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Real Steel: VIDEO! Moon Hammer

Real Steel: VIDEO! Moon Hammer

Real Steel: Moon HammerOkay, okay, I promised the Danish axe next. Sorry it didn’t work out — we will do the axe real soon.

I think you’re gonna like this one! Sam and I had fun making both the moon hammer and the video.

So, How Do You Make a Moon Hammer?

It’s really simple. I took a 3” long piece of 1.125” inside diameter mild steel structural pipe with 0.1875” thick walls and MIG welded a 3.25” forged mild steel ball to it. I then drove a 24” length of 1.125” diameter white oak dowel into the pipe (it’s a really tight fit), drilled two holes, and peened in two copper pins for insurance. The whole thing weighs in at 6 lbs.

I will be putting some kind of handle treatment on it but haven’t decided yet whether to go with leather wrap or some kind of studs — or both.

I didn’t swing the moon hammer that hard and was kind of surprised at the results…

This covers the mace request, and we’ll do the Danish axe soon. I do plan a war hammer and war ’hawk soon also. Any other requests?

Yeah, I heard ya on the assorted fruit targets — we’re saving that for the edged weapons.

19 thoughts on “Real Steel: VIDEO! Moon Hammer”

  1. I would hate to be on the receiving end of it when you would swing it for (full) effect.

    If you can bust a brick with it you can bust a melon with it -> skulls are a mix – hard on the outside, soft on the inside :-)

  2. Todd, your MIG welding reference does trigger me to ask: how would one do a weld in medieval times? I’ve read something about using silver to weld stuff together, but for a mace that would make it somewhat expensive in my mind. Also, could a silver weld deal with the impact?

  3. Todd, ok, got it.

    How would a traditional forge weld deal with the shock of an impact? Or would you forge it differently => one piece instead of mixing two pieces?

  4. @Darkjoy – If it’s done right pieces that are forge welded become one piece and can handle stresses as if they were forged as a single piece. The old time blacksmiths were/are very skilled at this – much better than I. The moon hammer is my design and not traditional in any way. It could be forge welded but I designed it knowing I would MIG weld it.

    Forging a ball with a tube on the end would be a real challenge!

  5. Nice video. I was hoping for a bigger pile of bricks, but it was quite definitive.

    How heavy does 6 pounds seem when it is so heavily weighted at the end? Can you imagine swinging it around for more than a minute?

  6. @Kobold Quarterly – I was shocked at how easily it broke the brick – and the block was a surprise bonus also. I’ll do a video of a bigger pile of bricks and maybe we can post it as a bonus?

    It’s very front heavy – to be practicle it should weigh 2-3 pounds less. I think a couple of minutes swinging it would be exhausting. It’s easier to control than the tetsu no bo, but still not easy.

  7. How about a seax with the pattern welded blade? (I blame National Geographic and the really cool image of them pressing the two pieces together.)

    It named a whole people, so it can’t be all bad, eh? :D

  8. @Ben – I’ve been wanting to do a seax for myself for a while. No promises of when or if it will be pattern welded, but I will do one. Most likely not a langseax, but one never knows.

    :)

    It’s a simple and elegant form – I really like them.

  9. Suggestion for the future…. a glaive. Or a flail, esp the complex flail, three chains and three balls on the end.

    Been enjoying the series though. Thanks for doing them!

  10. @catdragon – I’m with you on the glaive – I have a design worked up – just need the time to forge it. I would love to do a flail, but I hesitate because I know people will want to buy them and they are SOOO dangerous. I’m still thinking about it.

    Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying the series, so am I.
    :)

    @Ben – I agree, and I built two last night with a smaller ball at the other end as well as an all steel haft. It makes a difference.

  11. If you have a scrapyard anywhere near you I’d suggest getting an old car door to bash on. Some tennis gloves might cut down on vibration into your hands also.

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