Unusual freebies from customers

[Dinosaw]

It's a big blacksmith's fuller, from when real men used to bash metal for a living.

[agg221]

Got given this odd looking sledge on sat about ten pounder needs a new handle. Anyone know what the curved end was used for?

 

The curved end wasn't used for anything in particular - this used to be a standard pattern when tools were hand forged. Sometimes found on the railways, or for forging work, but could be anything really.

 

If that was mine, I would be running a wire brush over the head to smooth out any deep pitting and make sure no cracks initiated from them. I would also have a good look to see if there was a distinct difference visible near the face of the head - it may be old enough to have a steel face welded to a soft iron head, and certainly may be old enough to have been forged and water quenched for hardening, in which case the body will be softer than the face.

 

Alec

[agg221]

It's a big blacksmith's fuller, from when real men used to bash metal for a living.

 

It's not a fuller - it's properly eyed and handled in a way that wouldn't be comfortable to use as a fuller.

 

Alec

[Will Heal]

The curved end wasn't used for anything in particular - this used to be a standard pattern when tools were hand forged. Sometimes found on the railways, or for forging work, but could be anything really.

 

 

 

If that was mine, I would be running a wire brush over the head to smooth out any deep pitting and make sure no cracks initiated from them. I would also have a good look to see if there was a distinct difference visible near the face of the head - it may be old enough to have a steel face welded to a soft iron head, and certainly may be old enough to have been forged and water quenched for hardening, in which case the body will be softer than the face.

 

 

 

Alec

 

Yep, was going to wire brush it and put a new handle on it. Nice to think it could be really old, thanks for the info agg221

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[rustcutter]

One place I worked had a sledgehammer exactly like that and was told it was specially intended for putting the curves in spring leaves or probably resetting them before re tempering. There was also a specially adapted anvil for the same purpose. The guy who knew about springmaking left soon after I arrived and never really got this first hand.

This kit was quite good for putting curves in bars but the unbalanced head on the hammer meant it wasn't very good for use as a normal sledge.

[Arbtech Tree Services]

Friday's sort of gift from a customer - £10 only used once - but I think that was once in 1965 and must have been one hell of a day given the state of the bar and the handguard needed re attaching with a jubilee clip

Edited September 6, 2014 by Arbtech Tree Services

[peatff]

It's not a fuller - it's properly eyed and handled in a way that wouldn't be comfortable to use as a fuller.

 

Alec

 

It's a straight pein sledge hammer, you can still buy them from Cromwell tools so it might not be that old just been well neglected. I bet it weighs nearer 7lbs and sledge hammers are usually used for knocking stuff in or breaking things

[ShooTa]

actaully diteched a couple of sledges just like that the other week after an aution as i was after a nice side axe which was in another lot that i was outbid on - swapped my two of those for said axe ...

the ones i had were used on the railways for pounding in the spikes/ties holding down the ties - the extra lenght head and the rear triangle were used as they could get the right angle i believe.

[predator]

We use to have one of them hammers off a guy that worked the railways it was a pig to use because its out of balance and twists on the rebound in your hands when in use etc not nice to use too much inbalance

[Riggerbear]

I done a job yesterday and the customer said 'I've got a tub of chain oil I don't need, would you like it ?'

I said 'yes please' and he brought this out, all 125ml of it !