steponmebbbboom Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 hello, i am looking for advice on prevention/coping strategies. i suspect i have the beginnings of a repetitive strain injury on my hammer arm. take your right arm, wrap it around your stomach and place your palm on your stomach, at the elbow there should be a point facing forward. there is a thin line of tenderness extending from that point about an inch toward my hand. i dont think im gripping my hammer excessively hard. this has developed after an uncharacteristically long production run. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 What size hammer are you using? Show us a photo of your hand grip on the hammer.uncharacteristically long production run Quit before you get tired. It is usually not so important that it can not be done in 2, 3, or more short sessions. If the client says it is important, charge them for the week off work recovering from the injury and it will magically become much less important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnW Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I don't know. Maybe choke up more on your hammer. Get a heavier hammer and choke up more. Use fullers, flatters, etc. Have your wife, or son strike for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Good body mechanics make for less strain..keep your thumb off the top of your hammer handle, relax your grip and keep your elbow in close to your ribs are only a few things that may help .Once you have an injury it is usuall not something you can work through and make it go away See a specialist in sports medicie . They know how to treat and how to rehab if needed. I had a shoulder repair by a Dr that does a shoulder or knee almost everday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 BP1001 Hofi Hammer TechniqueBP1002 Hofi Hammer Technique Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Don't say week off say 6 months off! Nothing like pain to tell you you have been doing it wrong. Don't try to work through the pain it just makes it WORSE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steponmebbbboom Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 great discussion. thanks guys. glenn and rich, see attached picture for holding technique. i believe mine is currently a #3, i found the #2 french transmitted too much shock up the handle for how hard i had to hit it. johnw, id love to. see sig line. czar, thanks for the blueprints, will study. perhaps proper throwing technique will allow a smaller hammer. tom, will definitely see a specialist, perhaps some of you can weigh-in with experiences as/re sports medicine/therapy. would not want to cause any permanent damage. again many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steponmebbbboom Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 by the way guys, i call dibs on said attached picture for an avatar once my year of mourning is up. ROFL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skunkriv Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 One exercise for prevention I have heard is this. Take a fat rubber band, like some produce is bundled with (asparagus? not sure, I don't eat it). Touch the fingers and thumb of one hand all together. Place the rubber band around them at the base of your fingernails. Open your hand, repeat repeat. You will feel where it is working the muscles. Sound strange? Extend your arm and wiggle your fingers. You can see the muscles/tendons working right near the elbow where bbboom is saying he has his pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 like skunk suggested, exercise the hammer muscles in your arm before you overwork them. If you're putting too much force on muscles that can't handle the weight, other parts/tendons will try and do the work, which will mess things up. It took me a few months to get used to using my "hammer muscles" when I first started out, and lifting weights/working out has helped a ton as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I had surgery on my right elbow 5 years ago and have not had any trouble since, but it's a 50/50 surgery from what I've found. Steve, you don't know what your missing, asparagus is the best, as long as it's fresh and cooked properly, if not done right then it can be rather undesireable, it's also one of the best for you as well. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steponmebbbboom Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 ok guys, i took an action shot while working at the open house today. sold two pieces, grin. let me know if you see anything wrong, like i said thumb and forefinger tight, the rest just falling into place and snap just before striking. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Raise that anvil up to at least knuckle high, then use it for a week. Next, raise it to the break of the wrist and use it for a week. One will work best for you. Fine tune as needed. Also look at the following LessonLB0004 Blacksmithing Hammers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steponmebbbboom Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 thanks glenn, note the anvil face is currently at knuckle height; the length of iron i am holding is approx. 30" long and i am holding it at a 5* angle; anvil itself is approx. 15" from my leading hip. i will block up the stand four inches and see if that makes a difference. thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Put a piece of 3/4" sheeting on the anvil and hit it in 5 different places and then look at the hammer marks. The hammer face should hit flat. Once that is established, you can tweek things to your liking. Next work with a lighter hammer weight and concentrate on technique. It is all about getting things established, then making one small change at a time, to tweek your tools, to your situation, and to your liking. There is another thread about having the face of the anvil flat (horizontal in both directions). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 all said you have lot's to think about, i also have a old mud flap i put down where i stand at the anvil to stand on and it helps me- but then again i'm just a broke down roughneck that has everything hurting, best of luck and get well, jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Several things in the pic stand out to me...you have left hip way back,,I like hips parelel to anvil,,you are holding work way back and that also pulls your left shoulder back. I hold work or tongs at about the same length as my hammer hand is from the head. Yoiu have wot I think is sa heavy hammer and have choked up on it to make it easier to lift. yoiu have your right elbow out away from your body, All of those items add up to pain and or injury. And all of them can be changed. But only if you are willing and think abouit them each and every time youi forge. A lot of folks use aheavy hammer..but those that do it well for log periods of time have the conditioning to support that. A two pound hammer that is easy to lift can be swung hard and fast. I bring mine way up along side my ear and it accelerates as It it is guided down. Force is weight times energy. A light weight at higher speed will produce more force than the opposite.If you had fast hands and stood at my side you could grab my hammer from my hands at the top of my swing quite easily, One more thing about your layout you have to take a few steps and turn around to heat stock and repeat to use anvil. Rearrange so yoiu can have your forge just off the horn or heal so you can reach stock easy from your position at the anvil. Each second the steel is in open air it loses a lot of heat. save that heat for forging,,metal will move easier and reduce Your work load, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Having a nice terminal bulb on the end of your hammer handle lets you hold it looser without danger of it slipping out. If the grip is too slick, rub a bit of beeswax on it and then run the handle over the forge to warm it slightly before use. AND NEVER WEAR A GLOVE ON YOU HAMMER HAND! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Depending on what you are doing, the height of your anvil and your approach to the issue can make a major difference. This meaning that you may be forging large stock and using large hammer (or not). I have forged my share of 16" plates for production work (14 guage) in 4-5 heats each. This is work but can be done. Please don't ask for pictures because I haven't any. This was proprietary work I did for a customer for several years. Some here have been to the shop and seen some of the other stuff I did. Regardless, the tooling stand used for this specific instance and many others is anvil height prior to attaching any tooling. 2-3# hammer(s) used normally. Sore elbow some yes. I found ( and find now) that a piece of bridge plank ( about 2 feet long ) placed on the floor beside the stand gave me an altitude gain of roughly 3". This gave me power on the down stroke. Could kick the step out of the way when not needed and stow it easily beside the file cabinet. This plank is roughly 8" wide and easily dealt with ( not a trip hazard ). There are a few other issues I may use the step on the anvil to gain power. Some have room for an anvil set at a lower height ( for plow work example ). I deal with my issues in a small crowded shop. Regardless, most of the sore arm issues left with this solution. Actually it helps to gain momentum ( think of aerobics or isometrics using poor technique. You CAN hurt yourself. I sometimes used a welding glove on the tong hand for this work simply because of the large heat involved. Never a glove on the hammer hand. Make yourself a shovel for coal. There will be several plans for them here on the site. Good exercise in skill building. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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