Thread: Hammer resto

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

... Here is the close up I took this morning

Attachment 521425 It is only about 100mm long ...

I still cannot make out anything definitive from that logo. Best guesses include:

• stylised house,
• arch,
• bee hive,
• camel,
• leopard,
• Ian tying his shoe laces.

MA

I am beginning to think "Jeweler's hammer", because of the shape and now you have mentioned it is a small hammer.

Regards
Paul

I think it could actually be one of these Picard Hammers now . Probably a much older model than these new ones . They have been around since the 1857.
History | Picard Hammer

Same symbol but different numbers ? The 2.5 may be a face size ? 2.5 CM ? It doesn't appear to be any of the dimensions in this picture.
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The Mountain Ash Hammer below.
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Here's another Picard showing the stamped symbol
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And another.
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And I think the stamped Picard symbol is a Steam Hammer.

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vintage large power hammer - Google Search


Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

And I think the stamped Picard symbol is a Steam Hammer.

UntitledPH.png UntitledPH1.jpg


Rob

Or a bell? I admit the steam hammer bears a close resemblance.

Thanks, Zac.

Well done Rob. The symbol is the same as the Picard. Bit disappointed it's not "Ian tying his shoelaces" but I thought that might have been a long shot. Based on the models I reckon mine weighs about 14oz, so 400g would be the one, but I will check the dimensions. A " French Pattern Joiners hammer" sounds pretty fancy!!

Well done, Rob; I am sure that you nailed it. Nice bit of detective work.

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Well done Rob. The symbol is the same as the Picard. Bit disappointed it's not "Ian tying his shoelaces" but I thought that might have been a long shot. Based on the models I reckon mine weighs about 14oz, so 400g would be the one, but I will check the dimensions.

Ian tying his shoelaces . I missed that the first time around and had to go searching .

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

A " French Pattern Joiners hammer" sounds pretty fancy!!

Yeah MA it does, and it is ! Nice find ! Same with the rest . They are all interesting . Just the sort of thing that would have stopped me in my tracks for a look.
Its always amazed me how different a bit of steel on the end of a stick can be suited to specific jobs that are so different from each other. Your collection is a few trades by the looks . Some a mystery to me.
But even within joinery or cabinet work the different sizes all play a role.
I started with just two hammers . And used them for about six years before I added a more in between.
IMG_1043.jpg
These two in the middle below were my next addition. My French pattern has had its handle broken for a while . Through hard use and letting someone else use it one to many times. Think Ill try spotted gum next time too. I finally have some at hand to try. I think I had a She Oak handle before . And I also think I went through two handles with that head. Not sure if they were both She Oak.

IMG_1044.jpg When I did add the in between sizes though I was REALLY surprised at how good the different weights worked inside cabinets from the first two . The first two, one obviously being to big and the other to small . The later with their flat sides and weight could be used in a horizontal way nailing in drawer runners and guides where you sometimes only have 80mm of space.

That French pattern head of mine . I don't know what make it is ? Finding your maker was a bit of a chance discovery after searching for European Hammer styles . A fluke . Of all the hammer pictures there is not a lot showing makers marks .

Here it is . Maybe Ill go have another look under French tool makers marks ? If anyone knows it, put it up please.
IMG_1045.jpg

Some others I have collected around those sizes. The top two are favorites. Third down reminds me of upholstery but without the split magnetized head you see on them .

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I saw a farrier using a magnet on the end of his hammer so I copied it to one of mine . Great idea for one who is over getting down on the Knees picking up steel things. So good that I made a 1 meter long one . Painted it orange and covered the magnet with duct tape. Its for picking up all the rivet ends on the floor after doing sections of my dust extraction.

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Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

Ian tying his shoelaces . I missed that the first time around and had to go searching .....

I didn't & the thought of it made me wince! Been a while since I could bend over like that.......


Anyway, looks like you've nailed the maker - well done!

Cheers,

I recently picked up a old timber handled framing hammer and took it to work to see how it would go. First suprise was how much lighter it was in my tool belt, second suprise was how long it took to break tne handle. It was rehandled in SG over the holidays and has made its way back into the ute. I will see how long this lasts. I have also used White Oak for hammer handles. Rob, you mentioned She Oak. What other timbers have people used?

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

I recently picked up a old timber handled framing hammer and took it to work to see how it would go. First suprise was how much lighter it was in my tool belt, second suprise was how long it took to break tne handle. It was rehandled in SG over the holidays and has made its way back into the ute. I will see how long this lasts. I have also used White Oak for hammer handles. Rob, you mentioned She Oak. What other timbers have people used?

