The macadamizing hammer has a round head when viewed from the top, making every side a striking surface. It can be several shapes in the third dimension, including spherical, oval, ovoid, or disc-shaped. The handle length varies more than other hammers, from about 10 inches (25 cm) to 18 inches (46 cm) or 30 inches (76 cm) or more. Like other hammers for working stone, these were usually sold without handles, allowing the user to choose the best handle for the work. The macadamizing hammer was simply used to break or pulverize stone for road construction. Other names are macadam hammer, nappan knocker, and napping or knapping hammer.
"Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam around 1820. The method simplified what had been considered state of the art at that point. Single-sized aggregate layers of small stones, with a coating of binder as a cementing agent, are mixed in an open-structured roadway."
Wikipedia Macadam
Macadam hammer from Maine, USA
Macadamizing hammer in new condition (USA)
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| Evansville Tool Works (USA) macadamizing hammer |
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| French macadamizing hammer |
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| Macadamizing hammer, 12-3/4" handle |
How were these used, and specifically why was the neck so thin?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the user sat on the ground, hitting rocks, and that the weight of the hammer head did the work.
ReplyDelete