Brass Hammer..... DIY

Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
While doing the plane restoration, I wanted/needed a small brass hammer, this is to cut the tape that I use to mask the parts of the plane off that I don't want to paint. You put the tape over the edge (sharp edge) of the steel, then you tap, lightly, with a brass hammer on the edge and it cuts the tape, this is a real time saver.


brass_hammer1.jpg
I have a small steel hammer, but I did not think this was the right way to do the job, steel on steel, might be OK, but with my luck I'd damage something. :doh:

I then set about to make a small brass hammer.

brass_hammer2.jpg
I had a big brass punch as a donor for the brass head....

brass_hammer3.jpg
I set at it with my "Powered Hacksaw" to cut off a piece of the punch, worked slick!

brass_hammer4.jpgbrass_hammer5.jpg
I chucked it up in the lathe and turned the ends nice and smooth, one flat, one slightly peened.

brass_hammer6.jpg
I drilled and tapped a hole in the hammer head, and then fit a bolt as the handle....

brass_hammer7.jpg
I'll turn a wooden handle at some point, but for today, it worked wonderfully!

Took about 20 minutes I guess.

Cheers!
 
That was a bit of ingenuity to say the least! I will never look at a brass rod the same way again! So, when you get ready to turn the wooden handle, planning on keeping the bolt down the center for strength and turn a wooden handle and drill it and glue it on the bolt much like a pen blank on a tube?
 
Hey in South Africa we had a saying "Boer maak a plan" which many farmers here will understand when i translate it .

Translation = " Farmers make a plan"

The one beautiful thing about farming is you are often so far from retail that ingenuity used to solve problems comes to the fore.

I have to say to you Stu, since you re awakened my spirit of ingenuity to make rather than by I feel like a whole new man.

I fell into the trap coming to Canada and seeing all the retail and retail options (heck one visit to LV is all it took) of buying tools rather than making up something yourself. Some of the well engineered beautiful looking machined pieces in that LV show case defeat you before you start since they kinda set a benchmark.

But there is no greater reward to me than making your own once you rediscover your spitit in this regard.

I made Mike Hendersons from his tutorial and i even made another and gave it to a friend that does work on cars. Real rewarding.

Wish i could send you a piece of ash. Somehow that steel handle dont quiet fit.:D;)

Thanks for the post it keeps the spirit alive.
 
Necessity+ a Canadian= an invention:eek::):D:rofl::thumb:

Even better you got to slap something on the spinny thing.:rofl::thumb::thumb::thumb::rofl:

It is ALWAYS a better day when I get to play on the lathe! :thumb:

That was a bit of ingenuity to say the least! I will never look at a brass rod the same way again! So, when you get ready to turn the wooden handle, planning on keeping the bolt down the center for strength and turn a wooden handle and drill it and glue it on the bolt much like a pen blank on a tube?
The wooden handle will have a copper ferrel on it to keep it from cracking (and cause they look nice) and will go about halfway up the metal handle, so the tool will end up a little longer, but not much, if that makes sense :huh:

Don't worry, I'll post some pics when I do it :D

Knice Knurling!

Yeah, I thought so too, I could have used the plan end............. NOT!!

Hey in South Africa we had a saying "Boer maak a plan" which many farmers here will understand when i translate it .

Translation = " Farmers make a plan"

The one beautiful thing about farming is you are often so far from retail that ingenuity used to solve problems comes to the fore.

I have to say to you Stu, since you re awakened my spirit of ingenuity to make rather than by I feel like a whole new man.

I fell into the trap coming to Canada and seeing all the retail and retail options (heck one visit to LV is all it took) of buying tools rather than making up something yourself. Some of the well engineered beautiful looking machined pieces in that LV show case defeat you before you start since they kinda set a benchmark.

But there is no greater reward to me than making your own once you rediscover your spitit in this regard.

I made Mike Hendersons from his tutorial and i even made another and gave it to a friend that does work on cars. Real rewarding.

Wish i could send you a piece of ash. Somehow that steel handle dont quiet fit.:D;)

Thanks for the post it keeps the spirit alive.

Thanks Rob, and I really do understand what you mean, it is very nice to buy a well made quality tool, but for me, there is something special about making a decent tool as well.

The steel handle will get a wooden extension soon.

That's really cool Stu. I love doing stuff like that. :thumb:

Me too Bob, it really is fun!

Stu isn't turning something like that hard on the lathe tools? :eek: Looking good. Never thought of using the lathe for something like that. :thumb::thumb:

Not at all, I just used a scraper, and the M2 lathe tool steel is a LOT harder than the brass, or even cold rolled steel. You will have to sharpen a lot more often than with wood, but it does really work well.

Cheers!
 
Top