How to Use a Chasing Hammer: Part 1 - Learn to use the planishing face of your chasing hammer

Рет қаралды 13,002

Күн бұрын

In today's video, we're going to talk about how to use a chasing hammer. I find that this simple tool is one of the most misunderstood tools in many beginner wire weavers' toolboxes. So, I'm going to dispel some myths today while helping you master this amazing little tool.
I use my chasing hammer for two aspects of making wire jewelry: planishing, which is the technique I use for flattening and shaping wire. And peening, which is a texturing technique. Today's video concentrates on the planishing technique.
Grab my free Chasing Hammer Tip Sheet here: door44studios.com/how-to-use-...
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series where we'll dive deep into the art of using a chasing hammer. Be sure to watch for Part 2 where we'll talk about texturing wire with the ball peen face of a chasing hammer.
This video and/or description may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). To learn more, please see my full disclaimer: door44studios.com/disclaimer/
🛒 SHOP THIS VIDEO:
The links below are for the same chasing hammer and bench block that I use:
○ Chasing Hammer: amzn.to/3olKAGZ
○ Bench Block: amzn.to/2SJUlmG
⏱TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - How to Use a Chasing Hammer for Planishing
01:17 - Use the Right Tool for the Job
07:00 - Anatomy of a Chasing Hammer
09:45 - Learn to Feel Springback
11:06 - How to Tell If Your Hammer Has a Domed Surface
13:51 - How to Hold a Chasing Hammer
14:38 - Exercise 1: Practice Your Grip
16:01 - Finding the Right Hand Position
18:47 - Gauge Force with a Test Stroke
20:11 - The "J" Stroke (Drawing Stroke)
21:34 - Bonus Tip: How to Reduce Hammer Noise
22:13 - Paddling Wire Ends with a Chasing Hammer
25:01 - Shaping Curves with a Chasing Hammer
🔗 OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:
Do you want to master the art of creating jewelry with wire?
📙 Download my FREE Jewelry Wire Reference Guide! 📙
🔗 door44studios.ck.page/82fdc57bc5
You'll learn:
○ What types of wire work best for making jewelry
○ Why I use copper wire almost exclusively
○ Where to buy high-quality jewelry wire
○ How to choose the best wire gauges for each project
CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:
○ Blog: door44studios.com
○ Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/door44studios
○ Facebook: / door44studios
○ Instagram: / door44studios
○ Pinterest: / door44studios

Пікірлер: 87

@lorihogue5015 11 ай бұрын

I've been designing and creating jewelry for approx 15 years but just started learning wire wrap / weaving. I've been teaching myself different techniques by watching different tutorials. I'm SO happy to find this channel! I purchased a 4 oz chasing hammer and a 4" metal block and I've been experimenting. Now I can learn how to use my tools the correct way! Many thanks.

@Door44Studios 11 ай бұрын

You're so welcome! I'm happy to be of service. ☺️

@marypaquet3372 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the helpful tips!😊

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. Thank you for watching!

@rebeccajohnson5205 2 жыл бұрын

Thank You! You are an excellent teacher and I am very much looking forward to seeing your other videos!

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Rebecca! I'm so glad you enjoyed this tutorial, and I'm pleased to welcome you to the Door 44 community. Thanks for watching!

@joansnow3706 3 жыл бұрын

So helpful! Thank you!

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. 😊

@adriejnaesingleton77 2 жыл бұрын

Super helpful video!! Thank you for taking the time to explain this in detail!!

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

@tracydriscoll4998 3 жыл бұрын

I've been using a "death grip" near the head of my hammer! Can't wait to practice with your tips. Thanks so much!

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

You're not alone, Tracy. That's such a common thing. I grew up around mechanics and welders and then I worked with a bunch of old school machinists when I was in my early twenties. So I learned proper hammer techniques from them. But this just isn't something that many people are aware of outside of certain trades. I even see some professional jewelry makers grip their hammers incorrectly now and then!

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

I've had a lot of questions about hammer techniques lately. This is such an important skill to learn, so I've also created a printable tip sheet for you that you can download for free from my resource library. Learn more here: door44studios.com/how-to-use-a-chasing-hammer/

@StarluckJewelry 11 ай бұрын

Such an informative video! Thank-you so much!

@Door44Studios 11 ай бұрын

You're very welcome. Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching!

@user-xg3qn2po1g Жыл бұрын

I loved this vid!!

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

I'm happy to hear that. Thanks for watching!

