buy one good thor brand hammer? (Again what weight?)

First application will be to create a patch for trailer mud guard which involves a compound curve (note I am expecting my first attempt to be crap).

 

[MattF]

For what those cost, I'd personally order those, have a play with them, then figure out what best suits you from there.

 

[Blobber]

Im not sure the head shape is going to be much good for compound curves?

You really need the pear shaped mallets for that sort of stuff

 

[Fazerruss]

Dead blow hammers are filled with lead shot.
Forming hammers for use with bag or stump are made from either wood or Nylon.
I wouldn't go cheap. The hammer needs to be nicely balanced and not too heavy.
Cheap ones are not

 

[Tom O]

Hi all,

A seemingly simple question but the older I get the more I realise nothing is simple...

I am going to have bash at hammer forming. I have a some good stumps so the next thing seems to be dead blow hammer(s).

What weight(s) should I buy?
Are the cheapo ebay sets any good (example) or should I just buy one good thor brand hammer? (Again what weight?)

First application will be to create a patch for trailer mud guard which involves a compound curve (note I am expecting my first attempt to be crap).

Tounge in cheek I bought a Thors hammer yesterday.

 

[SierraV6]

Dead blow hammers are filled with lead shot.
Forming hammers for use with bag or stump are made from either wood or Nylon.
I wouldn't go cheap. The hammer needs to be nicely balanced and not too heavy.
Cheap ones are notView attachment 467283

I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone use a dead blow hammer for this purpose to be honest! As you say wood, nylon, or a metal blocking hammer are what I’d use. A dead blow is useful for finishing sharp angles/bends though.

I completely agree with you about quality. I wouldn’t personally recommend cheap hammers in general, but anything used to form sheet metal is much more than a heavy lump to hit things with IMO.

 

[Shedendman]

Dead blow hammers are filled with lead shot.
Forming hammers for use with bag or stump are made from either wood or Nylon.
I wouldn't go cheap. The hammer needs to be nicely balanced and not too heavy.
Cheap ones are notView attachment 467283

Is that a Thor on the far right,i have a cousin of that i bought off the bay just last week

 

[TheBrick]

Im not sure the head shape is going to be much good for compound curves?

You really need the pear shaped mallets for that sort of stuff

AHH interesting, thanks

 

[TheBrick]

Tounge in cheek I bought a Thors hammer yesterday.

View attachment 467302

Yes the old material aid. Love me tender

P.s. hello Alberta. Spent many a week in Alberta working from Grand Prairie to Calgary. Lovely part of the world

 

[TheBrick]

Is that a Thor on the far right,i have a cousin of that i bought off the bay just last week
View attachment 467318

I actually have on of those with a couple of chargeable heads. Quite light weight.

 

[TheBrick]

Dead blow hammers are filled with lead shot.
Forming hammers for use with bag or stump are made from either wood or Nylon.
I wouldn't go cheap. The hammer needs to be nicely balanced and not too heavy.
Cheap ones are notView attachment 467283

Ok so it's nylon and wood rather than lead filled thanks. I made a pair drop hammer out of wood 10+ years ago as a wood lathe project. I used scrap wood so no strength of weight to it.

So is that the spare you would recommend?

 

[Morrisman]

A round hammer and a sand bag. I bought one 22 years ago when I started my Morris ‘restored’ project. And it’s still sat in the shed somewhere, never having been struck even once. The hammer is wood, really hard (Lignum Vitae?) and really heavy, never struck a blow with it though.

 

[winchman]

I must admit to having a bit of a hammer fetish.
When I taught Winchboy to mig weld we reskinned a Landrover door.
It was a good lesson for me too as I had exactly the correct hammer for folding the skin over easily.
If you buy a White House, Sykes or Thor hammer second hand to see if you like it you will always get your money back if you dont.
One of my favourites is the biggest Thor Copper and hide but some one has fitted two Nylon Inserts, its fantastic when something just needs a nudge but leaves no marks.

 

[gaz1]

this one is the better hammer with some weight

 

[Shedendman]

 

[Fazerruss]

Ok so it's nylon and wood rather than lead filled thanks. I made a pair drop hammer out of wood 10+ years ago as a wood lathe project. I used scrap wood so no strength of weight to it.

So is that the spare you would recommend?

A lot depends on the thicker of metal you are forming. I find the nylon pear hammer too light for anything more than aluminium or steel above 0.7mm
I currently have 9 hammers and 2 slappers and it's still not enough. You always find there will be a job where none of them are quite right for the task that falls on the bench that day. I plan to make a bigger nylon hammer soon and a forming block. I have a piece of seriously hard wood waiting for me to dish out.
I find hammer forming great but the best results are from an English wheel. You can get your panel mirror smooth.

 

[TheBrick]

this one is the better hammer with some weight

Thanks. Watched a few of his videos and like them as they are not like the usual North American channels that rely on having a 3 acre workshop with every tool

 

[TheBrick]

I must admit to having a bit of a hammer fetish.
When I taught Winchboy to mig weld we reskinned a Landrover door.
It was a good lesson for me too as I had exactly the correct hammer for folding the skin over easily.
If you buy a White House, Sykes or Thor hammer second hand to see if you like it you will always get your money back if you dont.
One of my favourites is the biggest Thor Copper and hide but some one has fitted two Nylon Inserts, its fantastic when something just needs a nudge but leaves no marks.

Yes me too! It's why I am drawn to hammer forming!

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

One of my favourites is the biggest Thor Copper and hide but some one has fitted two Nylon Inserts, its fantastic when something just needs a nudge but leaves no marks.

I was recently gifted a "Size 5" Copper-Hide hammer as a birthday present...

(See bow, to make it "birthday-y")

Not sure I would have the accuracy with it to be hammer forming sheet metal...

But it would give one hell of a nudge to whatever you struck with it

 

[Morrisman]

Just had to dig in a parts box to find a tyre gauge and blow me, there’s me old hammer and sand bag. ‘Tis indeed Lignum Vitae wood too. I had such great plans when I bought it, 22 years ago….