DIY Aluminum Bronze Hammer: Golden hammer for Black Smithing

Today I take the aluminum bronze ingots I made in a previous video ( • The Bronze Alloy as To... ) and turn it into a glorious golden aluminum bronze hammer! I made my own handle as well. Total do-it-yourself style, every single part was made by me, including the fire brick furnace and propane burner. On an unrelated note, it all looks a bit sketchy, and you probably shouldn't try this at home...
Want to learn sand casting using your 3D printer? I can teach you!: paulsmakeracad...
I'm doing this alongside fellow youtuber SWDweeb / swdweeb
SWDweeb's Hammer video can be found here: • Casting an aluminum br...
Go tell him I sent you. I've seen his hammer, it looks awesome. You won't be disappointed.
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Music: "Quirky Dog" by Kevin MacLeod. incompetech.com/
#metalcasting #foundry #forge

[@PaulsGarage]

Want to use your 3D printer to learn Sand Casting in your home shop? paulsmakeracademy.mykajabi.com/joinus

[@JoyeuseCurtana]

Fortune Teller: "I see you... I see your garage... I see a lot of spring clamps... Jesus that's a lot of spring clamps..."

[@mhypersonic]

LMAO!🤣🤣🤣 I WAS SO SHOOK WHEN HE JUMPCUTTED TO HALF THE LENGTH WITH SPRING CLAMPS! That's like $100 worth of spring clamp

[@ollieholman696]

Hi can I ask What type of sand do you use?

[@Batmanderp38]

Some might say “it’s hammer time” *sigh*

[@zombieprinting2670]

LMAO Get screwed Poplar Lol

[@1pcfred]

We'll have to see how it works out for you but usually the transition from the eye to the handle itself is more of a radius than a step on hammer handles. That is because it is a common point of failure with hammer handles. So the sharp corner is a stress point. I know I've certainly broken more than my fair share of hammer handles right there. Also the neck of a hammer handle is to reduce the shock from traveling to you. With your straight handle you're going to get the full effect. Once I opened up a tree branch and found a hammer handle inside of it i.imgur.com/Yqsap43.jpg Magic!

[@PaulsGarage]

That’s interesting, thanks for the info! I’m sure this walnut/maple handle won’t last forever, I’ll have a chance for a second attempt. I had some hickory I thought about using, but that stuff is so hard I didn’t want to screw up my chisels and stuff. I always have to resharpen after hickory.

[@Lurker1979]

Now you can play wack a mole! :)

[@ColonelRPG]

I don't understand how you got your wife to fall for you without your beard. The world is bonkers.

[@ColonelRPG]

Scratch that, I totally get it, you're awesome :)

[@dfross87]

Every man is more awesome when he has a beard.

[@taitelennox4514]

very true

[@TrojanHorse1959]

"Tappie-Tap-Tap" LOL! Have you been watching AvE too? Nice Bammer too!

[@AlumiTube]

Great!!!!!! Good video paul, fun to watch...

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed :D. Aluminum bronze is awesome

[@swdweeb]

I've been waiting all week for this :-D Nice job!

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! You too!

[@shonaoneill5151]

swdweeb Unlucky fella, what happened to your hammer was a shame. My vote would have still been with this hammer simply because it is a more functional smithing type hammer, in my eyes. I definitely use this type of hammer more in my shop than I would a ball pein. However yours was a great attempt....obviously not your fault it turned out like that, just really unlucky. Still, I like your channel and am a sub 😀

[@SweMisterB]

Watched SWDweeb's Hammer video, and while his clearly is "prettier", it's unusable, while yours is made to be, and most likely will be, used & abused. In my book that makes you the winner. Even if you are nuts.

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! Being nuts helps for sure. BTW he redid the casting in a later video and it turned out better

[@GunnySGT1911]

Love your captions. Great video, semi informative and fun to watch. Nice to see someone else learning as they go and not taking themselves too seriously. Now I want to check out more of your videos.

