What is a forging hammer?

A forging hammer is a tool used by a blacksmith.

A forging hammer is almost any type of hammer used to shape metal during the forging process. A forging hammer can be human or steam powered and works with both hot and cold forging. Often a forge hammer is combined with an anvil, but double hammers are sometimes used.

Originally, the hammer used in a forge was wielded by a blacksmith. Using this tool and the muscular strength of his arm, he would shape metal into household items, tools, and ornaments. A forge hammer can vary in weight and be lighter for detailed work.

A forge hammer is often used with an anvil.

While this type of forging hammer is not obsolete, the scale of items made was limited to what could be made by a single man or a group of men. As the Industrial Revolution progressed and machines grew in scale, so did the scale of the different types of hammers used to create ship anchors and parts for steam engines.

In 1837, recessed hammers, weighing hundreds of pounds and powered by their own weight, were used to shape ship parts. Problems arose when an English forge was working to create the oar shaft for the SS Great Britain, then the largest ship ever built. The piece was so large that few forges were equipped to handle it. The force of a hammer blow, which was driven by gravity, never varied and was no match.

Anvils have been used for metalworking for centuries.

In response to this challenge, English engineer James Naysmith developed the steam hammer. This type of forging hammer consisted of a piston inside a cylinder. Depending on the steam pressure, the operator can drop the hammer with a hard blow or soft enough to crush an egg in a wine glass without damaging it.

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Whether powered by muscle, gravity, or steam, all of these types of forging hammers required an anvil to place the metal. An anvil absorbs the excessive impact of a hammer blow. Hammers, steam hammers, and other types of hammers must therefore be built upright.

A kick hammer is a type of forging hammer in which the hammer and anvil are directed towards each other. It consists of two hammers working together. Instead of wasting excess energy as heat, sound, or vibration at the anvil, the excess energy is used to drive the hammer back. This type of design allows for a faster forging time in a smaller area, as well as applying large amounts of force to the metal. Like other forging hammers, a kickback hammer can be powered by air or steam.

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