PrintA Tour of Fretz Hammers and Their Uses9
7/13/2014Planishing
Planishing is smoothing metal against a stake by making the blows overlap. This is a stretching technique which also forms the metal to the underlying stake.
HMR-1 & HMR-101 Planishing Hammers
The Planishing Hammer is for smoothing metal. The flat side will refine the hammer marks from the rounded side of the Planishing Hammer to a nearly smooth finish. This hammer is also used to size rings, form bezels and for general forming of metal against mandrels and stakes. This is the most frequently used hammer.
The HMR-101 hammer planishing on the Double Convex Stake.
HMR-1 Hammer planishing on the Double Convex Stake. The flat face can refine hammer marks to a nearly smooth finish.
HMR-1 flat planishing a bezel.
HMR-6 Planishing Hammer w/ inserts - Single Ended Version
This planishing hammer has a single plastic end which can be removed with a hex key. The flat plastic end forms metal while leaving it smooth. The metal end is slightly domed to make it easier to strike flat and slightly domed metal. Designed primarily for the bench jeweler who sizes rings and only wants one hammer.
HMR-6 Planishing Hammer W/ Inserts
HMR-14 Texturing Hammer-’’Raw Silk’’
This planishing hammer has randomly ground heads that give the texture of “Raw Silk”. The texture is similar to one that could be rolled onto flat metal. The advantage of making the texture with the hammer is you can texture dimensional shapes.
Texture made with the HMR-14 “Raw Silk” hammer
Raising
Raising is the compression of metal down to the stake without stretching it. The trick is to angle the metal off the stake so that there is an air gap for the compression. The following hammers were designed for raising. To learn more about this technique, I recommend Raising A Freeform Bottle with Fred Miller.
HMR-2 & HMR-102 Wide Raising Hammer
The Wide Raising Hammer can be used to raise sheet metal into a bowl against a wooden stake or a metal t-stake. It is also useful for raising in cylinders to form a concave shape. This same hammer also makes it possible to planish subtle concave shapes.
HMR-2 Wide Raising on a Convex/Concave Stake
HMR-2 Wide Raising on the Insert Stake Set.
HMR-3 & HMR-103 Narrow Raising Hammers
The Narrow Raising Hammer is for raising small cylinders and concave shapes. The thinner heads allow the hammer to fit into tighter curves for raising and planishing. It is also useful for forging and texturing.
HMR-3 Narrow Raising on the Shell Stake
HMR-8 Rounded Narrow Raising/Embossing Hammer
The Rounded Narrow Raising Hammer can emboss narrow pod or oblong shapes. Smoother overlapping marks are possible, and for long, thin shapes, this hammer is better than a round embossing hammer.
HMR-8 Planishing on a Fluting Stake (watch for the new fluting stakes in your 2011 Rio catalog!)
HMR-9 Rounded Wide Raising/Embossing Hammer
The wider, longer profile of this hammer makes it ideal to block bowls and broader width strips into concave shapes. As with all embossing hammers, this hammer is intended to stretch the metal from the inside. Here’s a photo of the HMR-9 in action. The bracelet being formed has been filled with red pitch.
HMR-9 Rounded Wide Raising/Embossing Hammer
HMR-12 Sharp Texturing/Raising Hammer
The Texturing Hammer is primarily for rings and other metal surfaces when very detailed texturing is required.
HMR-12 texturing on a bezel stake
Embossing
Embossing is the stretching of metal by hammering from the inside. Blocking is a form of embossing when the metal is hammered into a cavity. Free form embossing is done with a sandbag.
The size of the hammer will be dictated by the size of the work. Small light projects will use the Jeweler’s Hammers (HMR-1 – 5) and the larger work will demand the Silversmith’s Hammers (HMR 101 – 105).
HMR-4 & HMR-104 Large Embossing Hammer
The Large Embossing Hammer is used to dome metal from the inside. The metal is stretched from the inside as it is supported on a sand bag or a depression carved in wood. Doming a piece of metal before raising makes it easier to control because the shape becomes rigid. The embossing hammer also leaves a very interesting dimpled texture on flat and slightly domed metal when hammering on the outside of a form against a stake.
HMR-4 embossing a cup. A sandbag is an ideal work surface for this kind of embossing.
HMR-5 & HMR105 Small Embossing Hammer
The Small Embossing Hammer is used to form small raised areas by hammering from the inside in preparation for chasing or general shaping. This hammer leaves a very fine dimpled texture that can be greatly varied by the strength of the blow. Here it is embossing on a low-dome mushroom stake.
HMR-5 shown embossing on a Low Dome Mushroom Stake.
HMR-7 Double Ended Insert Hammer
The versatile Double Insert Hammer has nine (9) plastic ends that work metal without leaving marks. The range of shapes of the inserts duplicates planishing, embossing and raising hammers. This hammer is useful for forming metal without stretching. It has enough weight to move metal with assurance. It can also be used to make extremely tight curves when raising portions of jewelry.
The HMR-7 Double Insert Hammer
The Double Insert Hammer with Flat Insert For Forming
Forming a Bezel with the Double Insert Hammer
The Double Insert Hammer With Sharp Cross Pein Insert
The Double Insert Hammer with the widest raising insert attached. The stake is the Convex/Concave stake.
Anti-clastic raising with the Double Insert Hammer and the Shell Stake