I use a 3lb sledge with a digger welded on the back side. I have purchased ones like the sod buster. Then the last two years I have been welding my own. This year I welded a chiseling tool from a jack hammer onto my hammer. Same result. The digger blade always breaks off even though I’m only welding the digger portion a couple of inches past the hammer. Anyone know of an indestructible hammer/trapline digger? Had a friend suggest welding a leaf-spring which I thought was a pretty good idea.

I use the FB hammer for most of my trapping and a masonry hammer. Former for making sets, the latter for when I know im in soft ground or rebuilding remakes.

I weld a piece of disk blade to my hammer, you can dig a hole in a gravel road then go cut roots with it. the only time I had a problem with them is when I welded it to much ,as in welding all the way across all at once .

Call Tom Stalker, Stalker Fabrications

How are your welding skills?

If you don't make a propper weld nothing will stay together

I welded a 1/4" piece of flat stock and sharpen it it can cut roots.

Just have someone who is an expert weld it(not saying you aren't but the weld shouldn't break that easy). Had a sodbuster and the handle broke. My dad welded it up with a metal bar. Whole thing took prolly 30 min.

Many variables when comes to welding. Is base metal breaking or weld? The head might not be weldable without pre and post heating. Also weld rod should be for dissimilar metals like 300 or 400 series stainless. Not even going to go into weld welding ability's but you can have most beautiful welds break with just a few hits if not done wright. I just made one out of a HF sledge and had to keep head cool to keep from melting epoxy holding handle on. We will see if holds up.

Is the hammer your trying to weld the cutter to cast of forged ? if its a cheap hammer it may be cast.

Broke/bent too many of those sod buster and similar type hammers. Went to a masonry hammer and have never looked back. Let me tell you I deal with a lot of frozen ground!

Good. I use to weld for a living. BC buck is probably right about the pre heating. The welds never break. It’s always the digging metal that breaks. I use to think I was leaving the digger portion too long giving me too much leverage. So this last time I just left two inches hanging over the hammer. I think it might be unavoidable frozen ground is ruff on everything.

I used AR500 plate welded to a couple Eastwing hammers. The have held up great so far.

Y’all must deal in ground that’s like concrete. I’ve had the same Sodbuster hammer for 7 years now and still going strong.

The handle of my original sodbuster is shot, , its kept around as a backup to the backup to the backup

You are on the right track with this grade of steel.
I like to weld them on with 7018 rod and weld it in the right spots.
Spring steel should be avoided unless you know how to take some of the temper out of it.
The vibration from pounding in stakes is probably harder on the points then digging with them.
lol. I think, I have 6 digging hammers on hand.

Thick walled steel pipe is the way to go for your blade. The slight curve really strengthens it up. It;s easy to weld and you need to use a sledge shaped hammer, not one of them with the v shaped back. Your blade should be 90 degrees off the handle, not 45.

The constant pounding of steel on steel can make the steel really brittle next to the weld. It will develope a crack Right along beside the weld and eventually just fall off. You won’t even be using the blade maybe just driving a stake and the blade will just fall off. I’ve had handle welded on the sides of stake drivers before that just fell off while driving a stake in the ground. Never hit the handle or anything. The weld doesn’t break but the metal cracks beside the weld and just falls off.

When there is moisture in the ground and you have a long stretch of below zero degree temperatures the ground is like concrete. 2 or more feet of frost is not uncommon. Still better than working in mud!

Thanks for the insight everyone.

hammer (a member on this site) makes a durable Estwing trapping hammer. I like the straight blade.
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