Why do I need a Tungsten Carbide Tip on my Hammer?

Check out the way ‪@OUTDOORS55‬ made his here:
• I Should Have Made Thi...
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0:00 Upcycling an old and broken ball peen hammer
1:06 Milling a pocket for the carbide ball
1:54 Brazing and finishing the hammer
3:06 Test and explanation

[@BlackBeardProjects]

Check out the way @OUTDOORS55 made his here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJKcn32recasmac

[@MrAnthony992]

I knew I seen this before. Thanks for posting the source 😀 I'm glad I subscribed to your channel a long time ago.

[@grownstepchild3135]

Hey dude you could have gotten a way cleaner/stronger braze if you focused more on the base metal. You were for using wayyyyyy to much on the tiny little carbide tip from the tiny clips I saw. Think about it as doing it evenly but the larger the piece more focus it gets so that they come up evenly and nothing gets hotter than it needs to be.

[@battlebeard2041]

Speaking from 10+ years as a machinist and working with a lot of carbide tools and also machining tungsten itself: wear your safety glasses when using this hammer. Carbide is prone to shattering with tremendous energy under a sufficient impact. It’s a powdered, sintered metal and tends to eject minuscule particles in all directions.

[@HavokTheorem]

Sorry, my pendant sense is tingling. Carbides are ceramics; ceramics are brittle, while metals are ductile. I thought about how hardened steel fits into that definition, before I remembered that its hardenability comes from C + Fe forming carbide inclusions during quenching.

[@BigPanda096]

​@@HavokTheorem*pedant Well crap, now my pedant sense is tingling too.

[@MAcDaTHo]

@@BigPanda096 You could get a pedant pendant!

[@Netherdan]

​@@MAcDaTHoit has the word "Actually" in an intricate calligraphy script

[@phillipm199]

Had a coworker who chiped some steel of his hammer and it shoot in his wrist up to his elbow.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thank you for the shoutout my friend! This straightening hammer is such a valuable tool. I couldn't believe I've gone all this time and haven't heard of it before. Works SO well and will save so many knives. Anyway, hope you, and yours are well!

[@mtvmobi]

Where did you hear it?

[@campbellpaul]

5:50@@mtvmobi

[@Eshelion]

@@campbellpaul He couldn't hear it here, cause it's said in video he made his own hammer few months back...

[@trajan9822]

Kudos for mentioning the other source 👍👍

[@seasaw40]

I work in a machine shop, and we have "straighteners." People who use these specialized straightening hammers to flatten TiN coated blades to a half of a thousandth of an inch across the whole surface. Invaluable on work pieces that can not be re-cut or ground after they've been finished. There is a big learning curve to straightening, and it's cool to see it done in a hobbyist fashion! Nice work as always

[@phobos1963]

Tin or Nitrogen doped Titanium lol

[@harrisonstaley7742]

​@@phobos1963Ti nitride possibly

[@thesweetone]

I had a tungsten carbide ring, just becareful as the material is very hard but also brittle compared to steel and like my ring can explode under certain conditions. It saved my hand from being crushed by a trailer... two weeks later it bounced off a wood desk and exploded. It's an amazing material but not flawless.

[@mankihonda983]

the impact force seems to be really small, more like tapping than real hammer blows. Also the thick hard solder (hard for a solder, very soft compared to hardened alloys) probably acts as a cushion. All impact tools have a risk of explosively breaking apart so basic protective gear and clothing should be used.

[@buysncharge]

He built a surprise bullet.

[@user-neo71665]

The ball shape gives more strength than a ring. It will still chip but won't shatter like our rings. I will say I've dropped mine all over because being an electricain I take it off a lot but have never shattered one on wood.

[@buysncharge]

@user-neo71665 the bite of original hammer blow out. Like shrapnel. He is just tapping it. Not smashing it tho

[@silvershroud166]

I've dropped one onto very smooth concrete multiple times as a stress test for the company I work for, they are surprisingly durable. If the concrete is rough it has a tendency to break easier as there is more PSI in one spot vs the smooth concrete, where it just bounces. This was a very thin ring with a wooden liner on the inside, the thick ones just eat the drop. 8mm tungsten rings are very strong when they are full bodied tungsten instead of having the wooden liner. BUT, I am shocked to hear yours survived a trailer lol, that is news to me. Makes sense as to why it broke on the desk, it probably cracked it internally and was just barely still holding on.

[@Raven_Leblanc]

I once made a blade, where I wanted to do a pitted finish using my ball-peen hammer. Once I finished one side, the blade had bent to a curve of almost 15-20 ish degrees. When I did the other side, straight as an arrow. It's interesting to see a tool that is designed for this so specifically, and how to use it! Great job!

