One hand six pound hammer

[MAD MAX]

I have a six pound hammer that I put a short handle in, Like one used for a 2 or 3 pound hammer. I have been told that its too big for one hand operation. I have no trouble swinging it and can control it just fine. Now it not my no 1 used hammer by any means, but I work alone and some times have a need for it and one handed seems to work well for when I need the extra mass. It says 6lb right on the under side but my bakers scale weighs it at 5lb 10oz.  My main hammer is 2lb 5oz. Just wondering if anybody else used a heavy hammer one handed like this?

[Charles R. Stevens]

I occasionally swing 8, 10 and 14# hammers. I just choke up, I use a 3# for most smithing

[njanvilman]

Being young and strong is great, but be careful with that one handed six pounder.  You do not want to damage your wrist/elbow/tendons/muscles.  None of us can stop the clock, and you do not want to damage or wear out anything at a young age.

[ThomasPowers]

Quite a lot of smiths have a short handled sledge around for those special times and some folks swing one regularly.  IIRC Hrisoulas uses a 9 pounder.

As long as you don't damage your self; go for it!  When I'm doing my feeble old phart schtick in front of the young current servicemen students their eyes

pop a bit when I pick up the short handle sledge and wham, wham, wham to advance a project that's behind as I was coaching them...like picking up the 165# anvil and walking it over to the truck.

[MAD MAX]

Being young and strong is great, but be careful with that one handed six pounder.  You do not want to damage your wrist/elbow/tendons/muscles.  None of us can stop the clock, and you do not want to damage or wear out anything at a young age.

​I am far from young, I am a little stronger than average I guess, I was a powerlifter when I was young and still do an extremely physically demanding job for a living. I don't use it often though just when its called for.

[VaughnT]

I've used a few heavy hammers and the one thing I've found helpful is to leave the handle long enough that it rests against the underside of my forearm.  This takes the strain off the wrist/hand muscles, especially on the pick up.  I basically just act as a guide for the falling hammer, letting its weight do the majority of the work.

[SJS]

I used to use an #8 hand sledge as my favorite hammer (now my favorite is a 2# with a couple of 4#s when necessary). Francis Whitaker's favorite hammer was an 8#er, and if I remember correctly Brian Brazeal uses an 8#er when he is forging the horse heads on the end of a 2" bar by hand.  If you are strong enough, and your technique is good enough, and you smith regularly so you have the endurance, you should get along just fine... Some people can swing a 6 or an 8 just fine all day long. But you will be joining the fat head short handle brotherhood, as apposed to the small head long handle guys. It really depends on what technique appeals to you...  I like shorter handles now, and tend to use some of the elements of Hofi's Ergonomic Hammer Technique.  I have had longer handles mess with my tendons, that and thumping my friends with 4' long wooden swords for twenty years... You get more mechanical advantage with a longer handle, but that goes both ways, the hammer has more of an effect on your tendons with a longer handle well.  A light gripe, more of a snap than a punch, if you need more power raise your hand higher, just don't hold on too tight when you drop the bomb.  Don't try to push the hammer deeper into the steel, let the hammer do the work!!!  That is the crucial concept, LET THE HAMMER DO THE WORK. If you learn how to let the hammer do the work, it should work just fine.  Just pay very close attention to what your body is telling you. Be careful you don't run afoul of having an iron will and an unfortunate body of mear flesh and bone.  I have discovered the hard way that I can work considerably harder than my body can tolerate... ;-)

[Jesse17]

I'm brand new to blacksmithing, and I've been dealing with a unrelated case of what I assume to be tennis elbow, since last August. I've played a little with using an 8# hammer with a short (broken) handle, in an effort to hammer more with my shoulder instead, and with less movement from my elbow. Unfortunately, I've found it quicker to use my 2.25# rounding/farrier hammer with a big swing, and that does NOT help my elbow/tenon any. Heck, at one point, while I was destroying some 3/4" round bar that was suppose to be a pair of Brazeal tongs, I actually hammered left handed (I'm right handed) for a while trying to save on my elbow.

I'm thinking about grinding a more extreme round face on one side of the 8# sledge and see if that works any better as it's rounded now, but just barely.

[Charles R. Stevens]

I'm right handed with tendinitis in my left hand elbow, lol

[SJS]

