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Claw Hammer: Drop-Forged Head, Turned Wooden Handle
C. W. D. Boxall, Henry Adams, F. W. Loasby (Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain
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11. October 2026NO
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Claw Hammer: Drop-Forged Head, Turned Wooden Handle

A claw hammer's head is high-carbon steel, hot forged between dies and then hardened only where it takes the blows: the face, the poll and the claws. The handle is straight-grained ash or hickory, woods with good strength, durability and enough give to absorb the shock of repeated blows. It is turned on a lathe that copies a cam, pushed up through the head's eye and wedged: one thin wooden wedge driven diagonally into a slot, then two steel wedges driven through it crossways.
Advanced
Factory process

Instructions

1

Heat the bar

Heat a length of steel bar to about 1,200–1,300 °C (2,200–2,350 °F) with open flame torches or by passing it through an induction coil.

Materials for this step:

Square Tool Steel BarSquare Tool Steel Bar1 as required

Tools needed:

Induction HeaterInduction Heater
2

Forge the head

Put the hot bar or a cut blank between the dies. The ram forces them together and squeezes the steel into the die cavities; repeat in several dies to form the head step by step.

Tools needed:

Drop Hammer with Forging DiesDrop Hammer with Forging Dies
3

Trim the flash

Cut off the flash, the steel squeezed out between the dies, with trimming dies. Cool the head and grind off rough spots.

Tools needed:

Trimming DiesTrimming Dies
Bench GrinderBench Grinder
4

Harden the face, poll and claws

Heat those areas with a flame or an induction coil and cool them quickly, so the steel near the surface becomes much harder than the rest of the head.

Tools needed:

Induction HeaterInduction Heater
5

Clean and polish

Shot blast the head (a stream of air carrying small steel particles), paint it if wanted, then polish the face, poll, claws and cheeks. Smooth the V-slot of the claws with an abrasive disc.

Tools needed:

Shot Blasting CabinetShot Blasting Cabinet
Polishing WheelPolishing Wheel
6

Turn the handle

Cut ash or hickory to length and hold it at both ends in the lathe. As it spins, the cutting tool follows a cam with the handle's shape. Cut a slot diagonally across the top and sand the handle smooth.

Materials for this step:

Hardwood Handle StockHardwood Handle Stock1 piece
SandpaperSandpaper1 as required

Tools needed:

Cam-Guided Handle LatheCam-Guided Handle Lathe
7

Hang the head

Push the handle up through the eye of the head. Tap the wooden wedge into the diagonal slot to spread the handle against the head, then drive two small steel wedges through it crossways.

Materials for this step:

Hardwood WedgeHardwood Wedge1 piece
Steel Cross WedgesSteel Cross Wedges2 pieces

Materials

5

Tools Required

7

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CC0 Public Domain

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