[@PaulsGarage]

Glad to hear it, hope you enjoy them

[@gilberttorres2002]

You are rapidly becoming my favorite channel. Well, favorite "metal working stuffages" channel. Thanks for the great video!

[@KeeperofTheMountain]

I know very little about casting but, I do know a little about making videos. Nice job! It was very watchable. No shaky cam, no pointless rambling and quite informative. I enjoyed watching it.

[@PaulsGarage]

Oh i love pointless rambling, there just wasnt as much as usual in this particular video

[@MrCalypso84]

you could try to cast a stump anvil next.

[@PaulsGarage]

That would be pretty cool. Golden anvil!

[@istp1967]

Yep, Too True; my wife fairly bitch-slapped me when she saw me working on the car with my wedding ring still on! 😆🤣🤣🤣😅😂🙃

[@mindofmadness5593]

"Where were *you* when I was doing this? Hmmm?" lol. Better answer than I give to my wife when she complains about how I did something 'Is there anything else I can do wrong just to piss you off?'.

[@PaulsGarage]

Lol I wouldn’t say that to my wife or I’d be sleeping in my garage! :D

[@anthonyturton8091]

thank you. I enjoyed that .( not just because you remind me of Pinback from Dark Star (in a good way ))

[@ezekielbreedlove7698]

Your ratio is way off because you’re doing it by weight instead of volume!

[@teh0theif]

Nice hammer! Another reason for the taper getting thicker away from the head is sweat. When you are forging, you sweat, sweat makes hand slippery slippery hands and smooth handle = hammer flying away. (I've been a part time black smith for ~9 years)

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks for the tip! Makes sense.

[@eugenetan7323]

Quick question is aluminum bronze viable for a forging hammer ? Wont it melt once it makes repeated contact with the hot steel?

[@drewfausett5388]

Hey, two pieces of dark wood and one light one in the center... that looks oddly familiar! I’m totally taking credit for inspiring it with my hatchet handle. :)

[@RMoribayashi]

Yours is better. It looks like it belongs in blacksmith's shop next to the forge. If SWDweeb wanted a ball-peen hammer he should have just picked one up at his local Wall-Mart.

[@BUZZKILLJRJR]

For hammer Handel length i use Elbow tip to the your first inside finger knuckle, not the knuckle join touching your palm, the one after so your fingers can go over the top a little bit.

[@PaulsGarage]

interesting, thanks for the tip! I actually have to make a new handle for this hammer. I was using it as a pry bar and broke the head off. Woops!

[@_emory]

I’m about to do my first casting and found your videos, I love the laidback, “happy accidents” style. Really encouraging and inspirational

[@PaulsGarage]

Good luck! If you have your own happy accidents, just don't get discouraged. Stay safe and try again.

[@_emory]

@@PaulsGarage your channel is super helpful in not getting discouraged, it’s really cool to see someone just trying what they want to. Mistakes will be made surely lol but that’s how we learn

[@TuxedoDIY]

Love your videos, so please don't think I'm being "that guy"... but... It's been irking me that your burner is red hot when you remove it from the forge. I thought the burner flare must be removed because the forge should be providing the Eddy Currents, not the flare. But when it's not in the forge you need the flare to create the Eddy Currents... please tell me I'm wrong :/ Nice hammer BTW!

[@mrgreenswelding2853]

"The harder it is the better it is" that what she said !! Lol!! Man you have some clamps!!

[@PaulsGarage]

Giggity. Yes lots of clamps!

[@tosselton291]

When making the cope and drag always cut a keyway to stop the sand from dropping out I learned that quick!

[@phillhuddleston9445]

So that's why Home Depot was out of spring clamps.

[@steveaubinofangers7391]

I just made out your wedding picture ! Wow, you had some golden locks didn't you. Cheers.

[@PaulsGarage]

Still do! Just have it pulled back now

[@valerytozer]

If Jamie and Adam Savage had a baby this guy would be it! He looks like them both LOL it's Kool. And that's a good 🔨 for your first one.

