chrlslee1 Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Ive been planning on buying a sledge hammer for levering. What wieght do you guys think i should go for? Know any where selling it cheap? Thnx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 The best place I know where to find tools cheap is at county auctions. All sorts of junk ends up there, no garuntees a sledge will on a particular day though and no telling if it will be the proper weight. Your current strength level should decide which one you get, they come in 8 to 16 pounds. Not sure if there are any 14 pound sledge hammers though. I say go to a hardware store that has a couple of different sizes, mess around with them then make the decision. I think you'd be happier buying a brand new one with hard plastic handle than an old, nasty rusted wooden one which will not last forever. I am suprised you do not have a sledge hanging around your house for its intented use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkd12 Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 I got a 10 pounder, and it is quite heavy. When levering it side to side I have my hand embarrasingly near the top of the sledge. If I were you I would get a 8 pounder, unless you are very strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opie Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 In this article Tom Black recommends starting with a 6# sledge. Meeting The Hammerman I prefer the traditional wood handled hammers myself they are less than $30. If you did not grow up using a lot of heavy hand tools or doing manual labor like chopping wood, you will find 6 pounds is quite challenging even if you are experienced at lifting heavy weights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilkaz Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 (edited) I got a 10 pounder, and it is quite heavy. When levering it side to side I have my hand embarrasingly near the top of the sledge. If I were you I would get a 8 pounder, unless you are very strong. ← I have a 10 pounder at home which we use for outside work stuff from time to time. I don't have strong wrists when compared to many here and the 10 pounder really is too heavy for me to get much out of it. 25 years ago in college I made myself a decent leverage bar and, at peak strength I could come close to doing leverage exercises with my hand at the end of my dad's 8 pound sledge. I think that a 6 pounder would be good for most guys starting out. If it gets too easy, just add some weight to it. I think it was Old Guy who posted a good article with pix about his adjustable sledge he made. You could use an old baseball bat, for example and slide an oly plate over it and tape it in place. I think Ace Hardware sells 6# sledges, and I may have a look tomorrow. HD, when I looked, didn't have any and not having done much wrist work in 20 years, the 8# was quite heavy as well so I didn't but it and just made myself a short leverage bar from a db handle. You could always try to 6 pounder at the hardware store and see if it is the best weight for now. Anyhow, weather's nice so I think I'll see what I can make with an old BB bat. .. neilkaz .. Edited January 1, 2005 by neilkaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrlslee1 Posted January 1, 2005 Author Share Posted January 1, 2005 Wow, didnt expect to get such long and detailed answer. Thnx alot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilkaz Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 (edited) I took a beat up old 27" kid's baseball bat and slid a 2.5 kg(5.5lb) oly plate down the handle until it got stuck on the head and then I tapped the end of the head on the floor a few times so the plate will stick in the wooden bat head and put some duct tape around the head to make sure that the plate won't slide back onto my hand. Some duct tape around the handle makes it thicker and a better fit for my hand. This works great for me, and soon I hope to add 2.5 lb more for a total of 8 lb and then if that is easy, I'll be ready for an 8 lb sledge. My lower arms feel considerably more fried right now than they did from using a shorter leverage bar I made from a db handle. I lever to the front and back and sides..etc .. etc. .. neilkaz .. Edited January 1, 2005 by neilkaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeP Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Takes a little work but here's an idea.... http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?act=mod...cmd=si&img=1037 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrlslee1 Posted January 3, 2005 Author Share Posted January 3, 2005 I bought a 10 pound sledge already. I think i got the right size. thnx alot for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottabend Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Wife drug me along to a local outdoor swap mart a while back. There were a couple of tool vendors peddling cheap imports. I picked up a brand new 8lb sledge with the bonded resin/fiberglass handle for $10 or 11 US. Beat the heck out of Home Depot and Lowes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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