What is a planishing hammer?
A planishing hammer is a flat or gently curved hammer that is used when using a planishing stake. A planishing stake is a metal pole that must be put in the ground in order to provide a stable position. The top end of the planishing stake is formed into a ball or some other smooth surface. A metal product is then placed on the planishing stake and the planishing hammer is then struck on the metal surface in order to work out imperfections or ridges.
It is a fact that the planishing hammer was used in medieval times to create armor suits for knights. In today’s world; however, planishing hammers are often used to form, shape or stretch out sheet metal or other metal objects.
It has been noted that a planishing hammer should not be used to form an object. The planishing hammer is often used to smooth out a piece after it has been formed. The planishing hammer also hardens the metal and aids in evening out the shape of the piece. It does not; however, form the piece. This type of hammer is expensive and needs to maintained in a quality way—so that it retains its mirror finish because if it is not well maintained, you will need to file and sand it, often.
In addition, a different type of planishing hammer can be used as a foot petal. This type of planishing hammer is free-standing, without a motor and controlled by a foot petal. This allows the user to keep his or her hands to help guide the metal during the hammering process.
This kind of project–using a planishing hammer–should be executed in a cautious and safe way and under the advisement and counsel from one who is an expert in this area.
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The process of shaping sheet metal involves several steps of shaping and bending the metal until the desired shape becomes apparent. After several instances of sinking or raising–two of the techniques used to shape sheet metal–the metal itself will hold the general shape of the desired finished product, but these processes cause several ridges and dents in the metal. Therefore, the metal must be planished using a planishing hammer; this process smoothes out the metal and gives the final product a solid shape and finish. A planishing hammer is a flat or slightly curved hammer that is used in conjunction with a planishing stake. A planishing stake is a solid metal pole that must be affixed to the ground to provide stability. Its top end is formed into a ball or other smooth, curved surface. The metal product is placed on the planishing stake, and the planishing hammer is struck against the metal product to work out ridges and other imperfections. A series of soft blows work best, as hi
Working with metal can be a rewarding experience if you have the skills necessary to craft items out of metal or the knowledge to repair metal objects. Whatever your skill or knowledge level is, however, you need the proper tools to create the best results. A planishing hammer is one tool that can bring your metal working to a new level.