[@PaulsGarage]

Those guys are pretty awesome, it would be great to meet them for sure

[@leonruvalcaba1549]

Adam and jaime dieded long ago, and took the mythbusters program to the grave.

[@backintheworkshop954]

9:00 "...can't touch this..." 🤣 Wow I'm 2yrs behind... someone must have said that gag already

[@heathhinkle3833]

swdweeb's hammer looks nicer but yours is functional nice job keep up the great work. Also thanks for introducing us to swdweeb's channel.

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! He's got some good stuff over there

[@Argosh]

The long handle was perfect for a warhammer!

[@Dsquadrant]

Hey man check out The golden tomahawk that Backyard Casting made, Pretty sweet and I'd like to see your version.

[@ruvyfpv4398]

Do you mind sharing the files for the hammer and the core? Great video by the way!!

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

subbed because good fashion sense. three, four layers with the slick af coat? looks solid.

[@PaulsGarage]

As a bonus, that jacket is long and made of wool. Wool is fire resistant. Long means it covers my legs. If I spilled the bronze, the jacket would protect my shins from spatter

[@mman6283]

Best commentary ever

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks!

[@crashwelder5337]

can you forge AlBr? how else would you work with it?

[@WilliamTMusil]

Tappy tap tap ... sounds familiar ... :-D

[@PaulsGarage]

I learned it at the Cockford Ollie school of hammer handling...

[@WilliamTMusil]

Cockford Ollie is a good place to learn to handle one's hammer.

[@KK-xz4rk]

Your lingo is all wrong. Its not a hammer it is a thumb detector. Back to school.

[@vmitchinson]

AvE

[@BLDROFREAL]

"Give it a little tap tap taparoo" - Happy Gilmore

[@jboshoff4048]

Found your channel by accident quite funny sir great work keep on doing it. Subbed

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! Glad you enjoy

[@mindofmadness5593]

Oh and the hammer looks good. Wrap the handle in some rabbit fur and rename your channel "Paul's Bronze-Age Garage" [[did they have garages in the bronze age? They had wagons. And horses IIRC. Maybe they needed a place to feed the horse something for more HORSEPOWER! ]]

[@jgclark45]

how much does the hammer head weigh? I really like your handle, see you at Roy's tonite

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! It’s about 2lbs for the hammer head, maybe a little more. Not much heavier than Roy’s, I think he said his is 1 3/4 pounds.

[@itanc1]

I like your style of humorous slight self deprecation dood. But know this, for a first time not only with Ali bronze but also making a hammer, your work has definitely inspired me to copy you. I had a steel hammer of this shape once and miss it dearly so to have one (or actually a whole family) in bronze will be a real treat. I think you would be well advised to make a pouring shank and a pair of crucible tongs. I assure you it makes the pour much easier. Nice one fella👍👍

[@tannerrienbolt5248]

Good content plus funny commentary gained you a sub my man lol

[@WarpedLegacy]

I knew that was based off Roys hammer from the thumbnail, glad you proved me right! Why ever measure anything!( I will contradict that statement in one of my videos soon...lol). STOP TOUCHING THE HOT METAL..... unless you are trying to remove your fingerprints...... then go for it... Define Your Legacy!!!!

[@PaulsGarage]

I only burned off my fingerprints a *little* bit, no worries

[@spudnickuk]

nice hammer casting, here is a tp for how long a handle could be for the operator Add an inch to the weight ratio , meaning a 16 oz hammer head would be 16 inches long + the thickness of the hammer for the handle. This is not an absolute solution as there ain't one but it is good.

[@stevenaubin3362]

Wow. It's really cool. Perfect blacksmith hammer from Skyrim..... Lol. Your friggin hilarious Brahhh.