@christineclements6384 8 ай бұрын

Lived your video

@Door44Studios 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful.

@nanotis1624 3 жыл бұрын

Very helpful video, can't wait to give your techniques a try. I've been hammering for a while now and I feel like this video will improve what I have been doing. I think you can teach an old dog new tricks here. Thank you again for all that you are doing to help us wire weavers. It's very much appreciated.

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

You're most welcome. I'm so glad you found it helpful!

@emmachizzit9919 8 ай бұрын

Thank you very much, that was extremely helpful.

@Door44Studios 8 ай бұрын

Happy to hear that. Thanks for watching!

@annbuckham5268 3 жыл бұрын

Loved the video. I was moving my hammer instead of my hand. Such a little thing to make such a big difference. Thank you

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, yes! That makes a huge difference. I'm so glad this video was helpful! 😊

@janetanderson5080 4 ай бұрын

I am so excited to start my journey. Your tutorials have given me amazing insight on tools and techniques to start with. Thank you, thank you.

@Door44Studios 4 ай бұрын

I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your excitement. This is exactly why I started this channel -- to help beginners get off to a great start with a solid foundation of skills. 😊

@emilysilver5369 Жыл бұрын

Extremely helpful. I'm a beginner and have been struggling with my chasing hammer which, it turns out, has a completely flat surface. I'm going to try to return it to Shipwreck and will buy your linked hammer!

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

The convex face really makes a difference. I think you'll find that a new hammer will work much better for you. Glad you found this video helpful. Thanks for watching!

@bkrindy9856 3 ай бұрын

Excellent video!! Just got me another (much better quality and from your link) hammer. I find that while I can pay less for a tool - you get what you pay for! And your instructions are clear and concise. Loved the tip about noise reduction too - I have a base and a bag but also live in a big building and worry about noise traveling....and my lap is always handy...

@Door44Studios 3 ай бұрын

So glad you enjoyed this video. Thanks for watching!

@highclassinborrowedshoes 5 ай бұрын

I'm in school for auto collision technology and the body hammers we use on dents resemble chasing hammers(the domed side)!

@Door44Studios 5 ай бұрын

Yes. They're very similar. And for the same reason. It minimizes tool marks and allows you to form smoother contours.

@nunyabiznes4471 Жыл бұрын

This was an excellent video, with no unnecessary dialogue, or poor grammar. I’ve been taking metalsmith lessons for a year, these techniques were not explained as thoroughly as within your video. Good job, and you deserve more subscribers 🙂

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Nunya. I appreciate your feedback.

@nunyabiznes4471 Жыл бұрын

@@Door44Studios your content and delivery is excellent!

@MDPDIY Жыл бұрын

Tutorial muy interesante y didáctico. Muchas gracias por compartir.❤️🌹

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching! 😊

@mikmik1855 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve only recently started using wire in my jewelry making as a way to expand on other pieces, and this is an extraordinarily helpful video for a noob like me. Thank you!!

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome! I'm happy to help, so feel free to ask me questions anytime!

@candaceb.8978 2 жыл бұрын

Great video.... I was using my hammer all wrong and not taking advantage of what it is capable of. Thank you.

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. So glad this video was helpful!

@rakibakhatun2760 10 ай бұрын

Great great madam

@Door44Studios 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@aumi.jewels 7 ай бұрын

That was a really great demonstration, and how you explain the technology of the anatomy of the hammers handles, and how you explained the planishing hammer. I am a metalsmith instructor, And I really like how you use the correct technique to be able to move the metal. I’m not gonna call anybody out on KZfaq, but they are metalsmith instructors that do not teach the correct technology like you actually just did. so thank you I really enjoyed your demonstration and the way you teach. I also think you make beautiful wire wrapping jewelry. I haven’t done much wire wrapping and I think what I have done. I don’t even like it. I did have a pair of sterling silver herringbone wire wrap style where I used black spinel 2 mm beads to make earrings and those did turn out super cute. Anyway happy New Year’s I don’t know how old this is but today is 2020 40 and it’s got to get better Hugs 🤗 Michelle

@Door44Studios 7 ай бұрын

Thank you, Michelle! I really appreciate your feedback. I learned my hammer techniques from some old-school machinists many years ago when I was an automated equipment mechanic at a manufacturing facility. It's amazing how many of the skills I learned through that job that I use to make jewelry today, a few decades later. Happy New Year and thanks for watching!

@sherryrp 2 жыл бұрын

Great tutorial! Learned a lot! Thank you

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome. Thanks for watching!

@chiggermagnet 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video! I learned so much here...can't wait for part 2! On the spiral, could you file it to a point before you make the spiral and hammering, or do you think waiting til after the hammering would be easier? Thanks.

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

You're so welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed this video. Hammering will almost always distort the ends of the wire. So, you will typically get better results if you trim and shape the point of the spiral after hammering. Don't be afraid to experiment with that process, though. Try switching things up and see if you like the results that you get. There's almost always more than one way to achieve a desired finish. And you may even discover some fun new finishes and techniques of your own through such experimentation.

@ireneleidich7343 3 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed your video.I bought a chasing hammer and it made a big difference. I have been hammering my wire for a paddle end by hammering/dragging from the end up the wire. I like the final result more than hammering away for the wire. Have you ever compared these different directional hammering?

@Door44Studios 3 жыл бұрын

I have not compared the difference, but that's a great question! It all comes down to personal preference and what feels most comfortable for you. It's always interesting to see how different people use the same tools. And one of the beautiful things about hand tools is that they're more adaptable than a lot of power tools. That's why so many of us lefties basically learn to be ambidextrous by the time we reach adulthood! LOL

@the12makeit 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this video. What do you use to file down the wire ends for a smooth end?

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching! I use a standard set of needle files for shaping wire ends. I actually bought my set at my local Lowe's store many years ago, but you can also find good sets of files through Amazon and Etsy. Just search for "needle files for jewelry makers."

@clairebloggs3131 Жыл бұрын

The first jewellers chasing hammer I bought had the ball one side, but the flared face was totally flat. I couldn't understand why I was still getting loads of tool marks until I bought another with the slightly domed face. It has it's uses, particularly when the whole piece is smaller than the face of the hammer, but the domed one is so much easier for forming larger pieces.

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

Yes! That's the most common frustration that I see with beginner wire chasers. I wish those flat-face chasing hammers weren't so common. They're often sold in craft stores and bead shops. So, I often hear from wireworkers who are struggling to figure out why they have such a hard time mastering chasing hammer techniques.

@user-lr5cx1ni4r 2 жыл бұрын

This is perfect. Thank you so much. The detail you go into about hammers is fantastic. What if you want to flatten wire without the texture? I've made some simple earrings with smaller beads. They will fall off unless I use wire to wrap it off or I can flatten the wire some so they won't come off when they're laid down. I flattened the wire but I don't want the texture look.

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

Great question! The key to getting flat, untextured wire is to be very aware of which side of your wire is resting on the flat smooth surface of your bench block. You want that surface to be the front face of your wire because it will have fewer (if any) tool marks. I talk about that, and I demonstrate it as well, in some of my more recent videos. If you watch this video, for instance, I talk about how to strategically plan your hammering so you'll end up with a smooth surface on the front face of your piece around time code 6:33: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jpaXnNV3tc26aGQ.html

@user-lr5cx1ni4r 2 жыл бұрын

@@Door44Studios thank you so much. You’re an excellent teacher. So thorough. Who knew there is this much to a hammer? Lol. I tried it snd it worked perfectly. Thank you

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. I'm so pleased that this tutorial was helpful for you!

@pipercasey7962 2 жыл бұрын

Same. I can't get my wire to flatten without texture. I have severe ADD so this video is too long for me to watch. She did a great job, it's just too long for me.

@ritamontalvo6195 Жыл бұрын

Love your infos! Can't you file a bit the face of that old hammer to soften it?❤

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

You can smooth the face of an old steel hammer like this one. I would recommend using sandpaper rather than a file to do so. That's just part of the problem of using this type of hammer, though. The bigger problem is that it's much too heavy for hammering wire. You'll have more control with a lighter chasing hammer that's designed for working with non-ferrous metals like copper and silver.

@algrendh 2 ай бұрын

When we're paddling, we just turn up the music 🎶

@Door44Studios 2 ай бұрын

That's a good strategy. 🤣

@alannahconnelly2154 2 жыл бұрын

Hey just wondering if you use half hard or deep soft wire?? Thank you!!

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

I use dead soft wire almost exclusively. Especially in the larger gauges that I would typically hammer.

@algrendh 2 ай бұрын

So miss your utube presence

@Door44Studios 2 ай бұрын

I miss it too. I'll be back!

@grammysgrub8870 11 ай бұрын

Does the quality of the wire make a difference with the spreading? I'm having a difficult time getting a nice wide spread. I'm using a 16 g dead soft from amazon and a 20 g from fire mountain beads. I am using a domed jewelers hammer from beadsmith.

@Door44Studios 11 ай бұрын

Wire quality can make a difference, yes. I do not recommend buying wire from either Amazon or Fire Mountain because it's difficult to be certain that you're really getting solid dead soft wire. The three sources for wire that I recommend (in order of preference) are Rio Grande, Creating Unkamen, and Metalliferous (aka: Parawire). You'll find links to all three sources on my blog at door44studios.com/resources.

@grammysgrub8870 11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much. I apologize for the delayed response! I am very grateful for your interaction and help. @@Door44Studios

@r.t.9881 6 ай бұрын

I would like to know…. Where you get the files that you use for wire work…. I can’t find them that are fine enough or maybe I am just not using it correctly.

@Door44Studios 6 ай бұрын

I bought mine at my local hardware store years ago. Make sure you look for needle files. They're pretty standardized in terms of how fine they are, but some files in each set may have different tooth patterns on different faces. I use my files for rough shaping and then I use fine grit sandpaper for refining and finishing. You won't get a fine finish with needle files.

@hk4990 6 ай бұрын

What material and gauge wire are you using in this video? If you use a different gauge or material (i.e. stainless steel vs. SS filled, etc.) will that affect your hammer technique? Thank you!

@Door44Studios 6 ай бұрын

I believe I was using 16g dead soft copper in this video. It doesn't really make a difference though. The technique is the same for any type of solid jewelry wire, regardless of the alloy. You'll just need to get a feel for whatever type of wire you're working with and adjust the strength of your hammer strokes. For instance you'll need to use a bit more force to hammer stainless steel vs. sterling silver. As for hammering either gold or silver filled wires, you'll need to cut the strength of your hammer strokes by half or more. You have to be very gentle with filled wires because if you strike too hard, you run the risk of exposing the base metal core. And that will cause issues with your finish down the road. As a rule, I don't recommend hammering filled wires if you can avoid it.

@hk4990 6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@lovingthisagain Жыл бұрын

Would that 3 oz hammer work for 10, 8, or 6 gauge wire with harder strokes? Thanks!

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

Yes, it will. But it will require a bit more effort and perhaps some annealing. I would step up to a 5 ot 6 oz hammer for those gauges. It's always better to use a heavier hammer with lighter strokes than vice versa. Remember, the goal is to let the hammer do all the work. If you're working up a sweat while hammering, you're overworking your wire, your tools, and your body.

@lovingthisagain Жыл бұрын

@@Door44Studios Thank you, appreciate it!

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

@@lovingthisagain my pleasure. 😊

@alannahconnelly2154 2 жыл бұрын

Hi is this a 3oz or 4oz hammer? Thanks!

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

I think I call it out as a 3oz hammer in this video, but it's technically a 3.53oz hammer. So, if you're shopping for a hammer, either option will work. I also have a 6oz hammer, that I use on heavier gauge wires.

@brithegoddess 2 жыл бұрын

Smh. No wonder this stupid hammer was putting nicks in my wire! The face is flat. And I got it from the jewelry making section! 😤🤦🏽‍♀️

@Door44Studios 2 жыл бұрын

There are flat face chasing hammers. Unfortunately, they're not always clearly labeled as such. So it can be difficult to tell the difference unless you know exactly what you're looking for. I think you'll find that a domed face hammer will be much easier to work with, though. And you can still use your flat face hammer for other purposes.

@saddlebrookesilversmithand9493 Жыл бұрын

Seems like using a rough ball pein hammer for rustic texture is incidental. The Chasing hammer was meant for chasing HITTING STEEL CHASING TOOLS!. Using the right tool for the job means using a polished planishing hammer instead. Sorry, but frustrated with craft use of professional tools. Ignore me.

@Door44Studios Жыл бұрын

Dude! I introduce women to a fun, creative outlet. As a professional silversmith, you know the satisfaction that comes from making something with your own hands. So, why on Earth would that frustrate you? It's not like we crafters are raiding your bench and using your personal tools. Also, the hammer I use in this video is actually a Beadsmith brand CRAFT hammer. So, it shouldn't offend you at all. Now that you mention it, though, I have had my eye on a couple of Fretz hammers. Maybe I should go ahead and buy those tools so you can be justifiably offended by my content. 🙄