Thread: How big a hammer do you need?

Interesting, didn't know that the specs are better for spotted gum than hickory. Ive had good service from Ozzie hardwood (spotted gum?)handles. I've read poster's on US forums complaining that the modern hickory handles aren't as good as older hickory handles use to be! When it comes to our hardwood handles, nearly 20 years ago when a mate and I visited the handle factory in Newcastle (long gone) the manager then was saying that they were having great trouble in getting "good" quality spotted gum logs! So goodness knows what the quality of wood is in the replacement handles that end up in Bun.......s, etc today! Let alone the second or worse grade handles we buy from markets? Either source may be good enough for a maddock or rake handle, but for a hammer, well that could be a problem!
Graeme

MichaelG,
Sorry & apologies, most of us (me in particular) have gone down the track of handle type, quality and replacement fitting etc, and have not answered your question!

To have the handle break in the middle of the eye is not common and taking into account it's long and faithful service (a moment silence again), I'd say the handle died of hard-work, fatique and internal organ failure! But I will go on to humbly comment / suggest that having the need to swing a 1lb hammer from over the shoulder shows us that you, on some occasions need a larger hammer!? We have all heard the old adage "The bigger the problem the BIGGER the hammer" As a machinist/fitter/blacksmith/collector I have a large number of hammers of all sorts, but just in ball peins I would reguarly use from 2oz to 3lb, when it comes to forging I reguarly use up to 6lb and when striking for someone else 7/12 lb sledges. In the short term you may need to buy a new heavier hammer, but long term you owe it to your faithful Sidchrome hammer head to fit a new handle and put it back into service for another half a lifetime and also to find the joy that comes from rescueing an unloved hammer head or two from a market or garage sale!
Graeme

I am in uncharted waters here (for me that is) as some of you metal workers are assisting with a problem of mine (one of those I can talk about ) and I happened to see this thread.

Firstly I have to agree with Avery when he said there are some really good blokes over there on the wood forums. Avery you are such a perceptive man .

Secondly I'd make the comment that while you can get by with a single sized tool it rarely does everything well. I have probably six or seven ball pein hammers, even as a woodworker, and at least three have heads on them. Seriously (what am I saying, my previous statement was truthful) I would suggest at least a medium and heavy hammer is the minimum.

I actually need an extra large as well to comply withy the philosophy of the bigger the problem; the bigger the hammer. I also have a couple of sledgies hanging around for the impossible moments.

I just checked my shipping container and I have 16 hammers on the wall ready for work, 3 on the floor because there is nowhere to hang them up and a whole draw full of hammer heads waiting for me to do the right thing by them (what sort of a job would that be? beats me ).

Out of the commercial timbers, and I do stress commercially available, hickory seems to be preferred but Australian spotted gum (and lemon scented gum in QLD) are very passable substitutes. I actually prefer them. BobL has made reference to it's resilience and toughness. It is also a hard durable timber and relatively easily available. It is far and away the best australian timber for impact resistence. Consequently it is good for hammers, axes, block splitters and the like.

There are a number of "boutique" timbers that are as good or in some cases better, but they are hard to source, expensive relatively and not warranted for a tool that may become covered in grease and metal dust (unlike a prized wood chisel for example).

To my mind the only way to attach a hammer head is a timber wedge in the long direction of the hammer head and either one or two metal wedges (depending on hammer size and space) at ninety degrees to the timber one. The heathens use aradite too. That's ok until you have to take the handle off at any time in the future.

Yes I do have a slight bias towards timber . But in mydefence I do have an estwing claw hammer. The leather rings disintegrated and I made a timber handle, from spotted gum, to replace it . I think the shock absorbing qualities of timber are indisputable.

Michael, I hope this has helped you. Back to the lifebelt for me.

Regards
Paul

I just read this on another site and it makes a heap of sense.

You can take wood down to 0% MC, but it will come back up to what ever the wood in that environment is. This is exactly what I do wiith hammer handles, I do initial shaping and fitting then pop it in the oven with the pilot light for 24 hours and then do my final fitting and mount the head. as it comes back up in moisture content it swells and get even tighter.

