Question about hammering wire.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Marissa Undercofler" :

]Sorry for so many questions, but I wanna try this and make a pendant with it ]if it works out like I am hoping.

questions are never a problem here.

all i can tell you is what i did, to get consistent results. i found an anvil - a LITTLE one - desktop size. and i bought a hammer specifically for my wire. it's not the padding, necessarily, but you want a hammer that won't leave unsightly marks on the flattened wire.

can you do it your way? sure. repeatable results? maybe.

if you can't handle the anvil, try a solid block of hardwood. and if you want to use the hammer you already have, pad it REALLY well.

good luck!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

I usually put my wire pieces on my tiny anvil and whap it with another smooth piece of smooth steel ("a jeweler's block"). Some people use those poly cutting boards. The block also flattens the piece better than a hammer might, and distributes the force so there are no marks from the hammers edge (eg). Or you might pound with a leather mallet (raw hide). Ad if something doesn't have a surface you can safely strike, you can harden the metal by burnishing it. Rubbing it with a hard tool.

Tina

Of course, if you pad it well enough to keep it from making ugly marks, it won't put a dent in the metal. Any mark, scar, sharp edge, pit, etc. on the head of the hammer, will transfer an exact image of itself into the metal. The smoother the hammer, the smoother the finish on the metal. Unless you enjoy doing a LOT of polishing. Barbara Dream Master

"We've got two lives, one we're given, the other one we make." Mary Chapin Carpenter