How to make a handle for a sledgehammer with your own hands

A heavy tool designed to deliver powerful blows must have a robust design that can withstand increased loads. A sledgehammer is one of the simplest construction tools, but nevertheless, there are several important features in its manufacture. For maximum safety and efficiency, we recommend using tools manufactured according to national or international standards. If you can at least partially repeat the technological process, we will be happy to share a detailed guide to making a sledgehammer with your own hands.

Sledgehammer device

To understand what a sledgehammer is made of, you just need to see it.
This simplest tool has only two main elements: a striker and a handle. Depending on the model, the materials and dimensions of these parts may vary. Typically, a sledgehammer has a hardened carbon steel head and a straight-grain wood handle (birch, maple, rowan, elm). The weight and dimensions of the tool depend on the area of its application. For forging metal, 2-4 kg with a length of 50-70 cm is enough, and for dismantling work you can use a 16-kg striker on a handle up to 120 cm in length. Unlike a hammer, whose handle tapers from the base, a sledgehammer, on the contrary, expands as it approaches the steel part. The best material for making a handle is considered to be one that has high strength and transmits a minimum of vibrations. Thus, metal or oak handles, although they meet the first requirement, are significantly behind in the second parameter. The least inertial material for the production of handles is currently considered to be composite plastic or fiberglass. To minimize recoil, the grip area is often rubberized.

The master's work is afraid

Alim Rizaev is a jack of all trades.
He masters the art of welding and creating useful devices from what others would, in good conscience, scrap. His YouTube channel ARS Pro contains secrets of making a hammer from junk, restoring scrapped axes, and even tips on cleaning frying pans using sandblasting.

We learned from the blogger how to make anything with your own hands - from a vice to a compressor, and why old equipment is a wealth for a homemade worker.

Personal space

Alim Rizaev has a welding diploma, but he has a whole arsenal of professions.

He worked in the energy, gas and water supply industries, was a tiler and plasterer, and was involved in construction and finishing work, but the fire of interest in welding never went out. He maintained passion and interest in various kinds of homemade products.

“For the first time I tried to implement my ideas using welding in the army, I made a simulator,” the blogger recalls. “Upon returning home, I decided to continue this topic.”

Gradually, the master acquired a tool that helped develop the DIY story, but the hero had no personal space for creativity. As soon as Alim’s family acquired a plot of land with a house in Dagestan, work began to boil. I built the workshop with my own hands, from the foundation to the last screw.

Today, Alim Rizaev regularly turns his workspace into a film set. In implementing interesting ideas, the master and blogger are helped not only by experience, but also by equipment - mostly domestically produced.

Kirov grinders, famous since Soviet times, are here side by side with their brothers from Interskol. The famous Russian brand in Alim’s workshop is presented in a variety of ways: drills, jigsaws, hammer drills, screwdrivers.

Circular - with the quality mark: “Made in the USSR”.

The indispensable assistants of the master are SO-7 and ZIL compressors and, of course, a welding machine. “I choose a tool based on the optimal price-quality ratio,” says Alim.

– For now I’m satisfied with Interskol, but in the future I want to work, for example, with Makita. The main selection criteria are sufficient power, durability, low noise and vibration levels.

Even among inexpensive tools you can find something that meets the stated requirements.”

Metal cuts

Alim Rizaev did not plan to conquer the vastness of video hosting, and even today the blogger does not have such a task. “My channel is for my own people: friends, colleagues, like-minded people,” says the hero.

– A little over two years ago I uploaded my first video about a homemade compressor to YouTube and very soon realized that a channel about homemade products was a good idea.

That first video received more than a hundred thousand views, and today YouTube gives me the opportunity to work in the workshop, to do what I really like.”

The geography of Alim Rizaev's interests is very wide. On the ARS Pro channel there is a whole series about all kinds of useful things made of metal - from upgrading old equipment to creating new devices almost from scratch.

According to the blogger, metal provides unlimited possibilities for creativity. Moreover, the best material can be found at city collection points.