Jesse you are going to have to take it easy, tendonitis doesn't just go away if you keep irritating it.  Order a copy of Hofi's "Ergonomic Hammer Technique", and maybe Doug Lockheart's "How to Swing a Hammer Like A Girl" or if you are a member of a blacksmithing group (ABANA or one of it's affiliates) get one or both through the library.  I haven't seen either video, but I have seen Hofi's techniques taught before and done right it works beautifully, for people who are learning I generally suggest that they use his technique, retraining is harder. Doug's video was developed out of some problems he was having with tendonitis, so I think it might help, and I like Doug. But to not irritate your arm and cause an ongoing problem you are going to need to learn a really good hammer technique!  You should also scale your projects to your physical limitations for the moment, don't be so ambitious to start with, learn technique then focus on the cool projects.  Work HOTTER, most beginners make the mistake of pulling the steel out at just about the temp they should be putting it back into the fire...  If you are trying to forge 3/4" coil spring, it had better be at a Yellow to start, and a dull orange to quit.  Even if you scale things back to more reasonable stock for a beginner, you should get in the habit of working the steel in the best forging range for that steel.  Everything works a lot better at the proper forging temp for that operation.  Planishing, and breaking corners, and shearing the biscuit out of a punched hole all can be done a much lower temp, and work better at lower temps.  Heavy forging, deep bending, hot cutting, and punching should be done HOT, Yellow to Orange, the steel is just so much more plastic at those forging temps.  More controlled bending and twists I think should be done in a middle range in the Dull Orange to Cherry Red.  Try making a smaller set of scrolling tongs, out of 3/8"-1/2" coil spring if you are set on tool making.  There is a nice picture I posted in another thread on tong making of Steve Parker's tong making story board.  You should be able to search here for it...  Lots of good information, here on IForgeiron.  Read on

[Steve Sells]

I use a 4.6# for normal forge work,  but I have tiny knife rivet hammer of 4 oz up to a 7.5# cross pein in the one handed variety. I use what the job wants, but do not over do it.  If it seems too much like worrk to just swing that hammer, then it may well be too big. otherwise ignore those that say we can't use them only because they can't and assume it means no one else can.

[ThomasPowers]

Tendonitis is one of the "ÿou can't work your way through the pain" type of things you just do more damage and it can end up permanent or needing surgery!

 

When inaction was driving me insane, (well my wife claims that it's not so much a drive as a "gimmie putt"), I did some forging of small delicate work with a trivially sized hammer.  I also worked some CP 1&2 Ti that forges like butter again with a very small hammer indeed.

 

I have a lot of students who want to show off using a too heavy hammer; so I usually teach using a smaller one to show that while weight helps; control and speed are more important. (and then I use the one handed sledge! BWAhahahahahahahahahahah)

[Jesse17]

Sorry about the thread drift, but thanks for the tendinitis advise. I will check out the materials that SJS mentioned, as well as take it easy on that arm. But since I lay awake at night dreaming about the next chance I'll have to be at the forge/anvil, I just may have to learn to swing a hammer left handed. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Get your thumb off the back of the hammer handle!, lol

bad, good, and better. And don't try to choke the life out of it, it's like holding on to the hand of a toddler, firm enough to control the hammer.

[Jesse17]

I'm good on the thumb placement, but I admit it nearly took two hands to straighten out my fingers after chocking the life out of the hammer the other day. 

I guess this is the wrong thread, but does anyone use rubber inner tube wraps on their hammers to make it easier to grip without as much force, and maybe absorb some of the vibrations. Or would that make it harder to control?

[Everything Mac]

Not this old chestnut again! 

 

I did a fair amount of research on the use of different hammer weights and their risks of injury on the body and I could find no specific research on the subject. But from what I could see it was pretty clear that a heavier hammer increases your risk of injury. How much I couldn't say. 

Just recently it's become clear that I've damaged some tendons in my hand using a 2.5lb hammer. My first and middle knuckles on my hammer hand are uncomfortable and hammering aggravates them. Much to my annoyance. Allegedly the only cure is rest. Not exactly ideal when you just want to get bashing again. 

 

Personally I'd say use what ever feels comfortable. Listen to your body. If you can swing a 6lb hammer all day long and feel fine at the end of it then why shouldn't you. If you find it hurts anywhere then your body is saying no. Simple really. (Assuming you're a fully developed adult - I wouldn't say the same to a child.)

 

Andy

 

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

One word, blisters. To get the most out of your hammer you want some slip, and the ability to easily change grips. You may slide all the way to the end to give it all you got, then slide forward two inches to work, then choke up for something delicat. Just " shake hands with your handle. I like to combine Hofi,s ideas with the clasic "sword grip". That is, a positive grip between your thumb and forefinger, with a progressively tighter grip between your pinky and palm. An occupational therapist might be in order. Sports medicin docs are better at treating this kind of thing. Your family doctor will likely tell you to stop doing it, wile the spore medicin folks will show you how not to hurt yourself again.

[SJS]

