Switched to a 3-pound hammer for tube work and I'm never going back

I've been using a 4-pounder for years (you know, thinking heavier = faster). But last week on a job in Beaumont we were re-tubing a condenser and the foreman handed me his 3-pound hammer. I figured I'd look weak using it but honestly? My arm didn't get as tired by lunch and my peening actually looked cleaner. Less rebound too. Anyone else size down on their hammer and get better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

rayy832d ago

I read somewhere that a lot of the old-timers actually preferred lighter hammers for tube work because they had better control over the peen. Makes sense when you think about it - a 4-pounder just pounds everything flat no matter what you do, but a 3-pound lets you feather the edges nicer. My buddy down in Corpus tried a 2.5-pound ball peen on a feedwater heater once and swore it was the best job he ever did. Rebound's always been my main gripe with the big hammers too, they just bounce back too hard and mess with your rhythm.

andrew6932d ago

Huh, that buddy of yours in Corpus probably had the right idea. Had an old foreman back when I was a helper who swore by a beat up 2-pounder he'd wrapped half the handle on with electrical tape. Said anything bigger just made you work twice as hard for the same money.