Tried and true old school methods that have served metalsmiths for centuries-that is what I like most about your videos, Andrew, you are not trying to sell us $$$1000s worth of equipment we don't really need-just the proper techniques of filing buffing polishing etc and maintaining a tool properly. I wish I had your years of experience-but it is so kind of you to do these videos for beginners such as myself.I am hoping I can polish up some inexpensive chasing hammers and GRAVERS for some delicate work I have in mind. Thanks again Andrew!
Thank you so much! I knew there had to be a way to renew my chasing hammer that obviously has been used and abused! I always learn so much watching your videos!
Brilliant!! Thank you Andrew!! I had purchased a chasing hammer (one of my first ones) and I started getting flakes of silver material coming off the hammer onto my copper (my metal of choice) I thought oh boy I ruined it. When I looked at the face of the hammer it had a coating of sorts that was coming off which made it useless to me. After your video I followed the directions and it works beautifully better than when I first purchased it 😁 your the best!! Happy holidays!
Thank you for the information, I already do maintenance on my hammers. Can I use the same maintenance process for my steel blocks? PS: Great thing your doing, by sharing your wisdom. :)
Thank you for the hammer maintenance advice. Much appreciated. Duh... Always had a dim idea that steel needed special compounds. Never tripoli and rouge would work like that! Great to see an ordinary hardware-shop hammer turned into a jewellers' tool.
@@Atthebench Do you begin using a rawhide mallet just as it is when you purchase it? I see some people soaking a new mallet or simply smashing it on a rock or cement. Along that line do you file or send the sharp edges on new hammers before you begin to use them?
alice harvey I just start using the raw hide mallet. If you hit it against concrete etc then some stones may get lodged in the face. Propper goldsmithinh hammers should not need any preparation before you use them
I use a. Chasing hammer and a German made cobblers shoe hammer that is kind of shaped like a. Boondock boot shoe. I filed it convex on the squared end and polished it to a mirror shine
Great video thanks. Would you refinish your steel block the same way. Mine has so many ding marks in it & I want to make it nice & smooth. I have a hand sander that I’m thinking might do the job.
I need to dress my hammers and had no idea how. Thank you. Can you do the same to a bench block? I have one like you showed at 12:30 and also the square 4 inch ones. The Fretz one has quite a few dings on it.
I loved the end where Andrew giggles a bit and looks a tad embarrassed. I'm glad he mentioned exactly what that (fbrezzzz) sound was (a notification on his phone?) because it kinda sounded like.... ya cut ths cheese... just saying...that was pretty funny! Uh... hmmm....yep.... anyhoo..... Your cute Andrew! When you break thru that ever vigilant professional mask I'm reminded there's a charming character that is as fun to watch as your content is informative (I'm a bit odd in that even though I'm very well read, I enjoy re-visiting subjects I believed to be studied exhaustively, and what I've found thru all my extensive research online and in paper is that Andrew ALWAYS has something new to teach me that I haven't discovered in all the books, videos, and articles I've hungrily enjoyed. If you see this message, thank you Andrew! And [selfishly I ask!! Lol] please never stop teaching! ^_^
I'm trying to do this, but the rouge is not taking away the scratches left over from the tripoli the way it does on gold or silver. I'm using the harder mop with the tripoli and softer with the rouge because I only have one hard mop. Is that the issue?
Hi Andrew your channel has helped me so much into my journey into ring making. Iv done some copper work. But can I ask what would be a good size (thickness) to start with Makin a sterling silver band for a man. Would 1ml be too thin and weak? And should the solder be hard, soft or medium solder for best results? Your advice and help with this will be very much appreciated Andrew
ken dalton I’m in the same place in my process. I bought 22gauge SS sheet, and later read that 18-20 is better. It depends on how you want to form the band- you can also use half round of a larger size. I’m now trying to figure out how to use the 22 gauge anyway- thinking I’ll solder square wire along the outside edges?
