Cute little hammer

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Today I recieved an unexpected parcel. It was surprising since I hadn't ordered anything. After having unpacked it, my surprise growed, it changed with happyness indeed! Look the cute little hammer I found. Actually the most beautiful I've ever seen.

It has a Yew wood handle that is done the best way you could imagine. As I know now, it was Jimi who did the fantastic work! Thank you so much, Jimi, I truly love this little gem. Do you have an x-ray eye? How did you know that I lack such a little hammer which is so handy on many tasks! This one will be the one to adjust the few infill planes I own.

Some more information: the length is about 7 1/2", the weight is 77 grams. The Yew handle is top notch made. Perfectly shaped what means that it is roundend where it was intended and edged where it has to be. A shape that you never will get with a turned handle. This one was hand shaped. And the surface? What shall I say, just about perfect! Smooth and comfortable while allowing full control. Last not least it is balanced very good, just as you like it to be.

Here's a pic to show it's size. The aside laying hammer head is a "normal" one with 480 grams.

Jimi, you made my day, thank you so much! I just love the tool!

Klaus

 

[AndyT]

Just to add to his blushes, and as further proof that Jim knows his hammers, I realise I hadn't posted any pictures of this lovely little Kentish pattern hammer he gave me at the MAC Timbers open day. You'll have seen it before, but it is now my plane-setting hammer of choice!

Nice one Jim!

 

[Harbo]

Nice hammers but I have an aversion to hitting my planes with steel and much prefer a wooden or brass one for the job?

Rod

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Nice hammers but I have an aversion to hitting my planes with steel and much prefer a wooden or brass one for the job?

Rod

You are not alone with this opinion for sure, Rod. And it might be the right one. I for one used steel hammers for plane adjusting from the beginning of my woodworking and never had problems. Actually the irons are harder than the hammers, at least the modern ones, and you do very little taps to adjust the iron. But I stand to be corrected.

Cheers
Klaus

 

[condeesteso]

I like small hammers, and often tend to use them held very close to the head when adjusting things etc. So I knocked this up, just 4" long:

I tend to hold the head or otherwise hold the whole thing a bit like a dart, and tap with the end. May have to make a bigger one now, to go with it.

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

That's a neat mallet for sure. Looks like Ebony handeled, isn't it? Very nicely crafted in any case. It reminds me of the similarly shaped Veritas brass headed mallet that I own. But the Veritas is some larger. I agree that it allows a lot of control while holding the whole tool in the hand with the index finger laying along the head.

The adjusting of planes I prefer to do with a small headed hammer although.

Cheers
Klaus

 

[Paul Chapman]

Philly does a nice one with a brass head, which I find very good http://www.phillyplanes.co.uk/index.php ... &Itemid=26

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[condeesteso]

Hi Klaus - hope all's well! Yes it's almost a copy of the Veritas one, just smaller. The handle is African blackwood as I had a bit lying around. I agree about small hammers but sometimes a well-targeted tap can be handy.
I like the Philly one - very reasonable price indeed... good man.

 

[Doug B]

Nice hammers but I have an aversion to hitting my planes with steel and much prefer a wooden or brass one for the job?

Rod

Yep, the same here.
I used to use a small ebony turned hammer until Ed kindly made me a brass headed hammer last Xmas.

I find the extra weight of the brass excellent.

 

[Togalosh]

Hello Gents,

Those are very nice little hammers, I very much like the idea of making them to fit your 'style'.

Could I ask a few questions on hammers/mallets please?

I am planning on making my first mallet & am wondering about the design of the handle. I see some pictured here are turned but the others/most are ovel in cross section - what tools do you use to shape them?

What makes you choose your handle design? I see my hammers are thin n straight the lighter the hitting is going to be & rounder & thicker the harder the hitting but my existing mallet is quite thin, flat & rectangular which seems a bit odd but most mallets seem to be like this.

Why do you hit your planes at all? Are they wooden bodied ones ?.. I like the idea of making a brass headed hammer as I've enough scrap brass I could melt down..but that's for another year.

