paige331•1mo agoMost Upvoted

Why I stopped using my power hammer for certain jobs

I used to reach for my power hammer for every big job, but after a project last fall I had to make a choice. I was making a set of six gate hinges for a customer in Richmond and needed a consistent curve on each one. The power hammer was fast but I kept getting a slight variation I couldn't fix. So I switched to hand forging with a cross peen hammer and a swage block. It took me three hours longer per hinge but the curves came out exactly the same every time. The customer noticed the difference and paid me an extra $200 over my quote. Now I pick the method based on the part, not just how heavy it is. Has anyone else found that hand tools give you better control for smaller decorative pieces?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimmurphy1mo ago

Holy cow, six hinges and you hand forged each one?! That's insane dedication, I can barely stay focused for one big project like that! lmao. I would have lost my mind around the second hinge knowing I could have just used the power hammer and been done. But hey, that extra $200 is a serious motivator, and the customer actually noticing the difference is the real win. I always figured power hammers were just for speed, but you're making me think twice about the control thing for delicate curves.

wendy1311mo ago

Gotta jump in here because nobody's talking about the physical toll part. Hand forging six hinges like that sounds rough on your body, especially the shoulders and elbows from all that repetitive striking. I swapped back to hand tools for some detail work and ended up with tendonitis in my wrist after a month. The power hammer saves your joints in a different way than just speed. Have you noticed any wear and tear from going back to hand forging for that long?

kimmurphy1mo ago

Six hinges by hand, I honestly thought that was crazy talk before but you changed my mind.