Hard solder is the best to use as it’s alloy is the nearest to sterling as it has the most silver content. Anything with a lower melting temperature has less silver and is more likely to show up
Andrew Berry okay thank u so much Andrew. This has been bugging me just befor I went an ordered anything.. Does this also mean hard solder is stronger n less easy to break? 🤔 Ps. I just won a 93 grm bar of silver today on another channel so I can't wait to get Makin haha. I very much appreciate u gettin back to me Andrew iv learnt so much from your channel since I subbed over a year ago
Kathy Bradbury hi.. That sounds like a nice idea with the square bands on the edges.. Yeah I was going to order around 18 myself fearing I didn't wanna go too thin with it. Iv worked with copper loads but not so much with silver. But today I won a 3 ounce silver bar on another channel so I can't wait to have all that to play with. But without a Rollin mill of my own yet it's gonna be tough an slow 😔
Have hammers with rust spots, same process or something else? Will prolonged sanding/polishing weaken the temper of the steel? Thanks for this video Andrew, very timely!!
I'm having a recurring issue with the spring inside tiny gold clasps after I solder the clasp on. Is there an extra step I can do to protect the spring from the heat?
You can use something like this www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Technoflux-Heat-Insulating-Paste---120ml-prcode-999-AAH there are many types also practice applying very localised heat
Cmac or why not cold fuse the part with the tongue? A rivet joint connecting to the part that is soldered? If it’s a box clasp, then your spring is exposed, then you may be able to reintroduce the springiness after you have soldered. Or there is this other thing that I have only heard of never tried, but it is essentially a tempering process which supposedly introduces hardness through heat. Supposedly sterling will harden if held at about 600f for fifty minutes.
I have a question I can't find an answer for: the ball on my ball peen hammer is getting bigger/wider. I use it for hammering texture into gold and sterling and I've noticed the little divots are much bigger than they used to be. Any suggestions?? Thank you, Andrew!
Andrew, it isn't a ball peen hammer of course, it's a chasing hammer. I'm thinking I could resurface the face of the ball with the same technique you used for the face. It wasn't a particularly expensive hammer, but I have good control with it and it fits my hand (which is small). My husband chided me saying professional tools are made by professionals - thus the cost. So, if this doesn't work, the next step would be to buy a Fretz embossing hammer for around $73. I really appreciate your taking the time to respond!
Marianne Oxley you can totally resurface your hammer. The thing to remember, since your desire is to decrease the surface striking area, is to focus your material removal around the sides of the hammer. If you directly copy his technique in this video, your hammering surface will only get bigger. Your chasing hammer is getting bigger because it is not hardened. If you are comfortable with doing so, after you’ve hit the diameter you like , you can pop the hammer off the handle and harden just the ball end -stick it in a vise with just the ball part sticking up. Heat just the ball end with your torch (the vise will act as a heat sink so whatever temper is on the flat side is maintained) quench in vegetable oil. Repolish and then bring the temper in to a nice gold-to gilday brown color. If you do that that ball end of your hammer should hold its shape for a good long time. Or as andrew suggested, you could make a punch from just about anything. Masonry nails are great. But you do lose a hand, compared to the system you have right now. I modify lots of cheap hammers for all kinds of textures.
Tried and true old school methods that have served metalsmiths for centuries-that is what I like most about your videos, Andrew, you are not trying to sell us $$$1000s worth of equipment we don't really need-just the proper techniques of filing buffing polishing etc and maintaining a tool properly. I wish I had your years of experience-but it is so kind of you to do these videos for beginners such as myself.I am hoping I can polish up some inexpensive chasing hammers and GRAVERS for some delicate work I have in mind. Thanks again Andrew!
Thank you so much! I knew there had to be a way to renew my chasing hammer that obviously has been used and abused! I always learn so much watching your videos!