[@drprepper4393]

Hammer handle length (I was taught) and has always worked well for me: Measure the length from your hammer arm elbow to the wrist bend (I measure just passed that little wrist bone spur that juts out on the at the wrist on top of the hand). SemperFi bb

[@mhypersonic]

12:21 it was a this moment i fucking lost it!😂😂😂THATS LIKE A 100$ OF SPRING CLAMPS LMAO!

[@mylarhyrule904]

Check into adding a little nickel to the mix, and mold vertical so any shrinkage can be cleaned up easier!! Great job!

[@thecrudelab3204]

And you can separate the copper and aluminium from a solution of copper sulphate and electrolysis to make copper metal crystals and left over aluminium...

[@MathieuB05]

Thanks for sharing your endeavour! Really enjoyed the video.

[@al9094]

I like your channel .content great. Conversation is one sided only cause you can't hear me. Lol ok if you measure a frame hammer handle that feels good to you then thats how long you make the new one.then chock up on it like most people do.

[@laidbackleny]

Make Coins! In Australia we have $1 & $2 gold coins made from Aluminum Bronze

[@deantape2759]

ehhh im here thinking you're going through all this to make a soft but heavy hammer to not dent steel parts when hammering instead of using a copper one from a store but then you start trying to harden the surface. whats this thing even for?

[@maxdystopia674]

I was interested in the vid,.....but 2 mins in , I got annoyed by the noise coming outta this guys face hole,......I watched the rest on mute.

[@2kwwelding479]

Honestly the ther guys hammer looked "prettier" or whatever but its looks like a legit forging hammer xD so I like this one better out of the two is

[@LittleMikeStarCraft]

I really like your videos so far; you seem like you're having fun. I'd love to get as far to casting. I am still trying to get enough heat to melt stuff.

[@PlayNowWorkLater]

I know this is 5 years too late, but I’m voting for your hammer. Swdweeb’s may be prettier but yours is functional. And your video made me laugh more. Bonus points for your sense of humour. Cheers dude!

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! My hammer isn't exactly functional anymore. The hammer head is just fine but I broke the handle off of it trying to use it as a crowbar. Whoopsy.

[@Zorgoban]

So... You're putting your sandbox on the top shelf so you won't have to share it with the kids?

[@ezekielbreedlove7698]

Your ratio is way off because you’re doing it by weight instead of volume!

[@fubar5656]

I like your core idea for the hammer head. I don't have a 3d printer so I wrapped the hammer handle in tin foil and filled it with plaster and sand. Same idea I guess but it was my poor man's way of doing it. Worked well for the axe I casted. Can't wait to see some of your forge videos!

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! I'll get to forging one of these days, once i find an anvil shaped object

[@steveaubinofangers7391]

Again the ratio of this cast based off your original video's weights and mixture is. 91.2% copper at 1,471.056grams, and 8.8% Aluminum at 142 your scale 141.944 grams. ;)-""". Cheers!

[@steveaubinofangers7391]

Aaaaand you added copper

[@andreascj73]

You do know that you can get an electronic calculator to help you out? You can even have one on your smartphone.

[@guyfawkes8716]

I searched for professional, scripted videos of best case project results but found this instead. It's pretty much exactly how I do things, so I kinda like it. It's better for DIY/Novices to see how things work in reality and if you're a pro, you're prolly not watching the channel. Subscribed after second video.

[@PaulsGarage]

thanks! This is a pretty old video, i make nicer things now lol! I actually have to remake this hammer. I broke the handle prying on something with it and the hammer head is done pretty poorly since I didn't know anything about gating techniques. This is definitely a "novice" type video lol

[@mikearmstrong7830]

Ask your wife how long your handle should be. I didn't say you have to believe her.

[@silassalazar7548]

should probly wear a respirator of some kind, copper and aluminum fumes are no joke

[@Darthmental-g4t]

Make almost all my handles the legnth of my forearm

[@James-yl6zm]

I like his better. Dweeb wins. SWDWEEB is best. You loose the competition.

