2002-04-18 - 2:47 p.m.

Issues. Last night was computer hell for me....The cable modem as been mostly out since Sunday and it looks like it will be until the 24th before the tech comes to will allow the tech that can actually fix the problem to show up 1-2 days later....

Then there was this little program install that decided to test me. It became a challenge. 3 hours later, I was victorious....sigh....

And the armoring discussion for the day:

Hammers

Yes, there is a claw hammer in my shop because my wife has hammer trauma, so I'm going to inflict a lesson on y'all because of it.

Mallet

Soft-faced hammer, such as leather, plastic or rubber. Used to shallow dish or bend metal without scarring the surface.

Ball-pein

Hammer with a flat hammer on one side and a round ball (hence 'ball pein) on the other. The ball is useful for peining over rivets or light shaping work.

Straight-pein

Hammer with a flat face on one side and a V-shaped wedge in-line with the handle. Used to spread metal. Particularly useful for creating complex shapes, like saddle-shaped curves (curves in 2 dimensions). For example, the tail of the Barbute is a pair of saddle curves that join at the crest line. This hammer is primarily used in armoring, which is why they aren't very common.

Cross-pein

Hammer with a flat face on one side and a V-shaped wedge perpendicular to the handle. Used to spread metal, like the straight pein. Also referred to as a 'Blacksmith's Hammer'. Works the same as the straight-pein, but you get to hold the piece being worked at a 90 degree angle from the straight-pein. Having both is useful to reach all locations.

Dishing Hammer

Hammer with 2 round faces. Used dish out metal. Varying diameters of the faces are used in different areas. Large round balls are heavy and useful for moving lots of material. Small, elongated balls are useful for working deep into the shape or pushing out small areas, like the chin on a bevor.

Planishing Hammer

Light flat faced hammer used in planishing.

Chasing Hammer

Extremely light hammer used to drive chisels and gravers for repousse and engraving.

Beyond this there are a variety of specialty shapes to the hammer heads for specific tasks, like folding hammers, which have an angled flat surface. I tend to use the flat face of my handy-dandy ball pein, but there are times when the angles are useful....

Any hammer used for shaping needs it face to be kept free of dinges or dents as each one of those marks will transfer to the piece being worked with every strike. This is why an armorer freaks out if you try to grab a dishing hammer to drive a nail....

Future entries: I'll explain some of the terms I used above, like Repousse, and dishing....

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