[TheForge] Just watched the Mythbusters try to shatter hammers

[Saint Phlip]

Suspect it might happen, but under fairly unusual circumstances. Of
course, we being smiths, we kinda tend to generate unusual
circumstances ;-)

For starters, they likely used new hammers. Like anything else new,
they hadn't had a lifetime of being thumped on things, and chances to
develop stress cracks from usage. And, they were likely room temp or
warmer, under the TV lights, and we all know warm steel tends to be
softer steel- even a few degrees can make a difference. Figure many
tools are kept in the garage, and their prime period of shop usage by
hobbyists is in the winter for shop projects, as opposed to tapping
the odd nail now and then, and you've got cold, more brittle steel
hitting cold more brittle steel. And, no telling how much force was
being applied. I'm not as muscular as you guys, but I can hit a pretty
solid controlled whack with a hammer- I've seen beginners whaling
away, and most definitely wouldn't want to be too close to what
they're hitting, hard or soft ;-)

OTOH, my favorite hammers are at least as old, and possibly older,
than I am. My absolute favorite has a chip off the face- it's
definitely not a ding.

And, as far as the Chinese Anvil Shaped Objects, isn't one of the big
problems that they're too soft? Mine is a Russian cast steel Harbor
Freight anvil, and after 4 years of beginners hitting everything but
their work piece, it's showing a few dents, but no cracks. Does a good
job, for the price ;-)

Hadda laugh, when I was using my new (old) hot cutter. Despite all the
mushrooming, I had a beginner wincing and wanting to move away when I
was using it- he thought I was hitting a hammer with another hammer,
until I explained.

On 11/30/06, Justin Fisher <justinf at pixelations.com> wrote:
> Mostly they were using claw hammers, set up in a rig to smack two
> hammers face-to-face.  They even tried hardening the hammers, and at the
> end they aimed a hammer at Chinese Anvil-Shaped Object.  No shattering,
> not even any chipping.
>
> They concluded that hammers don't shatter, even if abused.
>
> Comments?
>
>
> --Justin Fisher,
> generally avoiding hitting my hammers with other hammers.


-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Has anyone seen my temper?
I seem to have misplaced it at Stalag XXXV....