[@NormReitzel]

If you re planning on doing mostly copper castings, go buy some 7% phosphorus Copper shot. It will reduce dross, and help (a lot) in the fluidity of the liquid metal. A little bit goes a long way.

[@PaulsGarage]

For sure. I got some about a year ago and the difference is crazy. Tiny bit of the stuff does wonders

[@greghumble7306]

Thinking of doing the same. Love the initial D ae86 towards the end 😊

[@LongTrout]

Dude I've watch a few of your videos. You remind me of my friend John Paul who I miss dearly. I didn't think you were capable of making a quality hammer. I am impressed. Cool

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! It's debatable weather or not this counts as "quality" lol it does work but it's ugly. I had no idea how to do proper gating when I made this. Someday I'll make another one but do a better job of it.

[@trullshatchfarm2471]

Great vid - though you should not have straight shouldered the handle - that is where it will fail

[@ryannu1578]

You should make the rock splitting spikes and split a large rock or small boulder

[@jasonlabonte1073]

Great video ... better if you were not trying to be funny and definitely less rambling

[@broadusthompson1666]

There’s a kind of important hammer design feature you missed and that is that the eyes aren’t straight through in cross section, they’re an hour glass shape, slightly smaller in the center of the hole than top and bottom. This way when you put in the wedges the handle expands and gets locked in place. You should also avoid tenon like shoulders at the bottom of the eye, they’re a weak point and never seat as perfectly as a taper does into the eye. Also handle length is really just personal preference, but I like as long as my fore arm, about as long as that handle is. Mistake aside awesome job for your first hammer!

[@PaulsGarage]

Didn’t know that, thanks for the info! I can always widen it a bit with a Dremel at some point I suppose

[@Kurogane_666]

I can't believe this was posted on my birthday last year hahah, I got a question, would you rather aluminum bronze or brass ? I mean for weight and casting, I have a project I'm working on, it's a reciever for a shotgun, an old one that was my dad's, I want to copy it and cast it golden and engrave images one it, which would you suggest?

[@PaulsGarage]

Brass is easier to cast, aluminum bronze is tougher. No idea how it works in a shotgun though

[@wijpke]

At what percentage of copper does the alloy look yellow?

[@p3asant]

why not mount the pattern on a 5mm board with a couple of locating pins on the core box

[@CPUDOCTHE1]

It is hard to have too many tools, but you definitely have too many spring clamps. I would have left the handle long. That way, if you were ever blacksmithing in a group, you could have occasionally whacked what ever your neighbor was forging. I do like the two tone handle.

[@PaulsGarage]

You can never have too many clamps! I have probably 3 times that many lol. I can always make a longer handle again, it was fun making the handle.

[@JointerMark]

Nicely done Paul. About how much does the hammer weigh? It has been far too cold to fire up my furnace so casting is on hold here for a bit. Yes greensand dies freeze when it's -30C.

[@PaulsGarage]

The hammer head is a little over 2 lbs, not too far above my initial goal. -30c sounds pretty bad!

[@joetuinstra455]

You will have to make sodium silicate next summer. It's easy and pretty cheap to make with kitty litter. Or you know it's the stuff in radiator stop leak that stops it from leaking. We filled a few large empty alcohol bottles full last summer for projects. It's great stuff to just have around.

[@PaulsGarage]

I got some kitty litter, sounds like a fun project

[@stephen33]

over all nice hammer, I would like to see the peen made correctly. The shoulder that you put on the handle could cause a split. It would help the hammer if you soak the head in linseed oil over night. The only problem with the metal that your using is the temper properties. Over the working life of your hammer, it will become work hardened, so you will have to retemper it occasionally.

[@PaulsGarage]

I'm hoping it does harden, nobody likes a soft hammer ;)

[@Zillustration]

Nicely done! That petrobond is pretty impressive! I was concerned about a collapse once the flow pressure hit it, but great to see it held. Great job, Paulie!