Brilliant!! Thank you Andrew!! I had purchased a chasing hammer (one of my first ones) and I started getting flakes of silver material coming off the hammer onto my copper (my metal of choice) I thought oh boy I ruined it. When I looked at the face of the hammer it had a coating of sorts that was coming off which made it useless to me. After your video I followed the directions and it works beautifully better than when I first purchased it 😁 your the best!! Happy holidays!
Awesome. Thank you.
You are a great teacher
Thank you for the information, I already do maintenance on my hammers. Can I use the same maintenance process for my steel blocks? PS: Great thing your doing, by sharing your wisdom. :)
My husband has for me.
Rookie question for you Andrew. At 9:03, what is that wedge thing that you use to hold the hammer steady in called, and what is it made of?
Fabulous! Thanks Andrew! You're a gem. 🙂💖🌸
Thank you for the hammer maintenance advice. Much appreciated.
Duh... Always had a dim idea that steel needed special compounds. Never tripoli and rouge would work like that!
Great to see an ordinary hardware-shop hammer turned into a jewellers' tool.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge! Your videos are excellent!
How would you look after a raw hide mallet?
That’s the beauty of a raw hide mallet. It takes no looking after. The more worn it becomes the better it is
@@Atthebench Do you begin using a rawhide mallet just as it is when you purchase it? I see some people soaking a new mallet or simply smashing it on a rock or cement.
Along that line do you file or send the sharp edges on new hammers before you begin to use them?
alice harvey I just start using the raw hide mallet. If you hit it against concrete etc then some stones may get lodged in the face. Propper goldsmithinh hammers should not need any preparation before you use them
@@Atthebench Thank you for that, and for all the important info you share.
I am so excited to polish my hammers! Thank you!
I use a. Chasing hammer and a German made cobblers shoe hammer that is kind of shaped like a. Boondock boot shoe. I filed it convex on the squared end and polished it to a mirror shine
Great video thanks. Would you refinish your steel block the same way. Mine has so many ding marks in it & I want to make it nice & smooth. I have a hand sander that I’m thinking might do the job.
I need to dress my hammers and had no idea how. Thank you. Can you do the same to a bench block? I have one like you showed at 12:30 and also the square 4 inch ones. The Fretz one has quite a few dings on it.
I just asked the same question as mine is badly dinged.
Great demo. I didn't realise you could use triopli and rouge on steel. I must clean my hammers and also the ones at my club.
What are all the different hammers used for? What is the most important hammer to have?
Can this process be used to remove dents from my steel bench block?
I loved the end where Andrew giggles a bit and looks a tad embarrassed. I'm glad he mentioned exactly what that (fbrezzzz) sound was (a notification on his phone?) because it kinda sounded like.... ya cut ths cheese... just saying...that was pretty funny!
Uh... hmmm....yep....
anyhoo.....
Your cute Andrew! When you break thru that ever vigilant professional mask I'm reminded there's a charming character that is as fun to watch as your content is informative
(I'm a bit odd in that even though I'm very well read, I enjoy re-visiting subjects I believed to be studied exhaustively, and what I've found thru all my extensive research online and in paper is that Andrew ALWAYS has something new to teach me that I haven't discovered in all the books, videos, and articles I've hungrily enjoyed. If you see this message, thank you Andrew! And [selfishly I ask!! Lol] please never stop teaching! ^_^
I'm trying to do this, but the rouge is not taking away the scratches left over from the tripoli the way it does on gold or silver. I'm using the harder mop with the tripoli and softer with the rouge because I only have one hard mop. Is that the issue?
Hi Andrew your channel has helped me so much into my journey into ring making. Iv done some copper work. But can I ask what would be a good size (thickness) to start with Makin a sterling silver band for a man. Would 1ml be too thin and weak? And should the solder be hard, soft or medium solder for best results? Your advice and help with this will be very much appreciated Andrew
ken dalton I’m in the same place in my process. I bought 22gauge SS sheet, and later read that 18-20 is better. It depends on how you want to form the band- you can also use half round of a larger size. I’m now trying to figure out how to use the 22 gauge anyway- thinking I’ll solder square wire along the outside edges?
