michael_green44•1mo agoProlific Poster

Vent: My 20-year-old power hammer's main spring snapped right in the middle of a big Damascus billet order last Tuesday.

I had to finish the last three billets by hand with a sledge, which took me over 6 hours and felt like a real throwback to my first year in the shop.

4 comments

4 Comments

park.miles1mo ago

Holy cow, finishing three Damascus billets by hand with a sledge? That's some serious old school dedication right there. My arms are sore just thinking about six hours of that. Bet your first year in the shop felt like a breeze compared to last Tuesday. Did you have to ice your shoulders after that marathon?

the_anthony1mo ago

My first year in the shop was nothing but filing, so @park.miles is right, last Tuesday felt like a whole new level of pain.

martin.riley1mo ago

Honestly I don't get the big deal. Using a power hammer or press is just working smarter, not a lack of dedication. The goal is a good billet, not how much you suffer. My shoulders were fine the next day with the right setup.

max2231mo ago

@martin.riley's right, a power hammer just saves your joints for the real work.