Thus, the collection of DIY works was replenished with restored Soviet axes, a new hammer made of junk metal, and a stand for an angle grinder, assembled from a pedal assembly from a bicycle.

These and many other homemade products of the Dagestan blogger are the author’s. Based on his projects, Alim assembled a vice and clamps, a grinder and a roller barrel for it, a stand for a chain-driven drill and a welding table. “I often watch other channels, something inspires me, I get interesting ideas somewhere.

You can improve, complicate the mechanism or, conversely, make it simpler,” says the master. – If you urgently need a device, but there is nothing on the Internet on this topic, I start experimenting. So, for example, a furnace for melting aluminum appeared - it runs on natural gas, without noise and waste.”

Channel subscribers also liked another author’s idea of replacing the compressor filter with a roller sponge.

Alim admits that not all ideas can be implemented quickly and masterfully. Some projects stretch over several months or even years - for example, creating a metal lathe. “I got excited about this topic, but other ideas appeared and work stopped,” says the blogger. “I hope to get sick with lathe again and still finish what I started.”

A popular blog could become a good source of income for Alim Rizaev, but the possibility of creative freedom for the master is much more important. “Now I only accept orders for metal doors; I refuse other work so as not to leave the workshop for a long time,” the blogger admits. – Time is the most valuable resource; as always, there is not enough of it, but there are a lot of plans.

The closest ones are a practical welding holder with a new electrode clamping mechanism and an aluminum roller for the grinder - I will try to create it without the participation of a turner. A powerful clamp and vice are what was promised to subscribers.” By the way, followers often give Alim ideas for new videos.

The master agrees with pleasure: the main thing is that the work is interesting, and the homemade products are useful and in demand.

How to make a striker

Before moving on to the description of the actions, it should be noted that the process of making a sledgehammer head involves forging, which requires special tools, equipment and experience. If you do not have an anvil and a high-temperature furnace, this guide will only be theoretical for you. You can look for the firing pin on classifieds websites or in markets. In any case, its cost will be less than that of a ready-made sledgehammer. Well, for those who are familiar with blacksmithing first-hand, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features of the product.

To manufacture the impact element of the sledgehammer, structural carbon steel grades 50, 45, 55, 50G, 50G2 are used. This metal is used in the production of truck axle shafts, so if you don’t have the suitable material, you can look for it at your nearest auto repair shop. To work, you will need a rectangular piece weighing 3 kg, from which you need to forge a parallelepiped.

The next step is to place the handle. To do this, on one side, in the center, we punch a through hole with a diameter of 25 to 30 mm. The sides of the workpiece are deformed. Having freed the hole, it is necessary to forge the side edges so that the object again takes the shape of an even parallelepiped, and the round hole becomes oval.

In order for the attachment point to be most reliable, it must be given a cone shape, tapering from the side edges to the center (in the cross-section of the striker it resembles an hourglass). For this operation, you will need to forge a special calibration rod from cone-shaped steel. The cross-section of the caliber should be oval, and the length should be 180-200 mm. The lower part of the section should be a couple of millimeters narrower than the hole made in the striker, and the upper part is slightly larger than the handle that you are going to install. After forging, the gauge must be hardened and ground.

To properly calibrate the hole, drive the steel rod to a depth just below the center of the striker. When the caliber is deepened, the side faces will be deformed. They need to be straightened by removing the gauge and forging the ends of the workpiece. Next, drive the gauge into the hole again, and without removing it, forge the sides and bead the ends. When the workpiece has the shape of a regular parallelepiped, we repeat the calibration process on the other side of the hole.

When the striker has the correct shape and a reliable attachment point, you can proceed to the hardening stage. In order for the steel to become truly hard, it must be heated to 850 degrees Celsius until the workpiece takes on a bright red color. Once the required temperature is reached, immerse in cold water until cool.

