When you weld any material, the workplace will soon turn into a messy space due to the substantial amount of slags during the welding project. On the one hand, the slags reduce your visibility and working efficiency and, on the other hand, increase accidental risks.
Thus, you have to use a welding chipping hammer to remove and clean the slags. But this is no easy task. Indeed, the cleaning process might seem challenging and impossible unless you know how to use a welding chipping hammer accurately.
The welding chipping hammer is a tool built especially for welding jobs and should come with the welder package. We would discuss the building and user process of welding chipping hammer with step by step instructions in today's tutorial.
We have also included the welding chipping hammer user safety guideline for welders' safety and convenience.
How to Use a Welding Chipping Hammer:
A welding chipping hammer is a simple welding tool. Its job is to gather and remove the slags generated during the Arc Stick welding. It comes with two ends- one end has a flat head, and the other end features spikes.
The handle of the hammer is made of metal wood and might have a rubber grip for ergonomics. It reduces the shock during the welding and can be used in every welding environment. Honestly speaking, using the chipping hammer is way simpler than a DIY building project. So, we would begin with the user guideline first.
- You have to carefully swing and hit the welding material with the chipping hammer to remove the slags from it.
- The flat head of the chipping hammer is used to remove the spatter.
- The wide flat end collects and slides the removed spatters or slags along the surface in a fixed position.
- The tapered end is widely used to remove any imperfection on the welding material.
You should remember that the chipping hammer is essential mostly for Arc welding. The typical MIG and TIG welding don't produce any slags while you weld the materials.
Now that we know how to use the chipping hammer, why not focus on building such a versatile tool at the workshop? This straightforward DIY project will save you a considerable amount if your welding package doesn't include the welding chipping hammer.
Step 1: Accumulating and cleaning the components
You won't have to invest heavily in a chipping hammer DIY project. You can use different materials from your workshops to manufacture a welding chipping hammer. First off, you will need two pieces of 12mm construction rebar.
Don't know what rebar is?
Rebar is a reinforced and heat-treated stainless steel. It is used mostly in concrete as a construction rod for stability.
Next, you will have to find a piece of steel or hardy wood to use as the hammer handle. Here, we will use an old handle from a previous hammer to give it a new life.
The rebar almost instantly would have rust on it. So, the next step is to remove the rust from it. So, place the rebar in a horizontal position and locate the project's drill into the holder. After that, find the chunk and mount a wire brush to transform the entire piece into a portable benchtop grinder to remove the rust.
Now, use the wire brush, likewise a grinder to remove the rust from the rebar top. As you scrap the rebar, it will start shining without the rust coating on it.
Step 2: Hammerhead fabrication
We will use another piece of 12mm rebar to build the hammerhead. Some people might want to use larger rebar or add weight to it to gain the extra force essential for the slagging chores. The length of the hammerhead is measured at 15 inches for this project.
- At first, from the larger rebar, cut one appropriate size.
- To use the factory-made line as a reference for the next cuts, place the rebar into the vise.
- When you have got the accurate line from the vise, cut two angled pieces. These angled pieces would be from two sides of the newly created lines.
- Thus, one end of the hammerhead will become flat. It will look more like a flathead screwdriver.
- On the other side of the hammerhead, perform 4 angled cuts. The angles must be steeper and look like a pyramid.
- When you perform the angle cuts to the manufacturer and shape the hammerhead, it will get hot. Thus, we recommend using water to keep the rebar cool.
Some experts say that cooling the hammerhead with water will harden it. But it is not conclusively proved. However, rebar or reinforced stainless steel is hard enough for the chipping jobs. So, you won't have to harden the hammerhead additionally, either.
Step 3: Sharpening the hammerhead
When you build the hammerhead from the rebar, it won't be fascinating and have rough edges. It would help if you smoothened the edges for safe use. Also, you must sharpen the hammerhead to use it effectively. The aim is to build a cone on the pyramid-shaped side of the hammerhead.
For this, you will need an angle grinder. Attach it to the workbench with a clamp. Then, put the hammerhead of the chipping hammer into the hand drilling machine. The hand drill allows you to move the head when the grinder spins. This way, you will quickly get an even and smooth cone with the proper sharpness.
Step 4: Attaching the hammerhead and the handle
You have to weld to connect the hammerhead with the handle. The welding needs to be at a 90° angle. For this, position the handle in the vise not to move when you weld it. Then use one hand to securely hold the head with the grip at the right angle.
Then, turn on the welding machine and perform the first weld. Once you are assured that the handle could hold the head and it won't fall off, you can remove the hand from it. Then, weld on each side of the hammerhead and head joining point.
The welding would make the connection firm and durable. When you weld the hammerhead and the handle for the 1st time, you might use a magnet to set the angle accurately. But even if you don't have the magnet, there're alternatives to it.
Once the 1st weld securely holds the two pieces together, adjust the angle right at the 90° position. Then weld around the edges of the connecting point.
Step 5: Mounting the handle
Since we are using an existing handle of an older hammer, it needs little preparation. Even if you plan to use a new handle, the preparation remains the same.
- Cut the handle to your desired length for the new hammer.
- Then you have to keep it in the ground and fix it into the vise.
- Inside the handle, there would be a hollow portion. Use some resin to fill the hollow part. It would harden the handle.
- Use a drill to create a simple 12mm hole through the hammer handle. You have to firmly hold the drill since it would feel like drilling concrete when you dig through the hardened resin.
- If you want to add weight to the handle, you might add some glue to the hollow section. But it is nearly impossible since the resin material would fill the entire hollowness.
- Once you mount the handle with the hammerhead, check for any gap between the two components. If there's a gap, fill it using glue.
Step 6: Cleaning the entire setup
You need to clean the entire chipping hammer setup once the handle is securely positioned with the head. For this, secure the hammer into the vise. Fix the wire brush into the hand drill. This way, you can reach all the angled grooves and welding points with the wire brush. Scrap the weld and other places to make the hammer and the handle as glowing as possible.
However, you must not be mad at the polishing result since it is a simple tool. Also, you will be tossing it around the workshops. But if you have time, polish the hammer as much as you want.
Step 7: Prevent the rust buildup
The rebar will soon catch rust and start corroding if you don't treat it for rust prevention. Luckily, it is easy. Get a container of WD-40 and spray it on the entire hammer, head, and handle. It would create an oil-coat on the hammer.
It prevents the water from getting into the metal components. Allow the coat to dry and then apply a second layer of WD-40 oil coating to prevent rust. This oil-coating should make the chipping hammer rust and corrosion-proof for durability.
Your chipping hammer is ready for use.
Safety Features to use Chipping Hammer and Welding Jobs:
- Whenever you weld, you must use a facemask and wear gloves.
- When you collect the slags, make sure it doesn't fly in the air.
- If possible, collect the slags in a container or plastic bag to prevent them from flying.
- When you use the hammer to chip the slags from the welding material, make sure your fingers are at a safe distance.
- Always keep the hammer end sharp to remove the slags from the material quickly. A dull hammer would make your work harder only.
Final Words
A welding chipping hammer is a simple yet useful tool. It keeps the welding place neat and clean and makes the welding job comfortable. Thus, this guideline on how to use a welding chipping hammer would benefit you to keep the workplace tidy.
We have described both the user instructions and the DIY chipping hammer manufacturing project in this tutorial. Thus, it should be a good piece of reading for both professional and DIY welders. Cheers!
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