[@WandereringFamily123]

Would never have thought of this in a million years. And I really appreciate your clarification that it should be used on the concave side, as I was really wondering about how stretching the already stretched side would straighten the blade!

[@HighlanderNorth1]

I see my mistake now. I was operating under the assumption that the mohs and Rockwell hardness scales were scored like golf. So I mistakenly installed a talc ball into the tip of my hardening hammer.... 😁

[@leesass3602]

A way I discovered to straighten a warped blade is before tempering to clamp the blade tightly between two pieces of thicker and straight billets and then temper as usual. This method has worked for me very well.

[@davidvanderwoude7911]

I was confused as to why you would use tungsten carbide at the beginning of the video, but I've got to say, this is a clever way to straighten a hardened blade, and it's one I haven't seen before. Just keep in mind that tungsten carbide has much lower impact resistance compared to heat treatable steels, which is what most hammers are made of. Thanks for showing such an interesting tool, I hope it helps out as much as it should. (:

[@seth424]

Never thought to try this. I'm definitely curious to see where this goes.

[@Rsama60]

I am using this method since my apprenticeship as a tool and dye maker back in the late 1970s. In the mold shop we used this to straighten thin componets used in the mold cavities. During thst time I made a couple of similar ball hammers using bearing balls (5 mm and 8 mm balls) I still have them and started to use them when I started making knives about 12 years ago. I do not agree that ist must be tungsten carbide, hammers using bearing bearing balls will just work fine. But I agree that ball peen hammers you buy in hardware stores, like the one you used to make yours are too soft to do this job, those hammers will deform. About two years ago I made a straightening hammer with a flat carbide piece that is formed like the hammer of an impact testing machine. The hammer is light but created a pretty aggresive notch that straightens fast (I think Japanese use hammers like this). I also saw the same video and made hammer with a 10 mm carbide ball. Now a have the full arsenal in my shop. One last comment, I never had any luck straighteing blades using the other methods shown. As said above I use hammers exclusively and never had a broken blade.

[@stop8738]

Dude your personality is amazing. You’re clearly a cheerful and happy human doing what makes you feel good in life, bravo. Your joy radiates through my screen. 🙌❤

[@daedalus-N7]

Honestly blew my mind how you hammered the wooden handle back in.

[@soulmate1730]

Thats the only thing im thinking about

[@Stays1mpleayden]

Science

[@peltiereric6497]

Do you not have a Tig Welder in your Arsenal of tools? There’s really good bronze Tig welding rods you can use for securing something like this project, Silicon Bronze is a good one but personally I like Aluminum Bronze Tig Rods best for securing dissimilar materials like that

[@Kazner0h]

Thank you for explaining it too!

[@charlesballiet7074]

thank you for talking about this

[@davidgillies620]

I don't know if this is still the case, but propeller shafts for ships used to be peened in by hand to straighten them.

[@bjrn-oskarrnning2740]

Huh, I've seen a lot of silly hammers on KZbin, but this actually seems very useful! Thanks for the tip!

[@steveballzack1409]

I made one of these after seeing OUTDOOR55's video. Works exactly as described and makes straightening really easy and quick. Definitely beats waiting around for hours and crossing your fingers hoping that a shim temper will work. I had three warped blades that had been sitting around for years unfinished, which had already spent hours and hours clamped in the oven. I got them all straightened in a few minutes with the hammer. The stress of the quench will now be a thing of the past for me.

[@JohnDoe-ls2ww]

I too ordered a pack of the carbide balls as soon as I finished watching Outdoors55’s video

[@theeddorian]

I had never heard this trick applied to knives. It is an old and well known method straightening saw blades that have developed a slight bend. With a saw a regular ball peen hammer works.

[@rafaeltrentin320]

I use this method about 8 years, its by far the best way to straight a warped blade, takes less than 5 minutes and rarely you screw up. Using a tungsten ball is defenily the best way to build this tool, but if anyone wanna try this method you can easily do a simple and cheap tool using some spring steel, make something like a welding hammer with a 5mm point, quench the point and dont temper, it will work for almost any steels we use on knife making. i use this cheap solution for 8 years, here in Brazil this method became popular from the tips of Luciano Dorneles JS.

[@Emanemoston]

First little machine shop I worked in, we made these rings, about 13” in diameter. Some of these would move out of round when we cut them off. We would set those aside and once a month this old machinist would come in and set to work on them with a ball peen hammer. Peening them back into tolerance. Amazing.

[@BeHeaven616]

You look and sound so happy while talking

[@jasonwhite2028]

Im glad you were able to repurpose this beautiful old hammer

[@stephenjohnson6841]

Another awesome project and great explanation! Thanks again!

