# A veneer hammer project.



## Adam W. (17 Jun 2021)

I'm making a veneer hammer, as I'm fed up with using the back of my saw for veneering.

Currently it looks like this... 








But I want it to look like this....







So I'm asking for a little help from the dovetail masters with attaching one to the other

What's the best way to go about setting out a long sliding dovetail and cutting it by hand ?


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## dzj (17 Jun 2021)

That's fancy!
I too should get round to making one before i retire. 
Currently using an old piece of bakelite.


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## Adam W. (17 Jun 2021)

I thought it was about time I smartened up.......been too scruffy for too long.

The walnut was interesting to carve, as the grain was a bit wacky, but It kind of worked.


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## Inspector (17 Jun 2021)

Silly of me to ask I suppose  but why not just glue the two pieces together since modern glues are stronger than the wood anyway. Perhaps not as pretty though. The one my father made just has a table saw cut and a piece of brass inserted, rounded and polished a little. He did repairs with it for a couple dozen years in his business before retiring.


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## Adam W. (17 Jun 2021)

Oh, you know....because.

I know it's going to get covered in glue, but I just fancy doing it whilst I wait for a flight to London. I've got some nice wood, so I might as well do it justice by cutting some nice joints.


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## Adam W. (18 Jun 2021)

Now it looks like this.....It took me a long time, but it's on nice and snug.













Now to find a bit of brass.


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## Adam W. (18 Jun 2021)

After a bit of research and looking at the chaps from Colonial Williamsburg and what they are using, I may go for boxwood instead of brass.

@ 26:30








The Woodwright's Shop | Hammer Veneer | Season 28 | Episode 10 | PBS


Master musical instrument makers show classical techniques of hand cutting & wood veneer.




www.pbs.org


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## ArferMo (18 Jun 2021)

Adam W. said:


> After a bit of research and looking at the chaps from Colonial Williamsburg and what they are using, I may go for boxwood instead of brass


I'd stick to brass so any glue won't. 

I made one years ago and used 18 gauge brass sheet folded double, with the bend being the hammer edge.


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## Adam W. (19 Jun 2021)

ArferMo said:


> I'd stick to brass so any glue won't.
> 
> I made one years ago and used 18 gauge brass sheet folded double, with the bend being the hammer edge.



Point taken, but a lack of readily available brass may scupper that.

So far.... Unfortunately I split the side of the tail a bit, but it's now glued together for ever.


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## ArferMo (19 Jun 2021)

Adam W. said:


> Point taken, but a lack of readily available brass may scupper that.



Brass Sheet Plate Guillotine Offcuts 0.8mm To 4.0mm Guillotine Cut Model Making | eBay is just an example for buying an offcut. Is eBay "readily available" enough?


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## Adam W. (19 Jun 2021)

Not really, as I'm in Denmark.


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## ArferMo (19 Jun 2021)

Adam W. said:


> Not really, as I'm in Denmark.


Well that is no barrier. Those offcuts are from a Chinese seller. Do you have scrap yards in Denmark? 10cms of brass strip is all you need. Or what about a short length of 25mm copper pipe. Heated and allowed to cool so as to anneal it. Then flatten by squashing in a vice.

There are umpteen solutions if you have the gumption to find them. 

Some veneer is quite porous and hot glue can come through. A boxwood scraper is not a solution. It maybe what you want, as you seem very hung up on appearance, but function should be your main consideration. Form follows function.


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## Adam W. (19 Jun 2021)

ArferMo said:


> Well that is no barrier. Those offcuts are from a Chinese seller. Do you have scrap yards in Denmark? 10cms of brass strip is all you need. Or what about a short length of 25mm copper pipe. Heated and allowed to cool so as to anneal it. Then flatten by squashing in a vice.
> 
> There are umpteen solutions if you have the gumption to find them.
> 
> Some veneer is quite porous and hot glue can come through. A boxwood scraper is not a solution. It maybe what you want, as you seem very hung up on appearance, but function should be your main consideration. Form follows function.


Blimey!


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## Cooper (20 Jun 2021)

Adam W. said:


> Point taken, but a lack of readily available brass may scupper that.




Closer to home, you may find the local carpet fitter has brass door strips they remove from homes where they are replacing them may let you have a length? A couple of years ago I wanted to make a wooden field camera and need brass to make the slides and brackets etc. and a begging trip to the shop provided for my needs.
Martin


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## Tuna808 (20 Jun 2021)

Try a boatyard, they might have some brass bar off cuts and old cutless bearings the would normally bin.
I’m sure the could help out, all you need is a small solid strip…the use a lot of phosphor bronze and magnesium bronze…both as good if not better..I wouldn’t use copper though.


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## xy mosian (20 Jun 2021)

Part of a leaf from an old Brass hinge perhaps. 
However you choose to sort it, the hammer really looks good.
xy


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## rafezetter (20 Jun 2021)

I made a veneer hammer and used HDPE from a cheap cutting board. I know brass is traditionally used to help keep the glue soft from the heat, but nothing sticks to it.


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## Adam W. (21 Jun 2021)

I managed to find a strip of brass which I had intended to make an escutcheon from for my tool chest. It was about 1.3mm thick, so I folded it and peened it with a scythe peening hammer and anvil and it bulbs out at the fold to about 4mm.

As the brass was stiff and springing open, I soft soldered it all together with some plumbing solder which I beat flat and held in the joint by squeezing the brass together with grips. It worked OK and it sits in a trench in the boxwood insert cut with a plane float. It just needs a trim now and I can get veneering.

I'm not sure how to fix it in, but I have some araldite or I can just screw it in, which may work better. Any suggestions welcome.












I'm still interested in the boxwood veneer hammer which they use at Colonial Williamsburg, so I'll make a smaller version later on.

There's a reason for me doing all this and it's because I have a curved architectural project coming up and want to make a pair of these, along with some other miniature planes. I think these ones are going to be about 4" long all up...

So practice,practice.


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## dzj (21 Jun 2021)

That's a fine looking hammer. Particularly the carved handle atop of it.
The planes are very cute. What are they for?


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## Adam W. (21 Jun 2021)

Thank you, I'm going to enjoy using it.

The planes are form a collection of cabinetmakers or carriage builders tools which was up for auction ages ago. I think they are for finishing wide fillets on curved work. But it's a guess and the only way to really find out is to make them and see what they do.


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## rafezetter (21 Jun 2021)

for fixing that I would go with small brass panhead screws, screwed right through, when the panhead is flush, file the head off so it just looks like a pin, and probably file the tips if the screw is protruding the other side.


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## marcros (21 Jun 2021)

rafezetter said:


> I made a veneer hammer and used HDPE from a cheap cutting board. I know brass is traditionally used to help keep the glue soft from the heat, but nothing sticks to it.



I was just about to suggest chopping board!


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## --Tom-- (21 Jun 2021)

Adam W. said:


> Thank you, I'm going to enjoy using it.
> 
> The planes are form a collection of cabinetmakers or carriage builders tools which was up for auction ages ago. I think they are for finishing wide fillets on curved work. But it's a guess and the only way to really find out is to make them and see what they do.



They look interesting, let me know if you want some blades made for them


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