Artistic Sheet Metal Forming By Hammering

Use the drawn lines to guide your hammering.

Artistic sheet metal forming by hammering.

The tokyo based goldsmith yutaka nagai demonstrates how to hammer down a gold ingot to form a sheet. Mark both a vertical and a horizontal line through the centers of the sheet. Tin smithing fun creating vintage style ornaments. Proceed across creating an even row of marks.

The last several years have led to developing designs techniques patterns and functional sheet metal parts for pulling tractors. Strive for even depth and even positioning of the strikes. The applied force stresses the metal beyond its yield strength causing the material to plastically deform but not to fail. This leaves the metal full of hammer marks and one typical book of this kind then leaves readers dangling by saying when hammering has been completed smooth up and polish the metal it didn t take long to realize that he s a master of the art of hand forming sheet aluminum into things ranging from parts for antique automobiles and modern racing car bodies to airplane cowlings fairings and wheel pants.

I cut off the lower portion of the cylinders and unrolled them. James has built whole cars from scratch. It was easier to hammer in the spaces for the toes on a flat sheet of metal. So on my way home from britishv8 2009 i stopped by weldone for a second visit and james kindly gave me a quick lesson in metal shaping.

Hammer across the sheet in one direction. I use basic autobody hammers dollies ball peen hammers wood blocks tin snips bench vise and what ever. Custom made english wheel and planishing hammer. I rolled them back up by hand and reattached them.

Proceed to the next row of marks and continue hammering. The slip roll forms even curves in sheet metal little by little through multiple passes. The art of shaping sheet metal has fascinated many people including me. The lack of suppliers in this specialty type of work and customer demand has forced us to ramp up operations to accomodate the desire to have a one stop shop to get a new chassis and tin work under one roof.

When the hammer hits the piece of sheet metal resting on the stake the metal rises into curves or coils its edges stretching more than its center. It s a technique that requires skills far more complex than the tools used skills that michael good of michael good designs in rockport maine has perfected since the late 1970s. Transforming a single sheet of metal into an undulating organic form using only a hammer and stake is the art of anticlastic raising.