Shoutout to trying a lighter hammer, my control is way better now

I always thought you needed a heavy hammer to move material fast, so I stuck with my big one for years. But after messing up a bunch of scrolls because my arm would give out, I read a comment here about using a lighter hammer for fine work. Decided to test it on a small bracket I was forging last week. Dude, I couldn't believe how much easier it was to place my hits exactly where I wanted. Finished the bracket in half the time with no re-dos, which never happens for me. It's a tiny win, but I'm super hyped about not fighting my tools anymore. Totally changed my mindset on matching the hammer to the job. Now I keep a couple different weights on my bench and switch as needed.

3 comments

3 Comments

davidcraig1mo ago

Took me forever to learn that lesson too.

king.lisa1mo ago

Yeah, finding a system that actually works for your own brain is the key part. Just copying what other people do never stuck for me. Had to mess up my own way a few times before something finally clicked. Still feels like a work in progress most days though.

logan7051mo ago

Took me 3 years to stop forcing methods that just weren't for me. Still tweaking my own system every few months.