hand hammer advice

T

TomW

Joined
Oct 7, 1998
Messages
1,128
What's a good choice for a couple hammers for a person that's going to forge steel for the first time?
My plan is to get what I need to start and add my usual flea market finds when I know a little.
 
I would suggest a 2 or 2.5# hammer with a cross-peen. Polish the hammer side if necessary before you use it.

Tip: Try to get a Bronze or Copper hammer around 3# for striking your hot-chisel and other tools that need to be hammer-struck. The bronze is just simply dead. Its dead when you strike the chisel and it really creates much more force when cutting. The best part about a copper or bronze hammer is that you'll never mushroom your tools, and never run the risk of shattering a tool that might be too hard. These hammers are pricey, but you'll save big in the long run.
 
Before I built my power hammer my main forging hammer was and still is a 10lb. sledge that I shortned the handle on. Realy worked the arms out with that one! If your doing it by hand, the bigest hammer you can control is better. But a smaller hammer that you can control will be better than one thats bigger that you can't control.
 
I thought I was a pretty macho guy with my 4 lb. cross peen until I met Rob Rossdeutscher and saw his 16 lb. sledge with a 10-12" handle on it that he uses to get a piece started, then switches to a 12 lber... You ever shake his hand and you will really feel that he uses those hammers. I have an 8 lb. now and am working my way up slowly (don't want to damage anything before I hit 30).

Tim
 
Will52100

Great minds must think alike?

I have also a old 10# sledge hammer that i cut down the handle on....

the hammer is so heavy that I have to grab it right behind the hammer head to control it....I swing it as fast and as hard as my arms will allow me to,,,then for the ending heats I use a smaller 3# hammer to dress up the sides better of the blade so that you dont just see a lot od 10# hammer marks.

I have begun to forge John Deere Load shafts only now,,,and the bigger hammer really gets the steel moveing,,,,also,,What I have learned is to use a hammer with a wedge type pointed end on one side. This wedge end of the hammer helps the hot steel move faster...I hit and hit on one side, then on the next heat I hit on the other and the steel seems to move long ways.

Hitting with the hammer face seems to move the steel in all directions, and with Load Shafts I just need to move the steel the long way.

The wedge end of my hammer also helps me work down the tang end of the knife.

before I thought of useing the wedge end of the hammer , my tang work went on for hours and hours...Nothing seemed to be working right, I would hit it flat on one side, turn on the side, hit it and the darn steel would end up in the very same shape as i started,,,

Another thing I have learned is that when I use the wedge end of the hammer, to hang the steel over the side edge of the RailRoad track anvil. This makes the corner of the track become a wedge and the two work the steel from both sides,,,
 
...and you guys get no tendonitus swinging those big mauls? I been a blacksmith my whole life, and never used a hammer that big. Do you use them to forge knives?
 
I'm with you, Jeff. Can one use a heavy hammer? Yes, of course. However, that big hammer is going to possibly hurt the user in the long run. Carpal tunnel is not the only repetitive stress injury. Elbows and shoulders suffer, especially if the anvil height and rebound are not just right. Some people will be able to use it a lifetime, with impunity, but I think in the long run many will suffer ill effects with prolonged use. Blow an elbow out with tendinitis and you'll not be hammering for a year or more.

I use 800, 1000, and occasionally 1500 gram German pattern Peddinghaus cross peins, and don't hammer the hell out of things because I have torn rotator cuffs and arthritis in my shoulders. I've simply learned not to hurry. Proper normalizing makes up for the extra heats.....

To each his own, but anyone new to 'smithing should realize that there are potentially serious hazards involved with using too much hammer. (Not to mention, miss the steel and maybe chunk the edge of the anvil real nice)

To answer the question, many start out with a 2 pound cheapo ballpein and do just fine. It's less about the hammer than it is about learning control and hitting flat, avoiding hammermarks. I am waiting for Chuck Robinson to start making JPZ pattern hammers again. Saw it in Goddards video and they look like an interesting tool. I can't remember who, might be Wayne or Hrisoulas, that have come up with slotting the handles to reduce the vibration.
 
