Thread: Wooden handled hammers? Australia hates them...

That first one looks good: a copy of Vaughan's CF2HC. What's the head weight? I've found that a longer 17" "axe" handle combines well with a lighter weight head. For some years now, some USA makers have marketed titanium heads with interchangeable steel faces. Personally, I'm unimpressed. K.I.S.S. has always been my personal motto with hand-tools . The very best hammers always had tri-tempered heads anyway: a case hardened face, softer "flexible" shock absorbent shank & eye, & an annealed fork with hardened nail-biting groove for resilience.

My rather vague fifty year old schoolboy Physics memories seem to recall that impact energy (in Joules) is a product of 0.5 x mass x the square of velocity. Is this correct? I'm no expert, merely a well-intentioned but likely mislead amateur, but my laymen's interpretation indicates that the velocity of the head (from the accelerative effect of a lightweight head combined with a long handle) has a greater effect on impact energy than mass. Or am I approaching this entirely cock-eyed?

I have a copy of the second one too: a Dead On Tools 16 oz trim hammer. Don't really like it 'though. Just doesn"t feel "right" to me. At first the handle was a bit too fat, so I thinned it down, but it's also a tad short for me too. I guess I prefer more traditional utility hammers. It's yours for the price of postage if you want it!

Apart from a few framers, all my utility hammers are also Vaughan. I've long since retired my old Cheney ball-bearing "Nailers". Vaughan's century-old "DO" range of graded sizes 10, 13, 16 & 20 oz with traditional curved claw heads & octagonal handles. For me, these handles are a delight. The 8-sided "oval" section makes them so easily handled & intuitive.

On occasion I've found myself nailing in the dark in a roof or basement crawl space with lightweight cable clip fixings, at full stretch between bearers & joists & without even adequate head-torch lighting. I often have to reach around the inaccessible corner of a joist, tell where the hammer head is in the dark, which way round it is & to set the cable clip home over the cable without damaging clip, cable, or fingers. No mean feat in the dark, it must be said. The middle pair, 13 & 16 oz DO13 & 16, seem to offer that serendipitous combination of mass, balance, heft & impact to get the job done with the minimum of fuss, on occasion with a mere two forefingers & thumb grasp.

DO10 for panel pins, 13 for cable clips, 16 for general duty nailing, and 20 for the odd occasion when 3" & 4" nails require neater "appearance" setting than with a framer.

Those lovely slender, lightweight handles help here too: about 12"-14" graduated lengths, nice wide "flats" on the sides, and the slim taper & extra reach of a long handle length & extended slender octagonal shank between face & eye makes these little beauties just as relevant today as they were 150 odd years ago! The crowned face of these Vaughans allows Jolthead nails to be fully set home without marring timber surfaces, a feat naturally impossible with waffle faced hammers.

Originally Posted by Ratbag

My rather vague fifty year old schoolboy Physics memories seem to recall that impact energy (in Joules) is a product of 0.5 x mass x the square of velocity. Is this correct? I'm no expert, merely a well-intentioned but likely mislead amateur, but my laymen's interpretation indicates that the velocity of the head (from the accelerative effect of a lightweight head combined with a long handle) has a greater effect on impact energy than mass. Or am I approaching this entirely cock-eyed? .

Yep correct - if you increase the mass by 10% the IE increases by 10%, but f the V is increased by 10% the increase in IE is 21%
One drawback with the longer/faster swing is you do need a better aim but that comes with practice.

Dalluge is made by vaughan. Like a CF, but more elegant shape, thinner rip claws, a highly polished head and hasa centreline weight distribution for equal feel whether you are swinging the claws or face at something. That one is 21oz, but the 19oz version only comes in a sandpaper textured face, currently deciding between the two models

I've got a 'Micky' Japanese made hammer with it's original fibreglass handle which I've owned for around 20+ years now and excuse the pun, it's copped a real hammering me being a carpenter/builder.

Originally Posted by orraloon

I still have my hickory handled stanley hammer I bought in 1975. Never had to tighten the wedge in all that time and still showing no sign of working loose. Many thousands of nails hammered in and thousands pulled out as well as a lot of stuff like cold chisel work and other stuff a claw hammer is not really suited for. A good wood handle really can't be beaten.
Regards
John

so Ive got a couple too dont know how old the head is on most but the spotted gum handles goback to 75 or so. And regards john also

Originally Posted by BobL

Yep correct - if you increase the mass by 10% the IE increases by 10%, but f the V is increased by 10% the increase in IE is 21%
One drawback with the longer/faster swing is you do need a better aim but that comes with practice.

The trouble is not just energy - but momentum as well - which is calculated MV... This is why framing hammers have long handles and big heavy 24 and 30oz heads...

I can confirm that an 8lb sledge swung slowly from near the head drives a 16d nail into green oak much more quickly than a 4oz tack hammer swung as fast as you can make it go...

Thanks

Originally Posted by truckjohn

The trouble is not just energy - but momentum as well - which is calculated MV... This is why framing hammers have long handles and big heavy 24 and 30oz heads...

I can confirm that an 8lb sledge swung slowly from near the head drives a 16d nail into green oak much more quickly than a 4oz tack hammer swung as fast as you can make it go...

Thanks

That's just because using a "4oz tack hammer swung as fast as you can make it go... " has the force spread over too long a time
Even a small hammer head moving fast enough(ie nail gun)will drive that nail in just as effectively.

Where did you source your S2? I can’t find one anywhere?

Discontinued I believe.

Bugger, thanks for that. I’ll keep scouting ebay and such

Brand New Vaughan S2 Split Head Hammer | eBay

Bit exxy - about $120 odd incl. Royal Mail + GST - but you could always make a lower offer I suppose.

During a lengthy 10 year visit in the US I learnt timber framing in the months between long ski winters.In the mid 70s nail guns weren't universal and the crews I worked with hand nailed frames on site, thousands of 16 penny vinyl coated sinkers into the willing Doug Fir.We all used long handled waffle headed framing hammers tho I was never aware of brands.A few years later I helped a carpenter friend and he gifted me a Hart framing hammer, strange looking thing,Chromed head lovely curved handle, but I sold it for peanuts, I also bought a lovely Vaughan finish/ trim hammer with that 8 sided handle but parted company with it years ago.Australia does carpentry differently, used an Estwing for years with the straight claws that I prefer, still got that one but cordless drills and screws , doing that now, thanks Ross