Now that the steel is hardened, it is necessary to give it ductility so that it does not crack during operation. To do this, heat the product to 250-300 degrees and let it cool slowly. After cooling, we grind the metal surface and read how to attach a sledgehammer to a wooden handle.

steel grade

When creating a sledgehammer at home, it is best to opt for steel grades such as 40.45 and 50X. For example, grade 50X indicates that the material contains about 0.5% carbon. If you are unable to find steel from one of the brands presented, then it is recommended to contact any of the truck dealerships and purchase an axle shaft from a truck there. Even several tools can be made from this material.

DIY sledgehammer handle

A very easy-to-make wooden handle for a sledgehammer is considered the least inertial and durable if you choose the right material. The most suitable types of wood for handles are birch, elm, rowan, maple or ash. It is desirable that the source material is split, not sawn, and does not have knots. You can take an ordinary block, but the strength will be lower. The length of the handle depends on your requirements, but on average, for a striker weighing 3-4 kg, 600-800 mm is enough.

The first and most important step in the process of creating a handle for a sledgehammer with your own hands will be to trim the workpiece with a plane, ax or other suitable tool. The thickness of the handle should gradually increase from the beginning (the grip point) to the end (the place where the striker is attached), the size of which should be slightly larger than the size of the hole in the striker being put on. For maximum strength, the handle must have a stiffening rib, so its shape should be oval, not round.

Forging hammers

Blacksmith hammer with wooden handle. Photo ForgingPRO

In blacksmithing, when performing hand forging, forging hammers are an indispensable tool . They act as an impact factor when forming blanks using the free hot forging method. In the article we will consider their different types depending on the specific application.

Differences between a sledgehammer and a handbrake (hammer) for forging

There are two main groups of forging hammers: sledge hammers and hand hammers. Under the influence of a sledgehammer, the workpiece is deformed using blows . It takes the required form.

The hand hammer plays a specific role in free forging. When working in tandem with a hammer, using a handbrake, the blacksmith indicates the direction of the blow with a sledgehammer.

In addition, the hammer hammer’s partner sets the rhythm of work, which best distributes his physical load.

The hand hammer is also used
for forging small workpieces as a forming tool .
It is important to note : the differences between hammers and sledgehammers are very arbitrary. A blacksmith may well call a small sledgehammer a large hammer. Therefore, we will not focus too much on this terminology further.

Sledgehammers and hammer. Photo Firm Utica

Due to the different functions when performing work, the main differences between sledgehammers and handbrake handles are their weight and dimensions directly related to it . The handbrake hammer weighs from 0.8 kg to 2 kg.

The weight of the sledgehammer is correspondingly greater - from 2 kg to 8 kg. To estimate the overall dimensions of the working part of a 6 kg sledgehammer. Let us give the following data: the size of the side of the base in the form of a square is 70 mm.

, the length of the working part is 175 mm.

What types of hand hammers are there: heavy and light, according to the shape of the head

In addition to differences in mass, hammers are divided according to the shape of the striking part . Sledgehammers have the following shapes, differing in the design of the rear part:

blunt-nosed;
sharp-nosed longitudinal;
pointed transverse.

The blunt-nosed ones are the heaviest, the main task of which is to perform basic forging.

Blacksmith's sledgehammer, blunt-nosed, galvanized steel. Photo ForgingPRO

Handbrake hammers are made with the following shapes:

spherical;
longitudinal;
transverse.

With a wedge-shaped striker, single-sided and double-sided, longitudinal and transverse

Hammers with this type of striker are used in blacksmithing to accelerate the metal of a workpiece , depending on the direction of the wedge - longitudinal or transverse.

Hammers: 1 - with a round back; 2 - sledgehammer; 3 (a) - with a one-sided wedge-shaped back; 3(b) and 4 - with double-sided wedge-shaped tail

With spherical striker

Handbrake hammers with a spherical back are used to obtain rounded shapes like cups. Upon impact, the metal accelerates simultaneously in all directions, and not just in a certain direction, as when processing with wedge-shaped strikers.

