I need a break

planishing hammer

Adam Cherubini

>Ernie,

Just bash the brass with a sledge hammer, then straighten it out with a planishing hammer. This is much easier done than it sounds. A little patience and practice are all that's required. I've done up to .090 brass with this. Can't seem to do too much with .125, but I'm not giving up yet.

If you are making saws, you'll need the planishing skills you'll develop with the brass for the steel saw plates anyway.

So again, if this is what you are into, I just finished a bunch of this work. E-mail me off line if you need assistance. Actually Lief Hanson is really DA MAN on this sort of work. The only thing I can add is my perspective having essentially no tools or skills appropriate for this sort of work. Come to think of it, that's my bag in general! I did buy a drill doctor and should have purchased a drill press. Somehow I wrestled thru it without one (tho it shows in the finsihed product)

Adam

Re: I need a break

Todd Hughes

>All you need are two pieces of steel stock, say 1 1/2 X 1/4 inch by a foot or so. Put these in your vice with what needs bending in between them and then with a hammer bend it over one of your steel pieces. If the work is long you may need to slide the work down so that it is in the vice but this should work fine....Todd

Re: planishing hammer

Ernie Miller

>I'm not planning on making saws but I might make one or two for giggles. If I toldyou what I was making you would think I am nuts but you probably think that any way.

Exactly!

Adam Cherubini

>If you are here with the rest of us, then yes, I'd have to say I think you're nuts!

Re: Exactly!

Ernie Miller

>Off to the pawn shop I see them hammers sell for about $8.00 on the bay and I think I will find one for about $4.00 at the pawn shop any bets?

That was me, and I'm guessing you did... *LINK*

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Drink too much on your Birthday...:^)

1/16" equals 0.0625 witch roughly equals 14 ga or 0.0641.


B-day thread...

Re: I need a break

David Barnett

>Both Adam and Todd have laid it out pretty well, but here's a couple more tips. You can get a very neat and tight fold in fairly thick brass sheet if you scrape* or grind a shallow and narrow (such as 1/16" inch wide) groove following the line that will be the inside of your fold. Remember that the metal is stretching on the outside fold while compressing on the inside. This groove, which can be either a "V" or radiused, provides relief without appreciable weakening and guides the fold. It also makes it easier to get a flat and uniform grip on the saw blade, avoiding pinching only along the edge. Because you're unlikely to anneal in this type of operation, your goal should be to bring uniform tightening during the final workhardening blows. Ideally, each blow should have a definite and cumulative purpose. It's not that difficult but is something that improves noticeably after the first couple attempts.

*A great scraper for folds can be made by bending the tang of an old chisel about 90-degrees 1/2" from the end, sharpening it to a "V". Pulling this along a scribed line will do the trick nicely.

"along the edge [of the brass]" I meant to say.

David Barnett

>

What I do

Bob Hackett(Mainely,Bob)

>I bring it to a friend who works in a sheet metal shop and he bends is most of the way for me.

if I get impatient and need it NOW,I just put it between 2 rather heavy angle irons and clamp it in he vice.If it`s long then I put a c clamp on each end to hold the sandwich together.I then take a block of soft maple and hit the block to start the bend and bring it to 90 deg.The block spreads the pounding out and avoids those ugly hammer marks that need to be planished out later.I also groove the inside of the bend to help things along.

Once you`re to 90 then take it out of the vice,remove the angles and clamps and lay the thing on the bench against a stop.Still using the maple block continue to tap till it`s past 90 and stop.Once past 90 you can use your vice and angles/clamps to close it as far as you need and then crimp it onto the blade if that`s what you want.

You should know Ernie,that metals like brass,bronze and aluminum are available in soft(annealed) half hard and hard states.If you try and bend a hard piece chances are it will crack at the bend.You can anneal a hard plate but that`s another story.

Hope this helps.

Mainely,Bob

Re: What I do

Ernie Miller

>Come on Bob this is some choice dumpster finds! I just can't afford to go out and buy materials to make my tools out of! What was that first comment? I hake it to a frend? that is ritch! frends??

Re: I need a break *LINK*

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Ernie,

The link below shows what Lief uses as a break. It looks pretty inexpensive and if you're planning on doing more than one (of whatever) it might be worthwhile.

Skip


http://www.norsewoodsmith.com/ww/dovetail/bs-index.htm

Re: I need a break

Ernie Miller

>Thanks for the link I'm off to the scrap yard to get some angle iorn and will make one this weekend. I thought I had some but when I dug thru the shop last night I couldn't find any.

Re: I need a break

Ernie Miller

>It seems they don't let you dig thru the scrap iron any more. (insurance) and the wanter $14.00 for 6' of 1 1/2" To high for my blood so I went to a local junk store. I was able to pick up an old bed frame and a ball peen hammer for $6.00 that is more like it So I had to drive down the alley to get back to work and behing this door factory sticking out of the trash was this 5' long chunk of 5X5 Mahogany I think it was some sort of dunnage but the rings show it was far away from the pith and no cracks or checks so it went in to the car also. I'm off to the hardware store to pick up a box of machine screws to put this beast together either tonight or in the morning. There is an auction tomarrow so I must decide if I want ot go and try for an anvil they have advertised?

Question

Patrick Gibbons, Houston, Tx

>Actually two questions. First, what is a planishing hammer anyway? Second, what makes a good back for a saw? 360 half hard brass? Cartridge brass?

Re: I need a break

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Ernie,

I bought some 1-1/2 angle on the way home from work this morning. My last night shift for this rotation! :) I'm planning on making a break this weekend or, failing that, next weekend. I upped the machine screw size from #10 ro 1/4" hoping to be able to use fewer screws.

Skip

Re: I need a break

Ernie Miller

>I figured I would take the hinges to the hardware store and get what ever fits it best but shoot for the beafer sizes. I'm thinking of using some 1" squair tube for the handles ans attaching some extra Angle to make it stronger.

Re: I need a break

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Ernie,

I happened to have a good piece of 1" square tube myself - just what I was planning on using for a hancle. Great minds think alike? Or is that just an indication that some people tend to accumulate the same sort of stuff? :)

Skip

Re: Question

ernie miller

>Id did a search on ebay to find out what a Plennishing hammer is but it is an auto body hammer with a smooth flat face that is slightly rounded at the edges to prevent creases. as for best brass I have no idea I'm using some brass kick plates that came off doors that were in a dumpster for my project and it is not a saw.