This hammer with a cat was the first project where I tried metal etching using electricity. I was not sure whether a picture will be transferred accurately or if the thin lines would be blurred. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the final result and now it is one of my favorite techniques to decorate metal items.
For this project I used an old rusty bench hammer with a broken wooden handle. Before etching the metal, I removed the handle and discarded it. On one side of the hammer I etched the profile of a cat and on the other side I added an abstract Viking ornament. When the etching was finished, I properly cleaned it, sanded and used a metal polishing paste to make the hammer shiny.
I added a new wooden handle to the hammer head. To add more texture, I wrapped a piece of velvety leather at the top of the handle and glued it to secure from sliding. Then, on top of the leather, I wrapped a thin black string. As a decoration, and also to secure the edge of the leather, I attached a handmade metal nail.
Finally, I decorated the wooden handle by burning a few Viking signs. For that I used a solder. All signs have a meaning. On one side it says: health, energy, strength; and on the other side: man, power, need, water, sun, warrior, wealth.
