Well needed upgrade

[Emthegem]

Finally got the well needed upgrade from the original rock pick my dad picked up at an antique store:

We had to jam a washer between the shaft and the head of the antique one because it kept shifting up when we would hit harder rocks haha!

 

The new one does seem somewhat short though, not sure if the original is just very long or....

 

-Em

[Mark Kmiecik]

Two things you need to know. First is that the old hammer can now be ground down to a flat chisel-type point, and the flat end can be ground into a ball head which is nice for certain types of concretions and geodes. Just be careful to go slowly because if you get it too hot you'll have to re-temper it. Second is that the head is mounted to the handle wrong. Go get a handle replacement wedge kit from your local hardware store - anywhere you go will have the item. Should be under five bucks. It will contain a wooden wedge and a metal wedge. Remove all wedges, washers and anything else in the head of the hammer except the handle. Drive the wooden wedge into the slit cut into the end of the handle. This forces the handle tight against the sides of the forged head. Cut the wedge off flush with the top if necessary. The metal wedge gets driven into the middle across the wooden wedge, (at 90 degrees to it). This splits the wooden wedge as well as the handle and forces both to spread against the front and rear of the forged head opening. That's what keeps the head from wobbling side-to-side or front-to-back. Drive the metal wedge all the way in if possible. If not, grind off whatever is sticking out. Google replacing a hammer handle and watch some videos. Here's a good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gweMiDdf0ag

 

 

Both the wedges appear to be missing on the old hammer and the washer is useless as a replacement for the wedges. If you throw that hammer away you will miss it. It's like an old friend. You don't discard them because they're old. And be extra careful with that new hammer. That flat, knife-like edge will cut like an axe if you hit your thumb or a finger with it. A lot of old-school carpenters won't even use those because they know how easy a mis-strike like that is. If you use a hammer long enough you'll hit your thumb or finger several times. How many can you afford to cut off? If you decide to keep it, wrap it with tape or leather so it's less "sharp". Wear heavy leather gloves, or at least a left glove, if you're right-handed. Google 'carpenter's thumb' and check out the images.

[Randyw]

Now you need To go wear the new off of it!

[Kane]

Well done. That hammer should last a lifetime. 

[Emthegem]

39 minutes ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

Two things you need to know. First is that the old hammer can now be ground down to a flat chisel-type point, and the flat end can be ground into a ball head which is nice for certain types of concretions and geodes. Just be careful to go slowly because if you get it too hot you'll have to re-temper it. Second is that the head is mounted to the handle wrong. Go get a handle replacement wedge kit from your local hardware store - anywhere you go will have the item. Should be under five bucks. It will contain a wooden wedge and a metal wedge. Remove all wedges, washers and anything else in the head of the hammer except the handle. Drive the wooden wedge into the slit cut into the end of the handle. This forces the handle tight against the sides of the forged head. Cut the wedge off flush with the top if necessary. The metal wedge gets driven into the middle across the wooden wedge, (at 90 degrees to it). This splits the wooden wedge as well as the handle and forces both to spread against the front and rear of the forged head opening. That's what keeps the head from wobbling side-to-side or front-to-back. Drive the metal wedge all the way in if possible. If not, grind off whatever is sticking out. Google replacing a hammer handle and watch some videos. Here's a good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gweMiDdf0ag

 

 

Both the wedges appear to be missing on the old hammer and the washer is useless as a replacement for the wedges. If you throw that hammer away you will miss it. It's like an old friend. You don't discard them because they're old. And be extra careful with that new hammer. That flat, knife-like edge will cut like an axe if you hit your thumb or a finger with it. A lot of old-school carpenters won't even use those because they know how easy a mis-strike like that is. If you use a hammer long enough you'll hit your thumb or finger several times. How many can you afford to cut off? If you decide to keep it, wrap it with tape or leather so it's less "sharp". Wear heavy leather gloves, or at least a left glove, if you're right-handed. Google 'carpenter's thumb' and check out the images.

Wow scary stuff, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. And yes I was planning to keep the original hammer - I will get to share with my father when we go hunting together! 

 

I'm assuming the sharp edge will dull out a little bit over time? Also, are there any rocks I shouldn't hit with the hammer or are all types generally fine?

 

-Em

[Mark Kmiecik]

24 minutes ago, Emthegem said:

Also, are there any rocks I shouldn't hit with the hammer or are all types generally fine?

You can hit any rock you want. The hammer won't chip, but the rock might. Wear safety goggles.

[FossilNerd]

Very nice hammer! Should last a lifetime and you won’t even need a washer to hold the head on.

 

 Now go get that thing dirty, and don’t forget to post pics of your outing with it and your fossil finds!  

[Kane]

9 hours ago, Emthegem said:

Wow scary stuff, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. And yes I was planning to keep the original hammer - I will get to share with my father when we go hunting together! 

 

I'm assuming the sharp edge will dull out a little bit over time? Also, are there any rocks I shouldn't hit with the hammer or are all types generally fine?

 

-Em

Don't worry about the edge; competent use of the hammer will suffice.  As for rocks that you can or should use this hammer on, that will be more defined by the type and density. A very tough encrinal limestone can be broken by this hammer, but it will take several hard blows. In that case, it is preferable to use a hand sledge. Ben Franklin may have said "small strokes fell big oaks," but chances are you might not be optimizing your energy in trying to crack open a dense rock with this hammer. Oh, and get some cold chisels, too. As someone who is studying engineering, I'm sure you know a great deal about proper distribution of force!

 

Here's more on hammers: 

 

[erose]

Definitely read some of the other posts on hammers in this subfolder or others.  

 

Curious, is that an Estwing or just a blue-handled look alike?

 

But keep in mind hammers are tools and you need the right tool for each job. The nice rock pick you bought will suffice for most of the geological exploring you will do in sedimentary rocks.  It will break most rocks down and can be used to strike small to medium sized chisels. The pick will prove handy for digging thru talus or flipping stuff over.  But every so often you are going to need something bigger. Some rocks are just too hard for a rock pick. As mentioned look at getting a crack hammer (small sledge hammer) as well and some bigger chisels. I leave those in the car and retrieve them as needed.

[Emthegem]

9 hours ago, erose said:

Definitely read some of the other posts on hammers in this subfolder or others.  

 

Curious, is that an Estwing or just a blue-handled look alike?

 

But keep in mind hammers are tools and you need the right tool for each job. The nice rock pick you bought will suffice for most of the geological exploring you will do in sedimentary rocks.  It will break most rocks down and can be used to strike small to medium sized chisels. The pick will prove handy for digging thru talus or flipping stuff over.  But every so often you are going to need something bigger. Some rocks are just too hard for a rock pick. As mentioned look at getting a crack hammer (small sledge hammer) as well and some bigger chisels. I leave those in the car and retrieve them as needed.

It's an Estwing, but I took the tags off  

 

Also, we usually go fossil hunting with bikes so I'll likely just stick with the pick for now until later when we get more access to the car.Thanks for the advice though, I'll keep it in mind!

 

-Em

[Ludwigia]

Also for future information: The long-handled Estwing has the most clout since the swing radius is larger and it also saves your elbow during prolonged use.

[Ptychodus04]

Nice new hammer. I have a similar old hammer that was my father's. I'm contemplating turning it into a camp axe... one of the benefits of having a forge!

[LabRatKing]

On 7/30/2019 at 1:13 AM, Ludwigia said:

Also for future information: The long-handled Estwing has the most clout since the swing radius is larger and it also saves your elbow during prolonged use.

Commonly sold as the 22oz Eastwing.