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

I'm curious why you didn't finish drilling the hole with a standard pointed drill bit to avoid having an air pocket in your flat bottom hole? It's amazing what a carbide tip can do.

[@djwindkind]

So much joy and childish purity in your eyes! 🤩

[@andy4an]

the materials science behind this is so obvious in retrospect, but i'd never have thought of this

[@BulatsSchmiede]

Hi @Black beard projects!Nice work man !Thank you for showing!Greeting Bulat the Blacksmith from germany 😊🤙

[@vermillionwarrior3968]

I love any solution that only requires a single hand tool. Great technique.

[@Felenari]

Good watch ty. I'm going to have to make one of these now...

[@peraz968]

Wow! This was new and interesting news for me. Thank you very much, I really appreaciate it! Never be too old to learn something new as they say..👍

[@j.m.k.3406]

Thanks Black Beard

[@mythicchimera]

I came onto this channel expecting Dwarfposting content. Not quite, but that beard is as magnificent as I expected.

[@Raschdy93]

Beautiful! Thank you for this awesom video😁

[@bruceinaustin]

Thanks for explaining. I always DV videos with fingers and hands trying to communicate with the viewer. Up-Vote.

[@b2bogster]

Very interesting! I'll have to try this thank you.

[@stromnessboy5171]

Excellent video, and very interesting explanation. Thanks!

[@mndlessdrwer]

You can also use ground down tungsten carbide cutting inserts to create something similar to a cross-peen hammer.

[@bv1726]

I YT algorithm finally offered you up. Maybe it is because I watch OUTDOORS55. Anyway, thanks for sharing your skills and personality.

[@natr0n]

Nipple tip. Nice work.

[@josephcormier5974]

Well if you need it then build it this is the way. Six stars sir

[@nikkihavers6432]

Love the tool and the explanation

[@dixonqwerty]

Wow I had no idea you could straighten a hardened blade. Thought it would snap i half!

[@MrPruske]

Cool info and technique!

[@Enigma-Sapiens]

Awesome how & why to video, thank you!

[@I_Thought_You_Had_It]

Really cool to learn about this

[@vinceianni4026]

Good job mister well done

[@GyprockGypsy]

Neat. I always wondered what exactly Giant Blacksmith was doing in Dark Souls.

[@figloalds]

Good video man, so good

[@motionsick]

Awesome I had seen the other video. Nice tool!

[@ypaulbrown]

fanatic video.......cheers from the US, Paul

[@Tom-hz9oc]

Great job, it’s quite inventive!

[@doglegjake6788]

Excellent video

[@davidallred9143]

Nice job! Best Channel on KZbin!

[@HPDrifter2]

Watch out for fragments.

[@Tyrinath]

Mmmm, clever, satisfying knowledge.

[@mmbuster2009]

Thank you!

[@JimFleming1953]

An unrelated benefit to this carbide ball installation on a ball peen hammer would be that you get a true hammer tone finish if you peen the entire surface of the metal you're working on. Note that a true hammer toning takes a lot of time and skill to do well.

[@TheHookBoy]

The real answer is because it’s my favorite metal. Hell, I even have a Sandrin Dellatorre because I love tungsten.

[@freddy_theknifeguy6007]

when i make make i make the hole slightly undersized and pressed in the ball. no brazing required.

[@BrianHurry]

Super good video

[@wesleycatlett9144]

I REALLY wanted to see you press fit that ball. At least before brazing it to seal the deal. Cool stuff, though!

[@jonashofer3695]

That's a cool looking torch. Any details on it would be appreciated. Thanks

[@Scrap5000]

Soooo many Forged in Fire contestants are kicking themselves so hard right now

[@Dude-xv4os]

I own a spyderco s110v manix 2. Blade measured at 64HRC! Hella hard.

[@nathkrupa3463]

Awesome idea bro you are fantastic 👏 😊

[@minnesotatomcat]

Cuntston Tongueglide for the dyslexic among us 🤣

[@MASI_forging]

Nice work dude 😍😍

[@lymanw.-nf8bw]

Thanks

[@thekevorlando]

Plus you can also use it for decorative dimples in the middle correct

[@user-hd4wf5gq8r]

At first I was like “damn congrats you made an oversized glass breaker” and then the explanation came and I was like ohhhh

[@Austinificationify]

Do you use the hammer before or after tempering the blade ?

[@sem4710]

Do you think this tool would work on carbon steel skillets that got to hot on one point and because of this its not flat anymore?

[@2000freefuel]

Electrolysis rust removal for the win!

[@davidmartin2626]

When that tungsten carbon tip shatters someone's going to lose an eye

[@samuelschwammel5482]

i admire you for using that wire brush machine, i put that thing on an angle grinder and almost lost the skin on my hand trying to polish a knife with it. Ever since then im scared shitless of any brush using wires.

