Making Hammers from a Railroad Spike

[@Makebuildmodify]

Wow! You made me begin to think of how to make tools from found objects. So many possibilities! Great inspiration.

[@danthemakerman]

Man I can only imagine what you would come up with it. Looking forward to it!

[@Moto_Medics]

Really cool I’ve been looking for a rock hammer lately and today found some spikes on a walk I think I have just found my rock hammer!

[@danthemakerman]

Awesome! Good luck with your project!

[@aosadvanced]

Very cool! Awesome shot of the sparks....

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks man. I love that shot!

[@AndyCPugh]

Nice work. Nice hammers. I like the lighting and the sparks! Music works well too.

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks Andy, I love sparks!!!

[@BobbyDukeArts]

Great idea

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks man!

[@JakeThompson]

Pretty cool idea Dan!! 👍👍👍

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks for watching bro!

[@ESCAGEDOWOODWORKING]

That was fun Dan! Great work dude, you rock!!

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks man!

[@VintageWoodWorkshop]

Very cool brother!

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks man I've been using them quite a bit lately and really enjoy them.

[@FeralBoyKnives]

Beautiful man

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks Howie!

[@sdmcustoms]

Nice work man 👍

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks man, where you been?

[@sdmcustoms]

@@danthemakerman I just can't get motivated 😥

[@ManCrafting]

That's pretty interesting. I wouldn't have thought to do that. I was thinking you were going to forge them, but interestingly you didn't need to.

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks, have you seen Uri's channel? Dude makes some cool stuff.

[@ManCrafting]

Dan The Maker Man I’ll be checking him out for sure.

[@Alistair-gi3bx]

So glad to find this, I have spare spikes lying around and want to make my father a hammer for fathers day. Looks like I can knock it out in 1 evening.

[@danthemakerman]

Thats great to hear.

[@shanefoster5305]

I would think punching a hole would have kept the metal thicker and allow for a slightly bigger handle to go through the hole. That seems like it would only be good for decoration. But it looks awesome.

[@danthemakerman]

So far they have worked well for everything I have used them for. I even used them to help me carve this kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4mXhYuagpZ_oqs

[@MrGeoffreySmith]

Loved it 😀

[@danthemakerman]

Thank you! It was a fun build.

[@edanthony4131]

Metal work = cute; Handle= "Don't quit your day job." You hit something hard enough to drive more than upholstery nails, that handle will snap...

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks for the comment but you are wrong. I used these hammers to make a wood carving in mesquite which is a relatively hard wood. I even made a video of me doing it. I actually made two carvings for that video because I didn't like the first one I made.

[@tigglebiddys]

I think hammers like this are intended for jewelry or small carvings, it isn't a construction hammer...

[@Noah-hz5ll]

Can you tell me about your bench/belt grinder set up?

[@danthemakerman]

Sure, its a bench top grinder attachment called the "Multitool Belt Grinder Attachment" I put a link in the description to where I got mine.

[@Noah-hz5ll]

Dan The Maker Man thanks dan. And out of curiosity, the grinder type also?

[@awesomeinprogress4189]

Great idea, and well excecuted mate😉 everything IS a hammer😂

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks I thought it was clever, I hope to get some good use out of them.

[@awesomeinprogress4189]

I am sure you will😉

[@randywoodworth5990]

Look along any railroad tracks and you will likely find lots of them.

[@danthemakerman]

Yup!

[@sorsorscience0787]

How did you get those spikes? Sounds interesting!

[@danthemakerman]

Its a long story but here it goes. My wife and I had just gotten our very first house. This was a brand new neighborhood in the suburbs with just a few houses on the street. We were the 3rd or 4th folks to build out there. I was super psyched to have a garage I grew up watching This Old House and New Yankee Workshop and now I had a proper garage to work in. Anyhow just about every weekend I would 'work' in the garage. I would build some shelves or work on my bench just anything to be in there making stuff. Well one time I got a day off during the week no one was home so of course I headed to the garage and started reorganizing some things. After about an hour I got thirsty and go to open the door and its locked. That was my oh crap moment because I didn't bring a set of keys with me and apparently I locked the door from the inside. I go around to the front door, it was locked then I go to the back door knowing it was locked but hoping that by some miracle it wouldn't be locked, it was locked too. So its the middle of the day no cellphone, no keys, and I don't know the few neighbors on the street. Well I thought this is going to be a long day hanging out in the garage. After running out of things to do I figured, what the hell I'll walk to my sister's house, she lived about 5 miles away. I set out and decided to walk along the toll road construction path. The city was building a toll road where a railroad used to run. The construction hadn't quite made it out to that area yet, they had removed the tracks but the big mound of gravel was still there. So I just followed the old railroad path and along the way I found one spike. I picked it up and took it with me to my sister's house. When I finally made it to my sister's house I knock on the door and there is no answer. I knock again and peek through the window and confirm nobody is home. Needless to say I was little bummed. I was just going to hang out at my sister's but decided to just walk back home. On my way back I run across another spike and pick it up as well. Eventually I make it home and now I'm really thirsty and a little bummed that my trip was a waste of time. For a good amount of time I just sit in the garage trying to think of a way to get in to the house. It wasn't an emergency or anything so I wasn't going to break a window or anything drastic. Then it hit me. The attic is connected to the garage. I could cut a hole in the ceiling of the garage in to the attic and then climb in to the attic. Once in the attic I just have to crawl over to the attic stairs which open inside the house. So I take my barely used drywall saw and begin cutting the hole, I prop up my ladder and climb inside. Then I crawled over to the attic stairs and sort of kick them down. They were spring loaded so it took some effort to kick them open with out falling. After a little effort I get the folding attic stairs open and I'm inside the house. Like I said earlier it wasn't an emergency but I felt a big relief being inside. The first thing I did was drink some water. Then I grabbed a key and went in to the garage to clean up my mess. Later that evening my wife got home and asked about the hole in the ceiling. We had a good laugh about it, I felt like such an idiot for locking myself out. I repaired the hole in the garage ceiling and later ended up installing another set of attic stairs in the garage and was able to use the hole I had made. So moral to the story always keep a spare house key in my garage or at least a drywall saw.

[@Everythings_Adjustable]

👍

[@danthemakerman]

Thanks!

[@imakedo4407]

I was hoping to see forged in holes. Handles are too thin for anything but delicate work. Neat project but no rock picks here.

[@danthemakerman]

I made these for the specific purpose of wood carving and so far they haven't failed me. So I am happy with them.

[@imakedo4407]

@@danthemakerman And for that they seem perfect. Potential use for a silversmith as well.

[@jordanforgedironworks6123]

Why does this guy have like one flash light in his shop to light up his work. Get some real lights.

[@danthemakerman]

I know right, he should get a better camera too!