Yep, your grip is probably most of your problem...  You can't choke the hammer to death!  You have to consciously maintain a loose grip on the hammer. Sword grip, and Hofi style grips you are only holding on enough to keep the hammer from flying off on its own, and to guide it where you need it to go.  This is one of those things that if you had someone who knew what they were talking about with you, they could show you in less than 5 minutes, but is hard to put into words.  Part of what I am preaching when I say let the hammer do the work is, tell the hammer what to do (provide the guidance), get the hammer to the jobsite (swing at the steel), then kinda stand back and see what the hammer does with your instructions...  You should almost disconnect yourself from the hammer's blow.  You lift the hammer, you begin the swing, you accelerate through the arc, and you aim at what you are aiming at, (with the appropriate angle to the hammer face), and you hold on only enough to keep a hold of the hammer.  After you give the hammer its instructions, its up to the hammer to get the job done...  After the Hammer has delivered the blow to the metal, you lift it up, to see what work was accomplished, and start the next blow. You impart the energy to the hammer, but you allow the hammer to deliver the energy.  You cannot grip hard enough to do more work by sheer force of will, or push the hammer deeper into the metal.  You have to rethink those ideas, you have to be conscious of the fact that they are false, and destructive.  When you try to do that you are ultimately hurting yourself.  When you are hammering correctly, you let the hammer do the work.  You just pick it back up, and guide it swiftly back to the work. You don't really want to be holding on that hard when you hit, because that feed back can do damage.  Swinging "harder" doesn't do more work, swinging "faster" does.  But "faster" doesn't have to be strenuous.  If you learn good technique.  If you learn to stack accelerations by raising your hammer higher, swinging the handle, as well as your arm.  If you time your movements properly you can crack the whip, and get a great deal of acceleration.  Which translates into kinetic energy that will move the steel. If you learn to do it right, and you don't work past your endurance, so you start using bad technique again, it shouldn't hurt, and you should be able to do this for a long time...

The other issue is DON'T wear a glove on your hammer hand, it will cause you to want to gripe harder than you should.  With the size stock you should be working as a beginner you don't really need a glove on your hammer hand, and it will cause considerably more problems than it solves.  You should wear the appropriate protective gear for the job you are doing, there are LOTS of jobs where you need to wear gloves, hammering smaller stock (under 1") isn't one of them.

Another consideration is finding your rhythm, when you are swinging you will hopefully find a nice natural rhythm for the hammer you are working with. It helps to play into that rhythm and look for it. Don't rush things work at the pace that your body thinks is appropriate for THAT hammer, and THAT work. Pushing too fast is more strenuous and is harder on you.  Find the natural rhythm that works for you, with the tools you have. It helps

 

Edited February 21, 2015 by SJS

[Charles R. Stevens]

SLS, well said. 

Back to your original comment of the 6# hammer. As a kid I learned to swing a 10# sledge busting concrete. Some of what I learned is applicable to this whole conversation. Lo lift the hammer I learned to tilt the head up, my sliding my hand right hand up to the head and pulling the head in toed me, lifting the hammer over my head, starting the swing and allowing my right hand th slide back to meet my left. I swing an axe the same way. How dose this aply to a hand hammer or hand sledge? By bringing your hammer back with your biceps, until the head is strait up you reduce the leverage caused my your extended forarm. Now lift your hammer strait up. Now as we stand close to the anvil so as to see and to bring the hammer strait down we have to guid th arch, but you will end up with the your hand close to your dominant hip. Lots easier to get that hammer head back up where you have the most time to get it accelerated down. You don't strait arm it, you drop your elbo wile keeping the hammer head up, then as your elbo and upper aem drop below horizontal you begin swinging your forarm down so that just as you elbo reaches the lowest point of the arch your fist will be just above the level that the hammer head would reach the stock. At this oint you rotate the rust from holding th hammer perpendicular to you arm to parallel. That's the "wip" this is the " big blow" tech each that you start moving natal with, not the lift and drop strait down technic we use for planishing and finer work. A 2# hammer will move a lot of mental this way, a 4# hamme will move more. Deeper. But if you aren't physically able to manage that bigger hammer you will get hurt. The smaller hammer and more blows or sledge and a holding fixture are in order. With a top tool, media her strikers are wonderful

[Francis Trez Cole]

my main hammer is a 5# and a 3# hammer. I like Uri very much but the term Ergonomics He has used it as a Buzz work. There has never been any Ergonomic studies done on hammer and blacksmithing. The most important part of the hammer is the handle to short and you have to use the arm to much and not long enough you are working harder than you have to . A longer handle will give you more velocity which gives you higher impact. More force moves more metal.

[Charles R. Stevens]

In the old argument of velocity over mass, I still think people for get the effect of inertia in impact. Wielding the largest hammer you can safely, effectively and continually wield will move more metal. Wailing at it like a rabid chillalla or missing the mark isn't effective, nor is being layed up for 6 months. 

Even, powerful, accurate blows get the job done faster, using the right part of the anvil and the right profile of the hammer moves it along even faster. Rapid light blows plaishing, and don't move metal very fast, and heavy inaccurate blows mangle the work and create more work. 

Learn to wield your hammer, use the largest hammer appropriate to the job and your abilities, and practice delivering controlled, powerful blows.

[SJS]

I like a fat head and a short handle, but you still have to swing it fast.  I have watched some vids on Youtube where the boys swinging the hammers are moving too slowly, because they are swinging hammers just a little too heavy for them to swing effectively in my opinion... The timing looks off because they are struggling to get the hammers in play, I would bet if they all switched back to smaller hammers that they could swing a bit faster, they would get more work done...  I like Inertia, and a heavier hammer blow will penetrate more deeply, but you still have to get it moving fast enough to do some good.  There is a trade off with M x V^2,  if you can move a heavier hammer at 95% of the velocity of a hammer half that weight, you will certainly do more work, but if you can only swing it half as fast you gain nothing.

[Charles R. Stevens]

SLS, I agree whole heartedly