Sawmaker's hammer

[Sam Salvati]

Finished forging this guy today, from 1045. I still have to heat treat it, and that is only a temporary handle(I am working on handles, how they should feel, balance, fit the hammer head). Comments and critique welcome, I tried contouring the handle, and I like how it works out and fits into my hand, what are your opinions on that shape(hourglass)? it is stamped with my maker's mark, and 08 for the date.

[hammerkid]

Cool! I never seen one like that:D

[yesteryearforge]

nice job Sam

Mike Tanner

[Frosty]

Really nice job on the hammer.

I don't think I'd like the handle though, I tend to let my grip adjust to what I'm doing; out near the end if I need the power or choked up for fine work. That's why the handles I make are straight tapers with a bit of a knob at the end.

Of course, that's just me.

Frosty

[Sam Salvati]

Thanks HK, Mike, Frosty. Frosty, I'll have to give that a try.

[latvius]

Nice job, how much does the head weigh?

[Sam Salvati]

Thanks Latvius! I think about 1.5 pounds, i'll weight it though when I heat treat it.

[markb]

Handsome hammer, could you describe it's use?

[Sam Salvati]

Heat, beat:).

But seriously, I am not sure if the sawmakers used it different than any other hammer, they are very similar to the Japanese swordsmith's hammers, both used for forging all different shapes, I think Thomas Powers or someone else would know more though about sawmaker's and how they worked with they're odd hammers:D.

[the_sandy_creek_forge]

Hey Sam,
Nice looking hammer head.

As far as what it does? (and someone correct me if I am wrong on this). The sawyer would use the hammer on a COLD circular saw blade. With the correct knowledge and skill, he'd use the hammer to stretch the steel to put a certain amount of tension into the blade, this helped the blade spin "true," in other words it took the wobble out of the blade as the mill was running. There's as much of an art to it as there is to blacksmithing.

My grandpa and great-uncle made a living doing many things, one of which was running sawmills. We still have the remnant of the tracks from one of the old mills, and a very much workable setworks (all the gears that run the blade and the feed). We also have the tracks and carriage off of a newer mill that we will HOPEFULLY be able to eventually set in line with the old setworks and have an operating mill again. Our solution for taking the wobble out of the blade? Speed the engine up or slow it down until the blade runs true:) I know, it's kinda cheating, but like I said, there's an art to tuning a blade and having a blade tuned by a professional isn't cheap, when a professional can be found.

-Aaron @ the SCF

[Sam Salvati]

VERY COOL! Thanks for the info Aaron, good to know! Good luck getting the old mill setup!

[Jeff B]

It is also called a dog face hammer, and yes a sawmaker would use it to set the tension in a blade, it is so shaped so every blow will be square. I think 1.5 would be a little light for saw work though. I am in trainning to hammer saw blades, and have hammered my own with great success.
Jeff

[Sam Salvati]

VERY COOL JEFF!!!!!!! That must be an amazing specialization not many people do that anymore, I will add that to the list of things I tell people when they say"wow this is a dying craft", I say "no no no, blacksmithing is not a dying art, saw tensioning/hammering is a dying art!":D.

[metalmangeler]

Nice hammer. I would try to break the habit of putting your thumb on top of your handle. Habits can be stubborn and I have seen those I respect a lot use their hammer that way.

[Sam Salvati]

:D Thanks MM, I was just holding it that way for the picture, I almost ruined my wrist that way when I first started out, and my master was SURE to break me of that habit right quick! I have sadly also seen one or two smiths swing that way, much to my dismay.

[Ice Czar]

nice hammer, interesting handle, fascinating "tuning use"

I like handles with a center bulge and flared end
(typical Peddinghaus) Gives me a "natural" option for choked up high control or in back high power. Your handle seems to offer even more options? How do you use it?

[Frosty]

Circle saw blades are tuned by cupping them slightly. If they're perfectly flat they wobble but a few thousandths of an inch of cup and they're pretty rigid without losing the flex necessary to prevent breakage.

The trick is getting the blade cupped evenly all the way around. As you can imagine if it's uneven at all it'll have a shrieking hissy fit when you try to run it.

And yeah, thumb on top of the handle transmits the shock straight up your arm and will cause serious joint damage sooner than later.

Frosty

[ThomasPowers]

This type of hammer is in vouge with blademakers who are enamoured by it's use by the japanese smiths. They get a funny look when you tell them it's been used in the west for centuries---also in blademaking. The Sheffield knifemaker's traditional steady hammer has this shape as does the saw tuner---who also uses an anvil shaped just like the japanese one---but not derrived from it.

How it's used---you hammer with it! It's supposed to be better controlled for precise edge bevelling; but the japanes also use sledges of this type of heavy drawing and welding of billets.

He's pulling my leg a bit as last time one of these hammers was posted as a japanese hammer I ranted a bit on how it was used just as much in the west as well...

[nett]

Notice the thumb position of the young man wielding the hammer ;)

[Frosty]

Notice the thumb position of the young man wielding the hammer

His thumb is resting along the side of the handle near the top, not on top.

Also, you can not use posed pictures as examples of how something is done, then or now.

Frosty

[metalmangeler]

Maybe also notice that he is a YOUNG man, not one that has been doing that for 30 years. Sam I am glad to hear that you are taking care of yourself.
The other side of this coin is that I started putting my thumb on top of my hammer after observing Bob Marshal useing his hammer that way, last I knew he was still doing it. I do beleive that it can and often does cause dammage so I stopped.

[walkerironworks84]

I'm still new to this whole making hot steel do what I want it to thing but, what's the advantage of the shape? Why would that shape be better than a cross pien for example?

[NeatGuy]

I bought an 850lb saw makers anvil from a saw maker and his hammers were about the same size but had more of a crowned face.

brad