Sheet metal shaping involves bending and smoothing the metal using techniques like sinking or lifting. A honing hammer smooths the metal, while a planing hammer and stake work out imperfections. Modern planing hammers are motorized and used for shaping various metals. Small anvils replace honing stakes, and modern planer hammers can smooth steel up to 18 gauge.
The sheet metal shaping process involves several steps of shaping and bending the metal until the desired shape becomes apparent. After several instances of sinking or lifting, two of the techniques used to shape sheet metal, the metal itself will hold the overall shape of the desired finished product, but these processes cause several ridges and dings in the metal. Therefore, the metal must be smoothed using a honing hammer; this process smoothes the metal and gives the final product a solid shape and finish.
A planing hammer is a flat or slightly curved hammer that is used in conjunction with a planing stake. A leveling stake is a solid metal post that must be bolted into the ground to provide stability. Its upper end is formed from a ball or other smooth, curved surface. The metal product is placed on the sanding post and the sanding hammer is struck against the metal product to work out ridges and other imperfections. A series of soft strokes works best, as hitting the product too hard will cause dimpling.
The planing hammer was most often used in medieval times to make armor for knights. Today, the process of using a honing hammer and honing stake is somewhat outdated, although it is still used. Today, most planing hammers are motorized and/or pneumatic, which speeds up the process considerably. They can shape, form, smooth, or stretch sheet metal, aluminum, copper, brass, and other metals. Common applications for the face hammer today are modeling of airplane parts, auto body parts, motorcycle tanks and fenders, and other custom settings where metal shaping is required.
Another type of planing hammer is operated by a foot pedal. This is a free-standing, non-powered honing hammer controlled by a foot pedal that allows the user to maintain the use of both hands to drive the metal through the hammering process, as opposed to the medieval process which required the person honing to hold the metal with one hand and the planing hammer with the other. Some modern planer hammers can smooth steel up to 18 gauge, and planer hammers can be useful for smoothing welds and panel camber.
Small anvils are used in place of the honing stake on modern honing hammers. Anvils come in a variety of sizes, the most common of which are one inch (2.54 cm), two inch (5.08 cm), and three inch (7.62 cm). Resurfacing hammers today range in price from $100 USD to $800-900 USD.
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