Can I Make a Carbide Tipped Hammer?

I've seen this done by many other makers here and thought I would give it a try. I have a knife that needs a little straightening and I already have the handle glued on.
Come take a short journey with me as I try, and fail, to get this done today. I learn a lot with each attempt to make something, especially when I'm not successful.
I purchased the 10 oz. ball peen hammer and 3/8" carbide ball bearing from Amazon based on the recommendations of another maker.
In hindsight, I think I should have looked into a brass hammer as it would have been a whole lot easier to work with. But, since I started, I'm going to finish this in a future episode. I need to get good set of Cobalt drill bits (the kind of metal, not the brand).

[@KHDailyKnives]

When I started making carbide tipped hammers, I had a similar experience. Holding the hammer in position and making sure it stayed centered is always a challenge. The ball end probably needs to get hit longer with the torch. It looks like just the surface got soft. The heat takes awhile to go down as far as you are drilling.
If you are going to braze the ball in place, you really need an oxygen and acetylene torch. A MAPP gas torch did not get me to the heat I needed for a long time. All that heat also burnt the handle really badly and had to get a new handle for in the eye of the hammer. If you are silver soldering, it doesn’t need to get as hot for it to hold.
Hope that helps and I felt your pain! I know it is more of the challenge, but if you want to grab one, I make them in 4 oz and 8 oz hammer weights. It doesn’t take much force to get the effect on a blade. I have a video walking through the straightening process I use on a knife on my channel.

[@murraymakesstuff]

Cool, thank you!

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

Finally

[@rickcharles6065]

Get a torch and anneal the ball before trying to drill. Doesn’t need to be hardened because the carbide is going to be set into the face

[@michaell397]

;

[@MichaelMassimino]

I was thinking the same thing

[@robertmceuen3630]

Why carbide? Seems like that ball peen is already harder than HSS.

[@murraymakesstuff]

Evidently it makes it easier to work on hardened blades. The ball peen may not work on something close in hardness.

[@michaell397]

7 minutes of the wrong tool for the job/wrong rpm for the job. Order a simple carbide end mill and be done with it!
KnifeMaker/Retired after over 47+ Years in the Craft

[@murraymakesstuff]

Just here teaching everyone what not to do. This is what happens when you give an IT guy tools. 🤪