Hard solder is the best to use as it’s alloy is the nearest to sterling as it has the most silver content. Anything with a lower melting temperature has less silver and is more likely to show up
Andrew Berry okay thank u so much Andrew. This has been bugging me just befor I went an ordered anything.. Does this also mean hard solder is stronger n less easy to break? 🤔
Ps. I just won a 93 grm bar of silver today on another channel so I can't wait to get Makin haha.
I very much appreciate u gettin back to me Andrew iv learnt so much from your channel since I subbed over a year ago
Kathy Bradbury hi.. That sounds like a nice idea with the square bands on the edges.. Yeah I was going to order around 18 myself fearing I didn't wanna go too thin with it. Iv worked with copper loads but not so much with silver. But today I won a 3 ounce silver bar on another channel so I can't wait to have all that to play with. But without a Rollin mill of my own yet it's gonna be tough an slow 😔
ken dalton wow! Congratulations! Maybe a nearby college might allow you to use theirs?
Have hammers with rust spots, same process or something else? Will prolonged sanding/polishing weaken the temper of the steel? Thanks for this video Andrew, very timely!!
Same process. Will not alter the temper of the head
I'm having a recurring issue with the spring inside tiny gold clasps after I solder the clasp on. Is there an extra step I can do to protect the spring from the heat?
You can use something like this www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Technoflux-Heat-Insulating-Paste---120ml-prcode-999-AAH there are many types
also practice applying very localised heat
Cmac or why not cold fuse the part with the tongue? A rivet joint connecting to the part that is soldered?
If it’s a box clasp, then your spring is exposed, then you may be able to reintroduce the springiness after you have soldered.
Or there is this other thing that I have only heard of never tried, but it is essentially a tempering process which supposedly introduces hardness through heat. Supposedly sterling will harden if held at about 600f for fifty minutes.
I have a question I can't find an answer for: the ball on my ball peen hammer is getting bigger/wider. I use it for hammering texture into gold and sterling and I've noticed the little divots are much bigger than they used to be. Any suggestions?? Thank you, Andrew!
Perhaps make a punch from a thick nail or bolt instead
Andrew, it isn't a ball peen hammer of course, it's a chasing hammer. I'm thinking I could resurface the face of the ball with the same technique you used for the face. It wasn't a particularly expensive hammer, but I have good control with it and it fits my hand (which is small). My husband chided me saying professional tools are made by professionals - thus the cost. So, if this doesn't work, the next step would be to buy a Fretz embossing hammer for around $73. I really appreciate your taking the time to respond!
Marianne Oxley you can totally resurface your hammer.
The thing to remember, since your desire is to decrease the surface striking area, is to focus your material removal around the sides of the hammer. If you directly copy his technique in this video, your hammering surface will only get bigger.
Your chasing hammer is getting bigger because it is not hardened. If you are comfortable with doing so, after you’ve hit the diameter you like , you can pop the hammer off the handle and harden just the ball end -stick it in a vise with just the ball part sticking up. Heat just the ball end with your torch (the vise will act as a heat sink so whatever temper is on the flat side is maintained) quench in vegetable oil. Repolish and then bring the temper in to a nice gold-to gilday brown color. If you do that that ball end of your hammer should hold its shape for a good long time.
Or as andrew suggested, you could make a punch from just about anything. Masonry nails are great. But you do lose a hand, compared to the system you have right now.
I modify lots of cheap hammers for all kinds of textures.
Ok now I'll be redoing my hammers.
Love how you consistently call "emery paper" emery paper and not sand paper. :-)
"This little chaf here..." at is a chaf?
"this little chap here"
I'm a bit scared about taking a file to my fretz hammer lol!