With a shifted center of gravity

For work with special control of the amount of hammer rebound during impact, as well as reducing the cost of physical effort , it is recommended to use such a tool with a shifted center of gravity.

Forging hammer with offset center. Photo ForgingPRO

By reducing the moment arm, which deflects the hammer away from the main direction of movement when it comes into contact with an object, the impact load is concentrated at one point.

Ironers

After processing workpieces with a hammer or sledgehammers, unevenness remains at the transition of one processed surface to another. To smooth out such irregularities, a blacksmith's smoothing tool is used. Its working surface is made in the form of a square with a polished working surface.

Blacksmith hammer-smoother. Photo ForgingPRO

Another type of surface, depending on the shape of the workpiece, is a half-cylinder with a radius of 500 mm. Since this type of tool works as a shock absorber, it fits onto the handle without wedging.

Crimping hammers

Crimping hammers are a forging tool for obtaining cylindrical or polyhedral shapes during hot forging . One of the two parts of the crimp is installed on the anvil. The other part, in the shape of a blank, is mounted on a wooden handle, with gradual movements of which it is modified to the required size.

Top round crimp PICARD. Photo ForgingPRO

Failsafe, inertialess

do not cause recoil when struck , and the tool does not rebound from the surface being processed.

The design feature of such a hammer is a hollow head , partially filled with metal balls.

During an impact, the resulting inertial force from the moving mass of balls dampens the elastic vibrations of the interacting metals.

JONNESWAY hammerless forging hammer. Photo ForgingPRO

This eliminates the reason for the hammer to bounce. The proportion of the kinetic energy of the hammer spent on the action being performed increases, and the possibility of injury decreases.

Brass

Hammers with brass heads are used for work that requires minimal deformation of the workpiece processed by impact. Brass is a soft alloy that allows you to carry out work such as shaping sheet metal without affecting its appearance.

Blacksmith hammer made of brass. Photo ForgingPRO

In explosive industries, where sparking is excluded, impact processing is carried out with hammers with a brass head.

With soft strikers

straighten thin sheet metal on an anvil , use hammers with soft strikers. They can be made of polymer or rubber materials . The surface of the sheet after such straightening will remain smooth.

Hammer with soft strikers JONNESWAY. Photo ForgingPRO

Wooden

Wooden hammers (mallets) are more profitable to use when straightening sheet material than rubber ones. They produce a clearer blow , which ultimately affects the quality of work.

Slag removal welding

Removal of the slag crust after welding with coated electrodes or submerged arcs is carried out by impact. A welding hammer is used for this purpose. Its design includes a bump stop with sharp edges and a recoil-absorbing handle. The tool is made from the lightest possible materials.

Slag welding hammer. Photo 220Volt

Regular and reverse entry

To ensure safe operation of the hammer, it must be securely seated on the handle. There are two methods of fastening - the usual one, which is performed by wedging the handle, and the reverse, in which this operation is not performed.

The usual fastening method is more labor-intensive and is used to fasten handles for light hammers. With this method, the instrument retains a more aesthetic appearance.

Small blacksmith hammer without using a wedge. Photo ForgingPRO

The reverse thrust is used for mounting sledgehammers . The head of the sledgehammer fits through the entire handle, which has a reverse cone. It is driven all the way into the extended part of the handle.

The excess part of the handle is cut off, leaving 10...15 mm. for additional tension generated during impact. This type of fastening is more reliable than wedging.

However, when gripping, there is no supporting surface due to the presence of a reverse angle, thereby making it difficult to hold the sledgehammer.

How to calculate the length of the handle for yourself

Each worker in the forge selects hand hammers and sledgehammers individually for himself. For this, the elbow length of an individual worker is used .

The smallest loads, while maintaining optimal impact force, are tested when the grip of the handle is located in the middle between the head of the hammer and the elbow joint.

