is axle steel to hard for a hammerhead

i was thinking to make som autobody hammers /metalshaping hammers form old car axles , does any of you see any problems with that i have axex to a lathe and a mill so the making it sel is no problem , just the question if the steel will crack when i hit the sheet metal

 

And I THOUGHT that I had way to much spare time on MY hands....

 

They should work just fine. Don't get them too hot and make them brittle.

 

i have loads of time (exept when my daly driver citroen c3 breaksdown and needs fixing or my wife wants to re designe the house ) but lack the funds to buy tools , so why not make them from s****metal i have ,

 

and why do some hammers have a square end and others round does it make a diffrence

 

Car axles are normally case hardened (especially near the splines) to 50 to 60 Rockwell C. This material is quite hard and brittle on the outside only. The material will be much softer on the inside. Depending on the case depth, the best option may be just to cut the hardened portion off and use the softer inner core for the hammer head.

On the other hand, if the axles are thru hardened (and the lathe will tell you quickly what situation you have), the hardness should be around 45 Rockwell C. This will work quite well for a hammer head.

Most sheetmetal and ball peen hammers have a head hardness in the 40-50 Rockwell C range. Good Luck.

 

and the first try will be on a axle made in the ussr for gaz 69

thank you great to get this information on the rockwell scale

 

but who can tell me the diffrent efect of a round end vs the square end

 

Try to find knowlegable metal shapers in your area.

 

they are none exisiting , there is no tradition for hammer and dolly work here there where a few coachbuilders in iceland in the 50s and 60s

 

Hammer heads are made to do specific things. Square heads are good for working some flanged areas and corners for example. If you look at a few hammer heads you'll notice they have different radius crowns on the face. This is to control the actual strike surface.

 

The metal won't shatter or chip.. if it was that brittle it would have shattered when you stepped on the gas ha ha

Body hammers are shaped to the surface you want to work. You almost never see a completely flat body panel. So you need a slightly rounded hammer for the flattest panels. Also, a flat hammer would leave a circular mark where the edge hit.

Make the hammer slightly convex and round off the edge. For working panels that are more curved you can make a more curved hammer.

There is no reason you can't rework the hammer after it is finished. Clamp it in the vise and reshape the head with your disc grinder. Make different shapes and weights for different jobs.

You could have an ***ortment of hammers if you make them yourself. To buy good body hammers from Snap On can cost over $100 each.

Are you saying there are no auto body repair shops in Iceland? Where do people go to get their cars repaired?

 

Who beats the dents out of the boats?

 

here in iceland there are onlu shops that have straightening benches and then order replacement parts from the importer of that car brand , there is not an company that axualy repairs dents by using hammers and dollys , and most boats are made of fibergl*** , so no incredibly not there ar non zip nada of shops that repair auto bodys by hand ,

 

Well hell, get to building those hammers! It sounds like they might be some good money makers for you! Good luck, post pics as you carry on.

 

You might consider checking out some online suppliers like TCG Global or Eastwood.

Hammers and Dolly's aren't cheap but good ones are a lifetime investment.

I'm still using hammers I either got as used or bought new over 40 years ago. Same with most of my Dolly's. Over the years I've made a few Dolly's for specific applications but usually the same few Dolly's function for almost all requirements.

 

i was thinking to make a few hammers and try to buy one like evry 6 months or so

 

I see GREAT quality hammers and dollys on Ebay all the time. Unless it is a very old, or unusual design model, they usually go off pretty cheap. Go that route.
You don't have to buy cheap import junk tools. there are many options. If you dont' have money, and you have all that time, find some work to get paid for, and use it to fund your hobby...that's probably what most of the industrious HAMBers do here.
I've done it all my life to get the extras I want.
And it's no excuse that there are no coachbuilders in your area/country to learn from. Believe me...when I started learning, even from one of the best body men/painters in my area, the quality of metalwork was pretty poor (compared to today)....read that as brazing, instead of welding, virtually no hammer work on welds, and almost "collision shop" quality of everything.
If you really have a desire to learn, start with a few tools, and PRACTICE! Nowadays, there is so much info on the internet, you don't have to go through what we old timers did the the past, apprecticeship, buy tons of books and videos, etc. Read up on websites, and watch YouTube to get a handle on the skills needed.
I've tried to teach some guys the work, and as soon as you aren't watching, the quality goes out the window. I've only had the honor of having maybe 2-3 guys really "get it" and continue with doing things in a quality manner, and stick with it on the old cars. So having a good teacher/mentor is NOT the only way to go! It is in your personal desires, enthusiasm, drive, and work ethic that will make you good at any chosen field.
Sorry if I seem a bit harsh, but there are no shortcuts to being good at what you desire!
If you have obstacles in your way, overcome them. It seems like you have the ambition, dont' rely on things like difficulty finding good hammers stop you. Search out the options and make it happen! At least you've found a pretty good place to start, here on the HAMB.

 

i allredy have som cheap body hammers to work with and i have started mettalshapping a little do it when i am not working or doing repair work on my cars , and no you where not harsh , i am learning as much as i can just from restoring my gaz 69 it has siple shapes and is a great first restoration project besides being a personal value to ,

 

As you say, the hardness on an ordinary street car does not not go deeply into the part. However, those parts and induction hardened, not case hardened. There are different methods of case hardening, but those are different processes than induction hardening. Some axles are hardened and tempered by conventional heat treating methods, but that's not case hardening either.

 

Here are two I modified from existing hammers and one I made from a '39 clutch pedal. The modified hammers are for working on stainless trim and hubcaps. The large round end on the blue hammer can also be used as a stationary dolly when it's clamped in a vise...works great on early Ford hub caps as you can "m***age" the low spot around the clamped hammer head to gently push the metal onto shape. The smaller hammer has a very slight crown and fairly sharp edges. I can use this face, in addition to striking, to gently "push" against the stainless which is bucked by a thick rubber pad. The clutch pedal is one I made to use to pick up minor low spots in confined areas. Not the best in terms of balance, but it works for the intended purpose.
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