Best tool of the day

Had an interesting day at the Black Country living Museum. Best tool of the day was the 56lb two handled sledge hammer, I didn't take a picture but Google two handled hammer will soon find the beast, apparently an even larger three handled version existed. Bet they were glad when the steam hammer arrived.

Mike

Maybe not though - the guys that used them would likely pick up lots of free drinks for various feats of strength. "Ooer I'll bet tha can't lift the bull in next field over yer head young hammer man!" "Done - fer a pint! - let's go..."

After steam hammer arrival they'd get out of shape fast for that sort of caper , although you would still need to be pretty strong to work on a steam hammer crew as well.

Ah the good old days - superhuman work in terrible hot smoky conditions for 37 shillings a week and no health care plan whatsoever.

Not quite in that league, but my first Gaffer had a 16lb sledge hammer with the shaft sawn off short. He was only about 5'-6" tall but as broad across the shoulders and forearms like Popeye. He would wield the thing with one hand quite easily. As a skinny 16 year old I had all on to use it two handed for more than a few blows. " is that your name and address lad " he would say, referring to the marks I inevitably left on anything I attacked.

Not "MODEL" engineering maybe but this fearsome beastie has helped me a few times! When it did it was certainly MY "best tool of the day"! ( Not too suitable for the delicate bits though!)

Norman

The hammer is called a Monday hammer,we had them in heavy fabrication shops for "setting" the edges of plates prior to rolling, My mates dad who was about 10 stone wet through could swing it all day,I couldnt even lift it over my head.

Bit off-topic, but its interesting reading about the ability to swing big hammers - I believe it is all down to technique, not all brute force.

When we moved to our current location, we found we had to use wood heating, and this meant chopping between 10 and 20 tons of logs, mostly oak and ash. It usually is done around Easter, so the logs can be stacked to dry for the winter. If the wood is left for a long time, ash in particular becomes very difficult to chop.

My first attempts were feeble - I could maybe chop about three or four wheelbarrow loads, then had a 'collapse' until the next day. It would take me maybe three or four weeks to chop it all, and it was painful, to say the least.

Nowadays, after doing it for 8 years, I can chainsaw the logs into 2 foot lengths, then chop the lot in 2 or 3 days. I think its all down to technique - I learnt (the hard way), how to swing the axe properly, and I would never have believed that a 'technique' existed before I did it - but I couldn't say what is different now. I have watched skinny boys chop logs with no apparent effort. (I have just finished this years load, and I am now over 70, weigh about 70 kilos, and have no obvious muscles to speak of ).

A big thing is finding the 'sweet spot' on the handle of a hammer or axe, which minimises the vibration returned to the user and makes it much less tiring to use. Also letting the weight of the head do the bulk of the work, not forcing it.

Found this:

During my apprenticeship we were taught to use a steam hammer which was nearly as big as our bungalow,the unofficial trade test was to shut a box of swan vestas without producing a sheet of flame, also to just crack an egg without squashing it, I'm sure others have done this

Mick