Originally Posted by
cudarunner
A small (4oz) ball peen works well enough to get you started but you will need some kind of polished steel or iron as a background. I started with a chunk of steel that my dad called his 'Field Anvil' it was just a scrap of heavy steel that I filed and sanded until it had a near mirror finish. Remember that the brass is much softer than the steel and any imperfections in the steel (hammer included) will transfer to the brass.
I also sanded and polished up an old time clothes iron/the one that was set on the wood stove with the handle removed and it works well.
You could also just stop by any machine shop and ask for a 1" thick piece of round stock and file and sand that smooth be sure to round the edge over well. I'm sure for a fee they would machine the surfaces in a mill to help get the deep cuts out.
Now--when you are ready to tighten those pins up remember---It's tap tap tap---NOT---Bang Bang Bang. :tu