Sledge hammer – the powerful tool without which it is difficult to do in construction and blacksmithing. Externally the sledge hammer is similar to very large hammer. It is used when it is necessary to provide significant force of blow. The right choice of this tool will allow to make work with sledge hammer more effective and safe.
Advantages of sledge hammer in front of other tools
The traditional sledge hammer has number of indisputable advantages before other modes of work allowing to achieve the same objectives. The handle design, considerable weight quickly and rather long handle do not give the chance to miss when performing blow. Sledge hammer it is possible to dismantle with success brick walls, concrete and masonry structures, especially in hard-to-reach spots where other tool cannot help.
The sledge hammer head performing function of shock part differs in high strength; she is capable to serve without replacement for many years. It is made such baizes from special tool steel by forging method with the subsequent training at high temperatures. The working surface of qualitative sledge hammer does not burst, does not break up, is not deformed at the most extreme operating conditions.
General recommendations about the choice of sledge hammer
The sledge hammer differs from the normal hammer not only the weight of head as well form. Distinguish several types of such tool, including cross, longitudinal, square-tipped and sharp-nosed sledge hammers. The sharp-nosed sledge hammer of cross type is similar to the hammer: one end has it wedge appearance. The nose quickly of longitudinal sledge hammer is located parallel to the handle, and opposite part is similar to square at which are chamfered. The weightiest in the considered family the square-tipped sledge hammer is considered. The weight of its working part reaches 16 kg.
Performance and scope of sledge hammer directly depend on its weight. It is possible to hammer with the massive tool successfully corners, channels, metal pins. Such sledge hammers are most often demanded on large production. For the solution of simpler household tasks it makes sense to get sledge hammer which weight does not exceed 10 kg. Such tool guarantees to the master comfort and efficiency in work.
When choosing sledge hammer the primary attention should be paid to way and quality of fastening of working part to the handle. Fastening has to be extremely reliable. Otherwise the tool will inevitably turn into the life-threatening tool. The landing slot of the "correct" sledge hammer has the form of two cones directed by noses to one another. Such form gives the chance strongly and reliably to fix handle in working part of the tool.
Baizes of sledge hammer it has to be executed by means of forging from the strong unalloyed steel intended for production of the tool. Working part of sledge hammer is never produced by casting.
Modern sledge hammers often have handles from fiberglass or composite materials. They without effort can give the special ergonomic form which is completely corresponding to human anatomy. It guarantees full convenience at deduction of sledge hammer in hands. Boyk is quite often given more irregular shape which corresponds to special types of works. Sometimes the head of the tool is painted in bright color (red, green, orange). It becomes only for convenience of search of the tool during the works on big object. The tool with similar characteristics differs in higher price.
Requirements to the sledge hammer handle
The handle of sledge hammer is intended for deduction of the tool in hands and reduction of return at blow therefore its length is usually rather big. Incorrectly designed handle at powerful blow is quite capable to put trauma to hand or shoulder joint.
It is recommended to choose the sledge hammer helved from strong plastic or fiberglass (this material has polyester resins in the basis), though the wooden handle if its proportions are truly calculated, will provide the necessary depreciation.
And still the handle executed from strong and in a special way the processed wood, is still considered the most practical and reliable, almost without conceding in popularity to handles from artificial materials.
The wooden handle should not have hollows, small chips and roughnesses. Any defects such increase risk of breakage of this part at heavy blow. The best handles produce from oak, beech and birch. The coniferous breeds of wood differing in the increased fragility are not suitable for production of handle for sledge hammer. At heavy load they can be stratified and break.
Special requirements are imposed to handle form: it has to have expansion in the field of fastening to sledge hammer head. Only this way it is possible to provide reliable fixing of the tool in hands at blows of any force. Section of wooden handle has to be oval.
The handle of sledge hammer becomes wider in the place of fastening quickly and narrowed by the opposite end. It becomes for the purpose of safety at handling of the tool. At miss or punching of wall the tool can quite fail in empty space and entrain the person. During the works at big height it is life-threatening. The special form of the handle of sledge hammer guarantees that the tool in the described situation just slips out hands.
Preference should be given to that sledge hammer which handle in its upper part is covered with the rubberized protection material which will perfectly amortize, softening vibration at blow.
Evaluate the physical sizes of the handle. Its free end has to be about one and a half times thinner than that part on which it is got baizes. Total length of the handle of sledge hammer has to be ranging from 80 up to 100 cm. The impact strength during the work as sledge hammer, as a rule, is regulated by change of position of hands on the handle relatively quickly.
The wooden handle has to be qualitatively polished and covered with waterproof varnish. Such processing will not allow the master to injure hands or to put splinter on palm.
Completion phase of the choice of sledge hammer – assessment of quality of cotter connection. The wedge having appearance of the steel strip sharpened since one end is considered the best. This constructive part is exhausted approximately on two thirds of all depth of the landing slot. The maximum reliability of fixture is reached by such size of wedge. Longer steel element can cause splitting of wooden handle.