Here is my hammering block on top of a mousepad with my rawhide hammer
A few months ago, I was looking through my entrance keyword phrases on Google Analytics. Most of the time, these are pretty simple, such as “18 gauge silver sheet” or “cleaning silver.” Every now and then, I see a keyword phrase that offers me a blog post title on a platter. In this case, the keyword phrase was the title of this post.
The exact keyword phrase was something along the lines of “how to keep the sound of a hammer down in a small apartment.” Which was a bit awkward for a title. However, it is an excellent question. Most people learn metalwork initially in an art studio at a school, where it is OK to be loud. Eventually, either you outgrow the studio, meaning you have completed all the classes, or you move away. In either case, you must set up your own studio.
When you have partners, neighbors, roommates or family members living close to your studio, it is a good idea to keep the sound to a minimum. Nothing pisses off someone more than the banging of a rawhide hammer or the hum of a flex shaft on a weekend morning when they are lying asleep in bed. For the hammer sound, I actually have two easy solutions.
The first solution is putting your hammer block, the square flat piece of stainless steel, on top of a mousepad. This works really well. The sound is still pretty loud but it is at least muffled. In addition, it creates more traction, which makes it easier to hit the block. Lastly, it helps protect your workspace by protecting the table.
This high end sandbag, from metalstop, is made from leather and would muffle sounds really well.
The second solution is a little harder but muffles the sound much better. This solution requires making a sandbag, similar to those used to protect houses against flooding. You can then hammer on top of the sandbag. The sandbag can be made with a hot glue gun and a piece of fabric. Just fold the piece of fabric in half, puff up the center, glue two sides and let it dry. After the two sides are dry fill the pocket with sand and then glue the last side. You might even want to add more glue around the edges to be safe.
After the sandbag is finished, place the hammer block on top of the sandbag and hit away. It is a bit more difficult to hammer this way because the sandbag will place the block at an angel. However, the sound is really muffled and your neighbors won’t complain about the hammering.
At present, I use the mousepad solution. This is because I am on a student’s schedule, so I don’t do my metalwork at night or on weekend mornings. Also, I live alone so I don’t have roommates that I could bother. When I have a more regular schedule or move in with other people, I will most likely make a sandbag and do most of my hammering on it.
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