Old timer at the shop told me my hammer swings were wasting heat on the anvil stand, not the steel

I was hammering a 1-inch round bar into a leaf shape and he pointed out I was landing a third of my hits on the horn edge instead of the flat face, so I spent the next 2 hours forcing myself to keep my strikes centered and got a way cleaner taper without reheating every 15 seconds.

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.holly18d ago

Keep your hammer face parallel to the anvil face so you don't miss.

david70117d ago

Thats a REALLY good point. I see so many people who just swing the hammer and hope for the best, but the angle of the face matters more than most folks realize. If your hammer face is even slightly tilted, you can kiss that nail goodbye or leave ugly dents in your work. It also helps prevent bending the nail over to the side which is just frustrating. Getting that parallel face takes some practice but once you get the feel for it, your hammering gets way more accurate. Its one of those small details that separates clean work from junk.