Plenty of everything I would think . That small Brad hammer of mine in the pics is Hickory . It came with a sticker saying so back in 1979. Only stick of Hickory Ive got though. Hickory is apparently the timber of choice. Would that be only in the US though ? Ive not heard of it mentioned in the UK for hammer handles.
Hickory - Wikipedia

Ive done plenty in white Oak some in Elm . These are blacksmith sized hammer heads . The worst choice I ever tried was Jarrah . It was for a huge hammer head, close to the size of a brick and the handle was probably 800mm long . It lasted 5 minutes and clean snapped off at the head after pounding something on the anvil. Id probably use the She Oak again if I had to and had a good hard bit. I got some logs of it from a local tree and have been turning that recently . Its a coastal casuarina and seems a bit to soft for hammer handles though.

Just measured hammer head, 24mm x 22mm. Allowing for my cleaning up to remove pitting it was probably close to the 340g 12oz version (25 x 23 listed size).

I picked up a spare Hickory handle for my log splitter when our local hardware was upgrading and deleting some lines. Great price! The SG I have been using was from when I bought too many lengths of 90 x 45 joists for a clients deck. Finally using them

I first saw Spotted gum recommended for tool handles in Bootle's book, & have seen it recommended by various others since. Paul (Bushmiller) spent a good part of his day cutting the stuff for a handle manufacturer some years back, so it has form! Don't like it much myself - it's tough, for sure, but has an unpleasant habit of forming splinters where you least want them!

Many of our eucalypts (& the closely-related Corymbias like Jarrah) don't fare well as handles, partly 'cos they tend to be short-fibred and brittle. My dad favoured a local wattle, back on the farm - no idea which species it was but it might have been "hickory wattle" (see below). I've used wattles out of my backyard and most of the handles I've made have been pretty good, though one proved to be brittle when used in a brush-hook. There are at least 3 different species on our property & I never know which one I used because the trees are dead by the time I collect the wood, which all looks the same so I don't know if it was the particular species I used or just due to variation in any of them. "Hickory wattle" (A. implexa) is said to make excellent handles. It's a species that grows up & down the east coast & there is/was some in Victoria when I lived there 30 years ago. It's only a small tree which probably explains why it isn't available commercially.

One of the best woods for handles round here is said to be "Axe handle wood" (Aphanthe pjilippensis). It's not a commercial species either, unfortunately, & according to one article I read, that's 'cos they cut them all down to make axes to cut the rest of the local forests down... I got some from Bob Whitworth, a member of the forum who has a farm forestry plantation up near Gympie & sells a few uncommon species as well as the more well-known Qld woods. You could try a PM to Bob & see if he has any left. He also sent me some native olive to try. Both made excellent handles that have stood up well to heavy use so they get my tick of approval. They are much finer-grained than spotted gum, turned beautifully, & no nasty splinters!

Just out of interest, I'm pretty sure I have a volunteer Aphananthes growing about 5 feet behind my shed, likely from a seed dropped by birds (there are a couple of quite large ones down along the creek behind our place). But it's going to be a year or two before I can make any handles from it, it's getting on for 1.8M tall, but only about 25-30mm diameter at ground level. The more mature trees along the creek are completely out-of-bounds of course, but if ever one should blow over in a storm.......
Cheers,

Here is the one that I ended up with amongst my late grandfather's tools, obviously the handle isn't original, I only got the head.
It weighs 348g or 12.3oz including the handle. It has a 1 stamped into the top. On the side I can read with the aid of a magnifying glass the letters RLEY with possibly a U or O before them. It is pretty small print so more likely part of a brand rather than previous owner's name.
EDIT: Just realised after posting that the head is different to that of M.A.'s, well at least the striking face.

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Originally Posted by IanW

My dad favoured a local wattle, back on the farm - no idea which species it was but it might have been "hickory wattle" (see below). I've used wattles out of my backyard and most of the handles I've made have been pretty good, though one proved to be brittle when used in a brush-hook. There are at least 3 different species on our property & I never know which one I used because the trees are dead by the time I collect the wood, which all looks the same so I don't know if it was the particular species I used or just due to variation in any of them. "Hickory wattle" (A. implexa) is said to make excellent handles. It's a species that grows up & down the east coast & there is/was some in Victoria when I lived there 30 years ago. It's only a small tree which probably explains why it isn't available commercially.

Interesting Ian . I have a Wattle I milled here that is Black wattle Possibly. One of the trees my father in law planted when they turned a paddock into the house block. Dense and a pretty pink sort of colour . I may give that a go on a handle.