Thanks
Togs

 

[dunbarhamlin]

...I am planning on making my first mallet & am wondering about the design of the handle. I see some pictured here are turned but the others/most are ovel in cross section - what tools do you use to shape them?

Rasps and files

...What makes you choose your handle design? I see my hammers are thin n straight the lighter the hitting is going to be & rounder & thicker the harder the hitting but my existing mallet is quite thin, flat & rectangular which seems a bit odd but most mallets seem to be like this.

Traditional design is for a thin (and therefore whippy) handle. Doesn't need to be strong, just resilient. The weight of the head does the work. If find yourself needing to drive force through the handle, then need a mallet with a heavier head.

Why do you hit your planes at all? Are they wooden bodied ones ?.. I like the idea of making a brass headed hammer as I've enough scrap brass I could melt down..but that's for another year.

Hammer used to adjust any plane without depth or lateral adjustment.
Also useful for delicate lateral adjustment of metal planes with lateral adjusters. Allows for finer adjustment. Have a care not to hit the casting of a metal plane - only takes very gentle taps, with little more than a toffee hammer.
Do not try to adjust depth of cut with a hammer if the plane has a depth adjuster.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Togalosh


I use rectangular handles and knock the corners off with a spokeshave, the seen to be comfortable enough and you can tell you are holding it the right way.
But a round turned one is easyer to make on a lathe.

Pete

 

[pedder]

Nice hammers but I have an aversion to hitting my planes with steel and much prefer a wooden or brass one for the job?

Rod

Hi Rod,

I've had the chance to play with this hammer and it is so sweet and light, impossible to do harm to any iron, even if you'd like to do. This is the perfect plan adjust hammer, espaecially for planes like the Lie-Nielsen 100:

The handle ist great, btw.

Cheers
Pedder

 

[jimi43]

Hi Klaus

I am so glad that you enjoyed the hammer...and as Pedder has said...the size is designed for gentle taps...hardly metal deforming work at all.

The head reminds me of the little hammers you used to get when I was a kid to crack toffee..I forget the brand. They were all steel and mass produced but of the same weight.

When I make hammer handles I tend to go for rounded rectangular as well...I think this suits hammers but not mallets.

The balance for me is when you place the knuckle on your finger it should balance..head then weighs the same as the handle....

There is no real logic to this...it just has always worked for me.

For mallets....I prefer the short stubby type...like the one on one of the range of LV mallets I am making....

Mark (the current owner of this one) may be along later to confirm...but the idea is it can be swung full force...or held as Douglas suggests...the double bulges acting as grip points when using it this way.

I tend to study older designs and copy what I like the best from each....

This slater's hammer is short handled....entirely based on some old catalogue designs...and virtually square-edged....

This suits this type of hammer by my eye anyway....and it visually matches the form on the head.

You can shape almost any design by spokeshave and rasp (a good one!!)....and I have even made total rounds fairly accurately by finishing off with a tiny chariot plane...starting with refining the square to hexagon...then keep hitting the bevels evenly until it is virtually round and only requires abrasive finishing...

Klaus' hammer and Mark's mallet did not need finish really...I just used Abranet 120G to 400G and then Micromesh 1500M to 12000M.....then one or two coats of Tru-Oil. I still have the Micromesh sheets I bought on FleaBay over a year ago...I just wash them out when they get dirty in the washing machine!! :mrgreen:

Hope this helps Togs!

Andy....those Kent pattern hammers are little darlings aren't they? I knew it was for you when I saw it...the history of these old hammers is part of their charm.

Next time I make a handle I'll do a WIP if it is of interest to anyone....really simple to get a great result and strangely relaxing too! Oh...and it uses up long narrow off-cuts!

Jimi

 

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Man Jimi, what a beautiful mallet! Your hammers and mallets deserve to be written a sonnet about them :lol:

Yes, I enjoy the little hammer a lot and I find it perfectly balanced. My planes like it as well as they told me

Klaus