Ball pein hammer

[bugbear]

recommendations please

for use on brass mainly - hand planes,knife handle(rivets)etc

Easy - go to a car boot sale. Look for a HANDLE which indicates that the hammer is old and well used. If the head is still in immaculate condition, you may consider it "proven", and worth buying. Now use your woodworking skills to fit a new handle. Try not to be shocked when the handle costs you more than the hammer did.

Most new hammers, from very bad to very good all look lovely, when fresh from the grinder. Hard to tell a good 'un.

If you want a nice surface on your rivets (etc) grind, emery and SiC your ball pein until smooth/shiny enough to suit.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

People tend to forget that any mark on the face of a hammer will in turn mark any softer metal - gold and silver smiths hammers are maintained with mirror finishes.
Out of curiosity, why do you bend more nails with a dirty or rusty hammer? I know you do, but I have no idea why.

Phil.

 

[jimi43]

BB is spot on about getting good steel hammers of all types at bootfairs.....as proven by my little gem this weekend....

And here is another (though not ball pein) one I got a few years back....

A remarkably useful tool it is too!

Both cost me far less than a pound...the little one was only 10p.

He is also right about looking at the handle...this one was so old it was knackered....gone to the great basher in the sky so it was!

And the re-handle need not be expensive...offcut of a nice hardwood...ash or hickory is traditional but oak or in this case...yew...will work just as well...and a sharp knife, spokeshave...even the tongue of a woman for having too many hammers...will whittle it up nicely. :mrgreen:

Now....remembering the bit about care of the hammer....I'm off to polish up me ball!

Jim

 

[jettagreg]

A man is in court for murder and the judge says 'You are charged with beating your wife to death with a hammer.' Then a voice at the back of the court says, 'you turnip.'

Then the judge continues, 'you are also charged With beating Your daughter to death with a hammer.'

Again the voice at the back of the court says, 'you turnip.'

The judge says, 'now we cannot have any more of these outbursts from you or I shall charge You With contempt, now what is the problem?'

Then the man at the back of the court says, 'fifteen years I lived nextdoor to that turnip and everytime I asked to borrow a hammer he said he never had one!'

 

[GazPal]

PMSL :lol: