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Forging and hammering metal

· 2 min read · Techniques

Illustration: Forging and hammering metal

To forge is to shape metal by striking it. In jewelry it is almost always done cold, with small, precise hammers on an anvil or steel block.

Steps of the technique: Anneal, Support, Strike, Turn, Anneal again, Planish
Summary of the steps

What it involves #

Striking compresses and moves the metal: a bar can be stretched, a sheet flattened or a wire curved. Non-ferrous metals such as gold, silver and copper work-harden as they are forged, and are softened again by annealing.

Common operations #

  • Drawing out: lengthening a bar by striking it.
  • Flattening and planishing: smoothing and hardening the surface with a polished-face hammer.
  • Curving: forming rings and bangles over a mandrel.
  • Texturing: leaving the hammer marks as decoration.

Tools #

Ball, planishing and flat-faced hammers and rawhide or plastic mallets; an anvil, a steel block, mandrels and stakes. Hammer faces must be polished: any mark transfers to the metal.

Tips #

Strike with the flat face and evenly, anneal when the metal stiffens and protect your ears: hammer work is noisy.

Step by step #

  1. Anneal. Soften the metal with heat before starting.
  2. Support. Rest the piece on the clean steel block.
  3. Strike. Hammer evenly, without skipping areas.
  4. Turn. Flip the piece so it does not distort.
  5. Anneal again. When the metal hardens, soften it again.
  6. Planish. Smooth with the flat, polished-face hammer.

Tools and materials #

  • Forging and planishing hammers (see hammers)
  • Steel block or anvil
  • Torch for annealing
  • Copper or silver sheet or rod to practice

Common mistakes #

  • Continuing to hammer hard metal: it cracks.
  • Striking with a dirty or pitted face: the marks transfer.
  • Hitting one spot only and distorting the piece.
  • Not caring for the steel block: its polish is lost.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.