Therefore, when choosing the length of the hammer handle, the head is squeezed into the palm of one hand and the free end of the handle should touch the inner surface of the elbow. This type of hammer will be the most ergonomic to use.

Below is a video where the master shares practical details about hammers.

Communities › DIY › Blog › Hammer handles. Made of oak and beech.

Surely many people have had to make a handle for a hammer. Until recently, I remember their regular flat ones. But lately I've been buying hammers with more complex shapes. I had no idea before that a hammer could be so convenient. True, the metal on them was terrible. It chips. It's dangerous to work like that. And the quality of the wood is not high sometimes. The shape of the hole in the head is also to blame. It is no longer punched by a forge, but is drilled and milled. That's why it's flat. Therefore, the handles become loose and do not last long. I got hold of several old Soviet hammer heads. And he made handles for them.

And I’ll tell you a little about him. I also compare oak and beech wood. Their suitability as a hammer handle.

Design

The sledgehammer is characterized by having a rather simple design, which can be seen in the photo. It is created from two parts: a handle and a striker. Externally, the tool is almost similar to a hammer, but the weight of the striker is over 5 kilograms, and the shape resembles a parallelepiped.

The handle of the instrument is elongated, and its average thickness varies from 70 to 90 centimeters. Taking into account the specifics of using a sledgehammer, its weight can be about 16 kilograms, and the length of the handle reaches 120 centimeters. The handle of the tool thickens slightly towards the striker and performs wedging in it.

Process of creation

Since the sledgehammer is included in the forged tools section, you need to take a metal blank weighing about 2 kilograms and forge a parallelepiped from it. People who have their own summer cottage or live in a private house should consider taking a workpiece weighing 5-10 kilograms; such a sledgehammer is suitable for large-scale construction work.

A through hole with a diameter of 20-25 millimeters is sewn in the middle of one of the sides located on the side. After completing these steps, you can notice how the planes on the sides have changed. They need to be forged so that the metal blank becomes an absolute parallelepiped, and the circle-shaped hole becomes an oval.

Next, the armhole is changed taking into account the shape and size suitable for the handle made of wood. This procedure is carried out using a caliber, which is a special oval-shaped rod made of metal and 15-20 centimeters long.

As a result, a metal blank should come out with a conical hole on both sides in order to create a high-quality connection with the handle. Using a special machine, the striker is sanded with sandpaper.

The forged striker is subjected to hardening. To do this, it must be heated in a forge until a bright red glow appears, after which the firing pin is cooled in cold water.

Process of creation

As a result, a metal blank should come out with a conical hole on both sides in order to create a high-quality connection with the handle. Using a special machine, the striker is sanded with sandpaper.

The forged striker is subjected to hardening. To do this, it must be heated in a forge until a bright red glow appears, after which the firing pin is cooled in cold water.

Repairing a broken handle

The handle of a sledgehammer breaks quite often. But replacing it is not as difficult as it might seem. This only applies to wooden handles; the process of replacing rubber and metal ones is more complicated.

Step 1. Free the sledgehammer from broken handles.

Step 2. Insert the new handle into the hole, which can be pre-lubricated with laundry soap.

Step 3. Using tow, fill the holes at the bottom of the striker. Dissolve the epoxy resin (strictly according to the instructions) and fill the hole in the striker along with the handle with the mixture. It is necessary to fill from the top, but make sure that there is no excess resin.

Step 4. For better fixation, you can drive metal wedges into the upper part of the handle.

On a note. For complete drying and reliable adhesion, you must let the sledgehammer dry for at least three days.

Three important points when choosing a handle:

The handle should be round in cross-section, which is slightly larger at one end. The edge of the handle, which will be fixed with the striker, should be 1.5 times thicker than the free edge.
Handle length – from 80 centimeters.
Material. Wooden handles for sledgehammers are made from hardwood with a moisture content of at least 12%. Maple, birch, hornbeam, dogwood, beech, rowan. Conifers are not suitable for such products, as under heavy loads they delaminate and quickly break.
The surface of the sledgehammer handle should be smooth, without burrs or protruding chips. As a rule, a thorough cleaning with sandpaper is always carried out.

