A forge hammer is used to shape metal during forging, and can be powered by humans, steam, or air. An anvil is often used with it. The Industrial Revolution led to larger hammers, and the steam hammer was developed in response to a challenge. A kickback hammer allows for faster forging times and high amounts of force.
A forge hammer is almost any type of hammer used to shape metal during the forging process. A forge hammer can be either human or steam powered and works with both cold and hot forging. Often, a forge hammer is paired with an anvil, but double hammers are sometimes used.
Originally, the hammer used in a forge was wielded by a blacksmith. Using this tool and the muscular power of his arm, he shaped the metal into household utensils, tools and ornaments. A forge hammer might vary in weight and be lighter for detailed work.
While this type of forge hammer is not obsolete, the scale of items made was limited to what could be made by one man or group of men. As the Industrial Revolution progressed and machines became larger in scale, so did the scale of the different types of hammers used to make ship anchors and parts for steam engines.
In 1837, drop hammers, which weighed hundreds of pounds and were propelled by their own weight, were used to fashion ship parts. Problems arose when an English forge was working to create the paddle shaft for the SS Great Britain, then the largest ship ever built. The part was so large that few forges were equipped to handle it. The force of a blow made by a drop hammer, which was driven by gravity, never varied and was not up to the task.
In response to this challenge, English engineer James Naysmith developed the steam hammer. This type of forge hammer consisted of a piston enclosed within a cylinder. Depending on the steam pressure, the operator could drop the hammer with a hard or light enough blow to crush an egg inside a wine glass without damaging the glass.
Powered by muscle, gravity, or steam, all of these types of forge hammers required an anvil to place the metal on. An anvil absorbs the excess shock of a hammer blow. Drop hammers, steam hammers and other types of hammers must therefore be built in an upright position.
A kickback hammer is a type of forge hammer in which both the hammer and anvil are driven towards each other. It consists of two hammers working in tandem. Instead of the excess energy being lost as heat, sound, or vibration at the anvil, the excess power is used in the recoil of the hammer. This type of design allows for faster forging times in a smaller area, as well as applying very high amounts of force to the metal. Like other forging hammers, a kickback hammer can be powered by air or steam.
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