We've just posted a new how-to article on our Web site exclusively for subscribers. It's in conjuction with Marie Cristine Knuff's article "Forge and Easy Chain" on page 58 of the newest issue (November 2008) of Art Jewelry magazine.

In it I walk you through the simple steps necessary to clean up your dinged, rusted, or worn hammers and bench blocks. (The Before and After shots are shown at right.)

So why take the time to polish a hammer??

When hammering, the texture of your hammer and bench block are transferred onto the metal. So a polished hammer and clean bench block are needed if you want to impart a shiny texture on whatever metal you're hammering. Clean, shiny tools will also save you extra time that would otherwise be spent cleaning up the hammered metal afterwards. 

If you're a subscriber, check out the article in our Online Reference section here at www.ArtJewelryMag.com/reference. (That's under the Web site's Resources tab in case you didn't already know.)

And once you're ready to take that shiny hammer out for a spin, check out the current issue of Art Jewelry magazine. 

~Addie~ 

 
P.S. If you're not currently a subscriber, you can still see our handy Abrasives grit chart. It lists traditional sandpaper grits in conjunction with the micron-graded equivalents. 

P.P.S. If you're curious, you can find out more about the benefits and bonuses of subscribing here.