I am a seventh generation blacksmith. I have been in the business for 22 years. I have never used that big a hammer. The biggest hammer I use is a 3 # hand sledge and rarely use that. If you need a 10 # hammer, your steel isn’t hot enough. For knives I use a 1 # hammer the most.
 
I watched Frank Turley demo this year at our conference. He used a 4lb cross pein. I never saw a man complete a work with so few blows. Really, you watch him work and can't beleive he has hit the steel enough to make it move. ?????

All he ever did was lift the hammer and let it fall.


I watched farriers work and use use a lot of rapid fast blows with a small hammer. 2lbs. or under.

I quess it depends on your style and the amount of metal you are moveing..

I use a short handeled 8lber ( for big stuff), 4lb drawing hammer and 2.5lb hammer.

Oh yeah I got a 20lb sledge for reeeeeeeeealy moveing stuff. :)

I don't put any more effort into it than I need to. :)

P.S. if he's swinging a ten pounder don't stand in his way :D :D :D
 
At one time I used a 10, at one time I used an 8. I now use a 6 when I've got a bunch of steel to move and thats mainly right at the start of forging a bigger blade. For the most part of my forging 3 pounds and less. The last few finishing heats my hammer is a 10 or 12 ouncer. I didn't read the thing Sweany posted on hammer controll but as far as I'm concerned thats the most important part. Last year at this time I was taking Zocor for my heart, I had a strap on my wrist and one on my forearm. I stopped taking Zocor and I no longer wear any straps. I look at my forging like a fellow that loves to fish except I normally end up with something at the end of the day.....
 
it's not the size that counts its where you hit it.

Like Roy D. Mercer says; JUst how big a boy are ya???:p :p :p
 
Originally posted by Raymond Richard
I look at my forging like a fellow that loves to fish except I normally end up with something at the end of the day.....
Click to expand...

Sweany, that's a delightful way if looking at this craft! As a guy who is quite fond of fishing, I can tell you it hit the nail on the head for me. Thank you!
 
I watched Chuck Patrick forge a friction folder blade at his house in Nov. He was using a peddinghouse hammer, maybe 1500 or less. He rocks his body when he stikes and pivots at his hips. I think it was 3 heats and that thing was done!. Its all in how you hit it.

I aint no little fella and my 4 lb hammer feels like a hundred pounds after a couple of hours.

Mark
 
Well I tried the main strength and awkwardness approach for a long time with 6 and 8lb. hammers and then I found that finesse and accuracy go a long way with smaller hammers 1 1/2 to 2 1/2lb. And takes less time over all. Big hammers have there place where there is a lot of metal to move but the smaller hammers are a lot easer on the body. Gib
 
You know how dedicated basketball players, go every where with a basketball in their hands...... well...:D :D :D
 
Not bad DaQo'tah, using the fuller do draw is a lot faster.

One thing about useing a heavy hammer, I for one was using 1" stock and bigger. Also the way I forg 52100 is just barrly non-magnetic. If you've ever hammered 52100 at that heat you know it moves slow and is very stiff. Also I get a bit of momentum going and let the hammer do the work, not my arms. Took a while to learn though. Now I've got a power hammer and for the most part use a three pounder for final forging and a little one pounder to do the finishing heats.

It took a while to learn, but I have no trouble controlling a 10lb. hammer, but for a long time a sledge hammer was my best friend(roughneck on a drilling rig):D

Like I said, use as big as you can acuratly control, no bigger. That's why I wouldn't even try to use a 16 pounder, man that's tough!
 
"...and you guys get no tendonitus swinging those big mauls?"

I know carpenters who've gotten tendinitis from swinging 16 - 28 ounce hammers. Like any sports or work related injury, I believe it's due to improper care and conditioning of your specific body. For one person, an 8 lb. hammer may not be right - fine. For another person, his or her body may be conditioned to the point that a 10 lb. is just fine for them. More specifically, the heavy hammer users I know use the heavy hammer for a few blows to get metal moved near the beginning of a project, then move to the lighter ones. That is less swinging overall....

Tim
 
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