What is a ball-peen hammer?
A ball-peen hammer has two ends — one ball-shaped and the other more cylindrical. It may have a metal, fiberglass or wooden handle. A ball-peen hammer is a variety of peening hammer used for both shaping and striking metal, including striking punches and chisels, in metal fabrication. The ball-peen hammer’s crowned, or rounded, edge works metal smoothly without marking it. The ball portion can straighten, soften and expand metal into the desired shape. The other, straighter end of the hammer can be used to strike punches and chisels. A chisel is a steel metal cutter that cuts sheet metal, rivets, bolts and even plaster. Punches mark metal or wood for placement of holes and a ball-peen hammer is used to strike the punch when an automatic punch is not used. Actual peening is not used in most metal fabrication operations today, but it was the original use of peen hammers. Peening is striking welded or riveted metal to make it as flexible as the rest of the metal in an object. The result o
