TIL my old cross peen hammer was holding me back

I was forging a set of fireplace tools last week and kept fighting to move the metal. I grabbed a buddy's 2.5 pound rounding hammer on a whim, and the difference was instant. The round face spreads the force better and the weight just sinks in, so I'm not hitting as many times. Has anyone else made a simple hammer switch that changed their forging speed?

2 comments

2 Comments

blakecampbell27d agoMost Upvoted

Ever feel like your tools are just laughing at you? I was the same with my cross peen, felt like I was fighting it more than the metal. @jamierodriguez gets it, sometimes you just need a heavier hammer that actually works.

jamierodriguez27d ago

My grandpa's old ball peen hammer felt like swinging a brick until I tried a 3 pound drilling hammer.