explodeing hammer

[johnthomp]

ever heared of the urban legend that you cant use one hammer to hit another because itll explode due to them both being of the same hardness ???
i dont know if its possible but i nearley lost an eye with a cimilar thing
i was only spectating while a freind of mine was useing a 3lb lump hammer on a 1"cold chisel to knock a driveshaft out of a siezed bearing and giveing it some serious welly i decided to put on a pair of goggles just incase roughly 10 seconds later the back of the chisel chipped and sent a small piece of cobalt steel shrapnel into my lower neck at the speed of light i just dabbed it with a bit of toilet roll to stop the blood thinking it just grazed past me and got on with my day
but this afternoon i was strugleing with a car stereo and had a magnetic screwdriver in a closed fist and just rested my chin on my fist at the bench wondering do i carry on or try again tomorrow etc etc and without any warning the screwdriver stuck to my neck where the thing hit me
i **** myself and went to a&e to find out is it dangerous such as is it close to any nerves jugular vein and wotnot it turns out its ok to stay there but something the doc said really stuck
(if that had hit your eye youd be totaly blind in that side and probably have to have a glass one fitted your bloody lucky mate )
but on the upside of it all i got a new party trick out of it i can stick a fridge magnet on my neck now hee hee ;D
but from now on even if im just in the vicinity of such work im gonna remember that day and
WEAR MY BLOODY GOGGLES !!!

 

[New_Guy]

sound advice and also a reminder to keep your tools in good condition

 

[johnthomp]

the thing that got me was the hammer looked prehistoric like pre ww2 and the chisel cant have been far off new it was still in its box with thr rest of the set almost immacculate
just something about the way he was leathering it lol :hDe:

 

[Tin Falcon]

John :
If you read any of the blacksmithing books pertaining to toolmaking most tools should have a gradient temper. In this case the chisel point should be hard and the shank a bit softer and the end you beat on the softest. IMHO modern heat treating methods often do batch or assembly line heat treats that make the item all one hardness. your better manufacturers will add the extra step to hit the back side of the chisel and temper it a bit softer. But it is another step and added expense.
Sounds like the back side of the chisel is a bit hard.
Tin

 

[Maryak]

Guys,

The end of a chisel which you hit with the hammer will roll over and form a mushroom with splits back to the main body of the chisel. Eventually these break off when struck with a hammer especially if the blow is not spot on. The striking end of a chisel should always be ground back at a slight taper and with a slightly domed end.

As highlighted by John the result of not maintaining the striking end of a chisel, punch etc. can have some very serious results.

The one on the left is just starting to deform the one on the right is looooooooong overdue for dressing back to remove the dangerous split ends. (Better shampoo perhaps ;D)

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[bearcar1]

And yes, one should never strike two hammers together. Although some will have done so and lived to brag about it or debate the subject, they were just lucky. The same goes for using a compressed air nozzle to dry out a ball or roller bearing after solvent cleaning. They have been known to 'explode', that is come apart with such velocity that it seems they detonated.

BC1
Jim

 

[itowbig]

they had that on mith busters no exploding hammers but there where some chiped one

 

[johnthomp]

i saw the myth busters thing its on youtube at the moment and with being in the building trade for the last decade i have learned the value of keeping a good clean strikeing tip on my stone chisels i have had the back of my left hand ripped open and restitched 3 times now from chips or the chisel sliding through my hand resulting in the mushroom being pummled into the web between my thumb and finger the last time i did it i damaged my main nerve and now cant feel hot and cold nor pain such as cuts but still feeel it when ive hit it with the hammer oh:
and in the interest of safety ive even tried useing those rubber hand guards on my chisels but they just get in the way and dont really do you any favours even if you do hit the back of that it just hurts as much anyway its just an occupational hazzard i guess but will always wear my goggles no matter what its one thing to stitch a hand shut but you cant stitch an eye back together
reguards john

 

[walnotr]

As a small child I remember being fascinated while hitting two hammers together and never being able to make them "stick". It was like they would repel each other and would never touch. As I look back at my foolishness it is a wonder I have grown to be an "older gentleman" with all my parts still intact. I have had enough close calls to have learned the lessons but still I wonder . . .

Steve C.

 

[Groomengineering]

As I look back at my foolishness it is a wonder I have grown to be an "older gentleman" with all my parts still intact.

He He, Yea I've learned few things also. Never beat on a CV joint with a ball-peen hammer lest a chip come back at you at mach 3, never try to pull an engine with a chain wrapped around the 2X4 garage rafter.... etc. Still have all my parts, not sure why.... :shrug:

Cheers

Jeff

 

[johnthomp]

jeff
with all the messing with cars ive done i learned to use propper axle stands the hard way
i jacked a ford cortina up and put it on bricks while i changed the shocks on the rear axle good job my nephew was there the bricks gave way and the car came down on top of me i didnt get crushed just trapped tight as the lowered jack was just thinner than me and leaft under the car thank god !!!!

 

[Layne]

I did a similar thing by trying to use a cummins diesel wrist pin as an anvil. The wrist pin is a solid chunk of very hard steel about 2-1/2" diameter by 5" long. It shot a small chip of the edge into my hand and I decided to give it up and get a softer anvil.