Description and photo: what is it used for in the country

Externally, a sledgehammer resembles a hammer, has a two-handed design and is used for power processing of various objects and structures. Most often it is used for the following purposes:

Dismantling of building structures (foundation, walls, partitions, concrete structures), technical structures, metal structures. Often a sledgehammer is used at a dacha to demolish old buildings and clear a site for construction.
Uprooting. Using a sledgehammer, it is convenient to break large boulders, remove old stumps that interfere with planting new plants or landscaping the area, and remove other large debris dug into the ground.
Construction works. The sledgehammer can be used to drive in reinforcing pins, staples, wooden wedges, thick nails, piles and posts; Most often, such work is used in the construction of wooden, block and brick houses or extensions. As a rule, a tool with a toothed striker is used for this purpose.
Body repair of cars and agricultural machinery. It is often used in the process of straightening and manufacturing tin or steel parts as a striking tool, which allows you to give the product the desired shape.

More about the technique

From the outside, everything seems simple - you hit the tire with a sledgehammer and no special equipment is needed. But mistakes can be avoided and maximum effect can only be achieved if the movement is performed similarly to a strike. The use of this method allows you to program a stronger insert into the blow at the subconscious level, and at the right moment the body will work automatically.

For these reasons, the main task is to acquire the skill of using a hammer correctly. Subsequently, this experience will allow you to form the correct technique, and therefore make the blow stronger.

Front stand
. Fixed (static) position with feet parallel to each other. Position of hands on the handle: striking - in the middle, second - at the edge. Sledgehammer blows are applied with a straight back: the impulse from the legs passes to the body, then to the arm.

This type of training starts at this level.

It is important to be able to use your legs and body when striking and when returning the hammer. Hands are the last to be involved in the process.

The purpose of the training is to understand the essence of this exercise, and not to achieve record performance. At the initial stage, it can be performed without weight.

Combat stance, slightly sideways
. Place your far hand near the middle of the handle. During the strike you can take a small step forward, after the strike you can take a small step back. The purpose of the exercise is to acquire the skill of turning the body behind the hand.

This is a more difficult level. It is necessary to learn how to deliver a strong direct blow with the second (far) hand. At this stage, the athlete begins to feel the body with each blow and learns all the nuances of the front stance. It is recommended to strive to complicate this movement and bring it to maximum resemblance to a boxing punch.

Jab
. Take a fighting position, slightly sideways. One hand is located near the middle of the handle, the other (far) is at the edge. During the strike you can take a small step forward, after the strike you can take a small step back.

This option is an order of magnitude more difficult than the second level, so it is necessary to move on to it only after the previous stance has been fully studied. The goal of the exercise is to develop a strong jab.

Interception from a frontal position
. Take a frontal stance as described in point No. 1. After each blow, the hands are intercepted. To improve your impact, you can supplement the exercise with pelvic rotation.

The difficulty with this option lies in the interception and the need for continuous movement of each hand. Subsequently, the experience gained during such training will significantly save time. The inertia of one blow must be transferred to another, that is, we must strive to ensure that this is one long cycle.

Interception from a combat position
. Take a fighting position, slightly sideways. After each blow, the hands are intercepted.

At this stage, work with any position and interceptions is honed. This level is open to experimentation and creative imagination. You can change positions, change hands, move, but don’t stop. All movements must be performed automatically by the body through programs worked out to perfection. You are now an athlete - a powerful punching machine!

Working with a sledgehammer and tire

one of the most popular exercises among martial arts representatives. The secret of its popularity is that the sledgehammer exercise involves muscles that are involved in the correct striking technique, as well as in the throw of wrestlers. Although the technique of working with a sledgehammer is slightly different for strikers and wrestlers, more on that later. This exercise is also very popular in the CrossFit world and is used by weightlifters and some bodybuilders as an addition to their main workouts.