[@Takenmynameandmycat]

Dear god, wear your eye protection, and use a guard on the wheel. I was acquaintances with a an art student that specialized in metal sculpture. He had a wheel shed, and he ended up with a wire lodged in his forehead.

[@samuelschwammel5482]

@@Takenmynameandmycat a cutting wheel off an angle grinder once bopped me in the head, extremely lucky because it hit me flat on and just kinda slapped me, eye protection cant protect you from that XD. But good point, wouldnt want a wire in my eye.

[@madsromlund3835]

Allso, its never a good idea, nomatter how uneasy it might feel, to wear gloves while using wire or buffing wheels! I cringe whenever i see gloved hands NEAR wire wheels! The wheel will, if it comes in contack with the cloth, grab onto it like hell, and rip your hand into it!! Might seem counterintuitive to NOT wear hand protection, but ill take riped to shit skin over a mangled hand any day!

[@willbibbee338]

Also watch any baggy shirts around those wire wheels. Had a scare with one on an angle grinder. I was lucky my shirt was so big it wrapped all the way around the wheel and protected my skin from the wheel and it burnt out the motor.

[@Woodburnworks]

where do you get those gloves? i used to get some similar when working at john deere hitachi, best gloves ive ever had

[@fredb7814]

Made one like it a while ago...but used a brass hammer ....easier to drill....works fine .....

[@ronanlyons5525]

Very interesting and quite genious

[@VEC7ORlt]

I don't think you do, but you did it anyhow.

[@fernandotrevinocastro1018]

1:49 that audio, velvet to my ears

[@mred8002]

I was curious if the hammer weight was still sufficient after removal of the large piece, but it seems to work for the purpose. It’s not like you heed the mass when the impact is focussed by the small ball. Impressive.

[@pr0faker]

you really don't need any heavy impact at all, its very light that does the job already.

[@nickpower2623]

It won’t last long Carbide tungsten is a brittle material! That means that impulse load aren’t good for it and hammers work with impulse Won’t last long

[@hullinstruments]

I wonder if it builds up stresses or tension in the finished blade?

[@jpeero]

QUESTION: if steel loses its temper from heat, why are things that are welded or heated not re-tempered? thank you

[@traviscagle436]

Using this hammer on knife blades before bevel process can induce stress in the material but definitely helps

[@user-fr2xm7wt7b]

what did he use to weld the tungsten ball to the hammer?

[@akselbering291]

Wont the blade go right back to being curvy when your grind away the stretching marks? Your removing the material you've used to create additional internal stress, once it's gone what will still be making blade straight?

[@jeetjeetly]

Very curious how long that will last before the ball starts to inset

[@aycfes2891]

a carbide hammer sounds like both a great and a horrible idea i like it

[@ragnarokstravius2074]

I think you should stamp a 2023 over that 1943 mark on the side. Maybe with a "revamped" stamp beside it. And when 2043 comes by, stamp 2043.

[@MegaEvoluzione]

Won't the heat from the blowtorch soften the tungsten carbide?

[@mrstephenporter]

Hey man, thanks for the video. i have been trying to make two of these but having trouble drilling the pocket for the bearing, i will try an end mill as it might have a better chance of cutting the hardened hammer. can you send me a link for the 10mm bearing? all i could find was 3/8". thanks, Sperrin knives

[@johnjohnson643]

Hahaha cool, exact same story 🙂 i saw Alex do it and did it his way, when i saw you heat the ball i thought it would get soft. Looked it up and it needs 1200 C to soften, so you were not near that! I also saw some guy selling them for 125 dollars??? Ball, hammer and some time....... crazy expensive! And sell it to people who are working with metal??? Mystery to me! Anyway....... thanks man and have a great weekend! 🙂

[@H3liosphan]

I thought the same, the problem is the Tungsten ended up glowing orange hot, so I'm sure some of the toughness was removed - on the plus side, probably made it less brittle

[@Kieselmeister]

​@@H3liosphantungsten carbide is a ceramic, and the actual material is tungsten carbide powder held together by metal "matrix"(usually cobalt based). The hardness of the carbide grains aren't altered by any heat treatment, because there are no phase changes below it's melting point. There could have been some minor effect on the matrix if the matrix material has a phase change, but the material is specifically chosen to not have that property,

[@user-neo71665]

Drill a hole in the other side and thread it to hold a soft face. Two birds with one hammer

[@nocturnalverse5739]

Metal workers are fucking wizards.

[@tylerwhales]

The gloves near the wire wheel made my cheeks clench 😬. Stay safe!

[@mattyal9347]

I like it but why not put it on a air chisel?