Thread: Hammer resto

Originally Posted by auscab

... a bit of steel on the end of a stick ...

That must be the best definition of a hammer.

Right up there with the definition of a net - a bunch of holes tied together with string.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

I was very careful not to specify which Ian.

There’s only two of us posting in this thread; and I haven’t been able to bend over and touch my toes since I was about 10…

Regardless of who made it, it's an interesting design, similar in intent, I'd guess, to the British Warrington hammer design (probably all y'all know what a Warrington hammer looks like, but just in case, picture below).

Warrington_hammer.jpg

Yairs, in the blurb for their version, LV say:
"Warrington hammers are made specifically for cabinetmaking.

The cross peen is used to start brads or finishing nails without the risk of damage to fingers. The round head, with the slightly belled face, lets you drive nails flush without marring surrounding wood

Yer right, it takes a LOT of skill to start a tiny brad with the 'cross' end, and my fingers can attest that there IS risk of "damage to fingers"!

Mine is not like the one currently offered by LV, it's an Italian version (which I'm 99% certain I bought from LV a generation or so back). The cross end is too rounded & tends to slide off the head of the brad (which definitely entails "risk' to any fingers holding it). Its other pleasant habit is due to the fact that the 'flat' head is square, with quite sharp corners, so if you drive a pin or brad flush, you need to hit very squarely or one of those sharp corners will leave a nasty ding. I think I've used the darn thing about 3 times in the 40 or so years I've had it, and two of them ended in tears, due either to bruised fingers, or bruised work (or was it both?!).

P'raps I'm just a klutz who needs to practice their hammer swing....

Cheers,

Get the linisher onto it and round that face and re grind that peen end Ian . I'm probably telling some stuff you know but your Peen problem doesn't sound right.

The cross peen on the back of the brad hammer was a lesson I remember from day one . My memory is of how well it worked and how I had no idea of what it was used for before that day one. It was an unforgettable surprise.

Are you using it right ? They need to be thin and fine . Plenty are not and they don't work. Most of the finest are not fine enough. Most good ones Ive only found as old second hand heads at tool sales. The fine one is for brads that are so small that when you hold them between finger and thumb they cant be seen. Driving the fine peen between your pressed finger and thumb finger closed split finds the head of the brad down lower. Your skin is guiding a light hammer blow that is enough to tap the point of a brad in . I find a lot of use for mine when fixing wood blocks holding in mirrors to frames or fixing beading like the ones holding on panels in on the back of doors. And I have never had a problem hitting fingers with it . If a nail or brad is tall enough to rise above your pinched fingers then no one has a problem starting them with any reasonable sized hammer.
The larger cross peen ends on my other hammers I only use when I need to stretch or bend steel or brass. Like when fixing steel and brass locks and keys. Making Key or lock parts longer is a common need when fixing them . I rarely try hitting a nail with them.

That tip on the left is about 1mm wide at the end and flat . It tapers down quickly towards its end . The other two are to wide for doing that method with.
IMG_1066a.jpg
The pinch on a small Brad. Cant take a pic with hammer as well .
IMG_1067.jpg

Rob

You are absolutely right Rob (of course). I could've modified the thing if I'd been inclined, but I think the reason I haven't is simply because I drive really small pins so rarely. The fact I still have a good couple of handfuls each of 1/2", 5/8" & 3/4" brads bought in Imperial-sized packs sort of tells the story.

Seeing your hammers does confirm that mine is not the right tool for the job, the cross-peen end is more like the one in the centre of your pic. & there's no way it would slide between finger & thunb - I'd end up with a good-sized blood-blister on both! I should try grinding it down to a finer end, but tbh, the square face is an even bigger liability & I would need to round that as well. I would just give it away but I don't know anyone I dislike enough to inflict it on....

I have a nice little (round-faced) hammer that I use on small nails & stuff. Got it for a few cents at a flea market donkey's years ago & replaced the busted handle & it's just the bee's knees for small work. Hammers are one of those tools we grow onto over time, I have 3 sizes hanging behind the woodwork bench in easy reach & each is used for specific jobs. I have a selection of ball-peen hammers behind the metal work bench, of which I use the 2, 4 & 8 oz a lot (they are just the right sizes for me for peening up planes & small stuff). Lately, I've found myself wishing for a 6 oz. but that must've been a less popular size 'cos I've been keeping an eye out for one & have only found new ones that look a bit cheap (& I detest plastic handles!). I'm sure one will pop up somewhere, sometime..

Cheers,
ian

Your Hammer restoration thread got me inspired MA.

I used it as trying to get back into work slowly after the break .

IMG_1044a.jpg IMG_1041a.jpg
I re handled my French pattern head with some of the Wattle tree I cut and saved some of a while back . I cut it off the board then found a worm hole in it but ended up patching it rather than start again. It was down the bottom end so should be good.

And my other head stamped 500 on top with the two square ends and chamfered edges I did with some Spotted Gum.
First time Ive used that timber. I was in the process of spoke shaving it and beveling the edges heading towards rounding it and I decided to keep it beveled. So I went from spokeshave to horizontal sander and left it like that .
Polished them both and decided to give the beveled handle some fake age to match the head. Some dark colour on top and a heat gun to crackle it up then some more shellac.

IMG_1075.jpg IMG_1076.jpg

IMG_1068a.jpg IMG_1077a.jpg

Ive been using them . That chamfered head one has some weight to it and feels great . A bit of a favorite atm for giving things a good wallop. .

IMG_1169a.jpg IMG_1170a.jpg IMG_1172a.jpg

Thanks for the inspiration MA .

Rob

Rob

I particularly like the chamfered head hammer. I thought it looked like it was a dovetail shape and only when I enlarged it did I realise the chamfer aspect. I must get to handling two claw hammer heads I have lying around. You and MA have stirred the desire to get a handle on things.



Regards
Paul

My pleasure Rob. You have been the source of much help and inspiration yourself! I have rehandled another but slightly split the shoulder when driving the metal wedge home (Why didn't I shorten it like the first one?). All the billets for the others are sitting on my bench but I have gotten distracted with a sand blasting project. And a plane resto that included re painting the base and polishing the steel. It is a Millers Falls made Craftsman #3. Very thin blade but works nicely

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Rob

I particularly like the chamfered head hammer. I thought it looked like it was a dovetail shape and only when I enlarged it did I realise the chamfer aspect.

Hi Paul. It almost reminds me of the look of some Japanese Hammers . Its not Japanese though.

Here's a better shot of the only stamp on it . It looks pretty old and has what I think are two hard faces.

IMG_1083.jpg

Rob

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

I have rehandled another but slightly split the shoulder when driving the metal wedge home (Why didn't I shorten it like the first one?).

I mostly don't use metal wedges MA. Just saw cuts near the outer front and back edges so they flex out from the cut and two timber wedges glued and hammered in tight. And More glue and fine timber wedges in any other gaps. Never had a problem with that.

This a fantastically smashing good thread.

Cheers Matt.

You don't have to bang on about it!

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

You don't have to bang on about it!

I was trying not to beat it up too much [emoji3064].