Sheet Metal Forming By Hammering

Similar in shape to a forming hammer this hammer is used to create elevated areas by striking metal from behind similar to repoussé.
Sheet metal forming by hammering. James has built whole cars from scratch. By keeping a metal mallet or three on hand you can form patch panels and custom pieces in ways that larger tools sometimes can t. Sheet metal forming bags hold any shape workpiece steady while you pound on it with a hammer. When i did metalworking 60 years ago in vocational school we used a sort of anvil to form metal.
So on my way home from britishv8 2009 i stopped by weldone for a second visit and james kindly gave me a quick lesson in metal shaping. Hammer forming is one of the oldest simplest and least expensive ways to shape sheet metal. Essentially the sheet metal is placed over the hollow object and the round part of a ball peen hammer is used to force the metal into the hole. Metal fabrication mallets accessories.
This is a handy metal fabrication technique you need to learn. With a ball hammer and the anvil you expand the metal by hammering it. A little diligence is needed here as too much hammering can cause the metal to crack and split. This is the technique used for working out dings and.
The hammer should bounce quickly off the face of the metal if the contact is solid. As a bordering hammer it is used to form a rim on a bowl or platter. Hammering off dolly is used to equalize highs and lows. Follow along as i demonstrate how to hammer forming metal.
For this example we will hammer form some tank end caps. I m new to all this but it s still possible for me to form flat sheet into some simple shapes using basic tools. As long as the metal is still thick and soft enough you can go on in forming it. This helps it take a bowl shape.
These bags are commonly used for initially shaping sheet metal also known as roughing before it s finished on a solid surface such as a forming block dolly or anvil. Typical weight is 200 300 grams. There are a lot of advanced machines and power equipment for working with metal. With the wood as an anvil you are restricted to the form of the dent.
Cross section is a narrow rectangle with a pronounced vertical curve.