Comments on: Episode 75: Myths Redux

By: Guillaume C.

Guillaume C. — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:03:37 +0000

For the hammer chipping myth,it is plausible that a hammer can chip will hiting another hammer. I have been myself injure will doing this, and i still have scare of it, but no need for a new try.

Guillaume

By: Lorne

Lorne — Tue, 31 May 2011 02:02:27 +0000

I cannot remember the calibre but i have seen a barrel that is peeled like a banana. A bloke i know has it hanging over his bar & I was told it was caused by a round that may only have had enough of a charge to enable the bullet to get stuck at the end of the barrel. Unaware the owner fired a second round witch split the barrel at least 3/4 of the it’s length.

By: Mike Hunt

Mike Hunt — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 15:42:27 +0000

I’m glad another smith rang in on this. I feel that since blacksmithing is no longer such an important part of our culture, people have become ignorant of the old ways and works that were done. Such a shame…

By: jason

jason — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 01:35:23 +0000

my friend was recently working with another mechanic when the hammer his co worker was using chipped off and is now waiting to have the piece surgically removed from his chest, was suppose to have it done already but it was to close to his organs, they said he would have to wait for an on staff surgeon.

By: Ray Strauss

Ray Strauss — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:31:44 +0000

Regarding the Marine Corps Carolos Hathcock “myth”; Both Lilly and Henry are correct. Adam and Jamie, as well as the producers, are complete idiots. This “myth” was proven by a Marine Sniper instructor on a documentary called (I believe) “In The Crosshairs”. You have just lost a viewer, due to your incompetency.

By: Rob McDougall

Rob McDougall — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:03:51 +0000

RE: banana peel gun barrel , at a scientific meeting I talked to a man who goes shooting in the UK. He has a shotgun which exploded tearing the barrel into ” umberella spokes”, he has another which has a swollen barrel after the end was placed under water to shoot a fish. I have met him several times and have no doubt as to the authenticity.

By: Flavius

Flavius — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:57:44 +0000

Just watched this episode and i have to say, as a trombonist with 8 years experience you really neglected the human element even in the redux – when someone blows into the trombone, the mouthpiece IS indeed sealed, and the trombonist puts pressure on his lips with it.

Stop calling myths busted when you can’t replicate the human element properly!!!

By: Henry

Henry — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:02:39 +0000

I was surprised about the sniper myth. If you had done some research you would have seen that that shot, Shooting another sniper through their scope, has been confirmed.

Perhaps you could achieve it with modern equipment if you weren’t using such a light round like the 7.62mm that wants to deflect and use a heavier round like a .50 caliber used in the Barret M82.

By: Jacob Coton

Jacob Coton — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:48:25 +0000

In the trombone myth they didnt use real lips. I am a trombonist and i recently performed the 1812, and in rehersals we talked about this a lot. A professional trombonist can create an almost complete airtight seal between their lips and the mouthpiece and hold the instrument in such a way as to keep the whole instrument still, apart from the main slide which his only very lightly held. also, the original myth was that it was a Bass-trombonist that did this, and a bass trombone is much larger and made of thicker brass than a tenor like the ones you used to test it.

By: Guru

Guru — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:40:21 +0000

Geeze. . . Try asking a blacksmith. I am one and I also train and advise other smiths.

Occasionally a smith will miss the work (hot iron which is soft) and strike the anvil hard. The biggest danger is the rebound as the hammer comes flying back into your face at a speed very close to that of the blow. Smiths learn early and quickly NOT to that AND be ready to duck!

Over a period of years a smith MAY accidentally do this many times with the same hammer and very rarely does a hammer chip much less shatter. However, glancing blows can chip hammers, or the work and the most common damage is to the anvil which is often harder than the hammer and also often has too sharp of corners (the corners should be radiused to reduce this possibility).

Hardened steel hammers striking hardened tools is supposed to be avoided but it is impossible to avoid in real job situations. Well made tools have soft struck ends and are also well radiused so that corners do not get struck and chips fly off. Common tools have a chamfer on the corner and cheap tools have none. Tools that develop sharp corners from mushrooming (swelling from repeated blows) OR tools made with sharp corners should be rounded using a grinder. Tools that have mushroomed to the point of cracking are a dangerous accident in progress. These should have the entire end cut off and then be dressed properly.

At low temperatures (anything near and below freezing) steel IS much more brittle and more likely to break. Folks that use tools in cold weather often store them indoors or warm them before use.

The hammer mentioned by Vicki was probably a (toy) cast iron carpenters hammer. These used to be commonly found in childrens toy tool kits and are now found everywhere in cheap import tool kits. Cast iron is very weak and brittle. These hammers commonly DO break, the claws or face flying off, when striking something solid, including a large nail. This can happen the first time they are used. A VERY disappointing tool but a good way to learn the difference between cast iron and steel. If you give your children tools, give them REAL tools.

My favorite mythbuster? Steel toed shoes. Cleared up a real myth for me.