Originally Posted by anglesmith

Interesting, didn't know that the specs are better for spotted gum than hickory. Ive had good service from Ozzie hardwood (spotted gum?)handles. I've read poster's on US forums complaining that the modern hickory handles aren't as good as older hickory handles use to be! When it comes to our hardwood handles, nearly 20 years ago when a mate and I visited the handle factory in Newcastle (long gone) the manager then was saying that they were having great trouble in getting "good" quality spotted gum logs! So goodness knows what the quality of wood is in the replacement handles that end up in Bun.......s, etc today! Let alone the second or worse grade handles we buy from markets? Either source may be good enough for a maddock or rake handle, but for a hammer, well that could be a problem!
Graeme

Graeme

You are probably right about the quality of timber. It is an unfortunate fact that timber often is nowhere as good as it was. The best timber (big generalisation coming up) comes from large mature trees that grow slowly. There are not very many of those around today and plantation timber is immediately at a disadvantage. The density of plantation grown timber as opposed to forest could easily be 10% less or more.

Fast grown and younger tress also have more growth stress within them and the timber is not nearly so stable.

Interesting that you should mention the Newcastle firm of handlemakers. Heely Bros was an amazing place and for a short time I supplied very small quantities of Spotted Gum to them. When I first did this they would only accept 3m lengths that were absolutely clear (perfect). By the time I finished supplying they would accept a piece 1m long.

In fact they closed down because they could no longer source timber. I was at their clearing sale in 2000. Before they closed they had been the largest manufacturer of australian, tool handles.

The Japanese hammers (gennou ) use a technique for fitting hammer heads that echoes BobL's philosophy. Their hammer heads have a rectangular hole. The timber handle is shaped until there is an inteference fit. Then the section due to go into the hole is hammered until the fibers are compressed and the handle will fit. Once the handle is on the hammer it is soaked in oil to swell the pores. However the cheaper Japanese handles (like those I have ) use a wedge and not very well, because the hole is not flared.

Regards
Paul

Just buy a handle from bigBs, use a wooden wedge and epoxy and don't tell anyone.
"What the eye don't see, the heart don't grieve"

Russell

Picard make nice hammers, and list lots of spare handles

<<

Picard Tools have been on the market since 1857 and this stands for 150 years of specialising in hammer manufacturing>>

Joh. Hermann Picard GmbH & Co.

I 'need' a 2 or 3cwt (thats hundredweight) hammer, if anyone has one lying around...

1cwt massey.jpg 2cwt clear space.jpg

he he,
Andrew.

Originally Posted by AndrewOC

I 'need' a 2 or 3cwt (thats hundredweight) hammer, if anyone has one lying around...

1cwt massey.jpg 2cwt clear space.jpg

he he,
Andrew.

Why not just make one.....



approx 50lbs, diff and handbrake clutch, 3hp motor. Have to do a write up on it actually.......

Originally Posted by Com_VC

I gave up on wooden handles years. The head flew off on mine a few times. It could easily knock someone out especially at work where there are usually a few people around.

I use fibreglass handles and havent had any issues with them yet. I use a 32 oz for pretty much everything at work, but a smaller one would probably be better for centre punching.

If anyone has any tips for keeping a wooden handle on I wouldn't mind knowing!

I keep all my hammers in a plastic pail of water. )

I have a range of hammers something like Bushmiller's , and all of them bar two have wooden handles. The main problem I've had is the heads loosening due the shrinkage in a hot shed. My main 'user' claw hammer has a fibreglass handle, bought in the mid '80's. I keep saying I'll buy an Estwing when the thing finally gives out, but it won't, despite some hard use!! Score one for fibreglass
The other non-wood handle is a length of pipe welded to a modified claw hammer head for pulling bulk nails, but that's a different story!

Cheers

Originally Posted by kraits

ever seen a blacksmith using a fibreglass handled hammer, must be a reason they only use wooden handles. when they break, linish the varnish off and use them for smoking fish or meat.

It's hard enough to find a Blacksmith in the first place!
Timber handles - good ones at least - are possibly the finest to use, but the more modern handles are probably more user abuse tolerant albeit at the expense of greater difficulty/impossibility in replacement plus it is so damn hard to buy good timber handles now, whether for an axe, a hammer or a hoe.

An old hardwood shovel handle (the long post hole sort not the short ones with D tops) once cut and shaped made a good hammer handle for me. I could choose the length and went longer rather than shorter.
Careful fitting is the key (Thank you Mr Bateup. - He was the old chap I gardened for as a teenager- He patiently guided the replacement of handles the young enthusiast broke)
Hammer once again Works a treat for me!

Hi,

I picked up a old Cyclone Ball Peen hammer at work the other day, 24 ounce I think. Says made in Australia on it. I've seen Cyclone products in Bunnings but of Chinese manufacturer, are these the same brand?

Wooden handle that's copped a s*it lot of abuse too.

Ben