[@PaulsGarage]

I was happy it worked! I don’t have any sodium silicate, not time to get any for this project

[@1pcfred]

I guess now you know that you don't need sodium silicate? Petrobond is good stuff. I've heard you can make it yourself with 2 cycle oil.

[@jonhatton2417]

So my dad is a blacksmith, a good hammer handle will be a size where the tips of your fingers will jus barely touch your palm. If you bought a handle it will need to be custom shaped to fit your hand. So you really aren’t out that much. Also a hammer head will greatly outlast a handle so you may need to do this again in a few years.

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks for the tips! I didn’t know that about handles.

[@Robc509]

Dude I found your channel last night and so glad I did. You are really good. Just enough fun and seriousness for my liking! I like that you are a real person like most of us where things might not go perfectly but we make the best of it. Really enjoying watching these videos. Thanks

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks! Glad you enjoy the videos. Personally im not a fan of the super polished “everything goes perfectly” type of videos. Id rather see what actually happens

[@fireandcopper]

Indeed it was, a stupid hammer joke. I chuckled and cringed, was that what you were shooting for?

[@PaulsGarage]

That’s EXACTLY what I was going for

[@chrisrey9644]

Sorry, late to the game but I love your sense of humor and subbed!

[@bbrown9763]

What is all of the cool translucent stuff on your bookshelf??

[@ColonelRPG]

Oh, and by the way, if you want to know what you're Copper to Alluminium ratio is, all you need is Archimedes' help :) Should be an interesting thing to do, although of course you don't need to do it with the hammerhead because that would require disassembling the hammer.

[@PaulsGarage]

Right! It wouldn’t be too hard to figure out the density and extrapolate the alloy. Would be fun.

[@donogoobo9992]

If you were born a hammer, then the whole world looks like a nail.

[@jbwelch89]

happy marriage tip always show off your wedding photos.....saved me lol great photo though il admit the model car got my attention lol love the hammer man turned out amazing

[@PaulsGarage]

Good plan! I don’t have a beard in those pics though, it’s terrible!

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

4:22 you're not sorry enough to move the camera for the second one it's a golden hammer. even a bad golden hammer is a good hammer I just hope it's good enough that it won't shatter and do hurtful things to your face. or fly off the handle

[@PaulsGarage]

Haha not sorry enough to move the camera indeed!

[@donnykiofetzis5775]

yeap his hammer is better ! well done your hammer is beautiful

[@TheMetalerMan]

Very well done I have seen both hammers and both have good and bad point. But as long as you had fun marking them that’s all that that matters

[@PaulsGarage]

I'll have fun using it, too :D

[@WayneEarls]

You said hammer.

[@brianknickerbocker8518]

When I first started getting into casting I found a guy to crazy cool stuff that you might be interested in, his youtube name is myfordboy

[@PaulsGarage]

I know that guy, yeah his stuff is great

[@thegreenxeno9430]

Why is there a hole in the wall behind yoru workbench?

[@archangel20031]

Next time use a piece of 3/4" copper pipe for the risers, they cut into the sand rather than push into it. Also, head over to your local scrap metal center and ask them to shoot your ingots with their radiation gun and it will give you the alloy content %.

[@PaulsGarage]

good idea, chances are good i have lots of impurities in there

[@archangel20031]

I priced one of those guns and wont be buying one with out winning the lottery! When I had the small amount of beautiful Golden Aluminum Bronze I made (2 large but not topped off muffin tin molds worth), when they were "shot" for content, it showed 98.24% Copper, .96% Tin, .207% lead and 0% Aluminum even though 25% of what I put in the crucible was aluminum and only raw copper! I did remove with a grinder any evidence of solder off of any of the copper pieces, and that mold is used for everything I cast into ingots, Aluminum, Lead, Pewter, so there could be a slight residue. Oh, and one of the Aluminum Bronze ingots did braze itself to the bottom of one mold so the mold had to be destroyed to get the ingot out, and the shrinkage was huge, as in it left a deep crater and a deep hole in the center of each ingot!