When to use a Hammer Hand Piece

And when not to use it

Sometimes I survey my newsletter list to see what they want to learn. Not too long ago, one reader asked if I would make a Tool Talk about the hammer handpiece. I was more than happy to oblige because this is a fabulous tool.

A hammer handpiece is one of those tools that I don’t need to use every day, or even once a week, but when I need it, this tool is indispensable.

What does a hammer handpiece do?

This tool puts a tiny hammer in your hands.

Once you attach the hand piece to your flex shaft, you just press your foot pedal and this tool moves up and down in short bursts and acts like a hammer.

A very tiny hammer. So itty bitty.

You can use different tips on the hand piece, sometimes they come with the tool, other times you need to order them separately. I highly recommend having all the tips you can – it makes it a much more versatile tool.

When do I use a hammer handpiece?

• I use it for heavy bezels – ones that won’t push over easily with a burnisher, or a bezel rocker. If the metal won’t push over easily with hand tools, I break out the hammer handpiece.

• I use it on 14 karat gold bezels – the metal is so much springier that sometimes I need that extra muscle.

• I use it to create texture on a piece in minutes.

• Very carefully, and not that often, I have used it to help me burnish the metal over a stone when flush setting. If you choose to go this route, I recommend making a test piece first with some stones that you care less about.

  • I don’t cover this as a technique in my Flush Setting eCourse, but if you;ve taken the course, you can try adapting the skill to use the hammer handpiece. This is a better technique for those of you making textural pieces as opposed to smooth and sleek pieces.

When don’t I use the hammer hand piece?

• I don’t use it on thinner fine silver bezels.

  • This is because the hammer hand piece can be a very blunt tool, and can create more marks in the metal. If I am using a thin bezel, then I won’t have enough metal if I need to polish it after using this tool.

• I don’t use it near delicate stones – the risk is too high to chip or scratch with a slip. I don’t have a hard cut off with the Mohs hardness scale on this one, but broadly speaking, I wouldn’t use it on stones below a 7 on that scale. Your mileage may vary.

For a short tutorial on how and when I use it, head to my YouTube channel to see this tool in action!

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