[TheForge] Blacksmith Sledge

[Grant Marcoux]

I have a 20 pounder that I swing full-swing or short swing.  It is great for
drifting through 2"x2" square.  An old school shipyard manager I used to
rent an apartment from had a 40 pounder which, according to him, was used
for setting the taper pins in the detachable links in a shot of anchor
chain.  It was a MONSTER

Grant

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of David E. Smucker
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 10:35 AM
To: AAA TheForge AAA
Subject: [TheForge] Blacksmith Sledge


This is a repost (is theforge having problems? this was refused last time.)

Does it have a handle?  If it does how long is it?  Some strikers used to
swing hammers (sledges) that could weigh 20 pounds. 12 pounds would be more
common.  A. P. Billingsly when he was a young man would swing a 20 pounder.

He was working on an industrial site as a brick mason's helper when the
plant blacksmith saw him swing a 20 pound sledge and ask if he wanted a
raise and a job as a helper in the blacksmith shop.  He said YES, got a 25
cents per day raise and move to the blacksmith shop.  (25 cents was a lot
when you were making $10 per week in the 30's.)  He tells a story about how
he thought he was going to get fired one day for damaging company equipment.
He and the blacksmith were making a large bic for the sheet metal shop and
drawing it out over the horn of the 400 pound anvil.  The blacksmith kept
saying to A.P. "Hit it harder" so he did.  The smith said one again "Hit it
harder" and next thing the horn broke off of the cast iron anvil.  (It had a
steel face but the anvil itself was cast iron.)  The smith then said "Not
that hard".  A.P. did not get fired.

By the way, he used to swing that 20 pound sledge "round house style".  Full
overhead swing, not just the typical striker swing.

Dave Smucker

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