Reclaimed Oak - Pallet Hammer

Ulma Doctor

Infinitely Curious
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Hi Guys,

I'm trying very hard to gain woodworking skills , frankly because i'm not very good at it.
I have no problem throwing myself at something that i feel deficient in, this being a perfect example.
Making your own tools is one of the best ways of learning the materials.

Sure i could have went and bought a brand new hammer for knocking cellulose around with, but what's the fun in that??? OR
I could spend 8 hours and about $5 and have a hammer that will last for many years to come.
it's no real stretch to guess what choice i made....:grin:

I started of by reclaiming White Oak from a beautiful 48"x 40" pallet that was carelessly tossed away in a pile.
the pallet weighed a ton, and it was dry.
I used a 7 1/4" circular saw to render the small pile of useable stock
There is quite a bit of wood in a pallet, i never stopped to consider how much wood is actually there.

I selected 4 pieces of reclaimed wood for the hammer project
Pallet%2BHammer.jpg

I started by ripping the long, wide piece to a manageable size for layout of the handle.
I ran the pieces through the planer/joiner to get them a little straighter and so i wouldn't have to do as much sanding.

Pallet%2BHammer%2B1.jpg
With a try square and ruler, i laid out the rough dimensions for the handle.

I cut the handle from the blank freehand with the Shopsmith 10" table saw and started to customize the grip...
Pallet%2Bhammer%2B2.jpg

I love the smell of sawn oak for some reason, it's a happy smell for me!

Assembly was straightforward.
with only 4 pieces to put together , even a buffoon could look like a champion :cool:
the 2 sides, the handle and 2 filler pieces were glued and clamped
I chose regular Gorilla Glue to stick the water dampened pieces together.
Gorilla Glue requires dampened pieces to activate the glue to cure.
If you get it on your hands or clothes, you'll be stuck with it for a while, don't ask how i know this...:rolleyes:

in the picture (below left) you can see some of the other remnants from the reclamation process
Pallet%2BHammer%2B3.jpg

I clamped the reclaimed lumber together and let it set up for about 2 hours before i went to mess with it again.

After the glue up, i started whittlin' on the wood.
I first cut the overhanging pieces that are the center filling plates between the 2 outer sides, to gain a rough head shape.
I further refined the shape of the head by mitering 2* off the hammer faces, top and bottom,
for better striking alignment.

I then laid out 4- 3/8" dowel bores and used wood glue and hardwood dowels for added durability and strength.
I intentionally overbuilt it to function long after i have passed from this world.

I used a router with a roundover bit to take the sharpness off the edges and add a better aesthetic.

i'll let you be the judge... :tranquility:

this is the hammer in it's natural state.
The dimensions are Head is 8" X 3" X 2 3/4 across the face
the handle is 13 1/2" long X 3/4" thick X 1 1/2" taper to 1" at the grabbing end.
you can't see it well by the picture,
but the handle was relieved with the router and a roundover bit as well
Pallet%2BHammer%2B4.jpg
i sanded it down to 400 grit and applied extra virgin olive oil as an antioxidant/ luster enhancing finish.
I buy the stuff by the gallon for cooking, so i wasn't about to go buy any wood oils.
the finish turned out very silky.
Olive oil will need to be re applied ever so often, but a small price (20 cents an application:p) to pay for.

A more dramatic picture!

Pallet%2BHammer%2B5.jpg

It now has a place of honor on my pegboard!!!

Pallet%2BHammer%2B6.jpg

as always thank you for reading-
questions comments, stories are always welcomed and encouraged :big grin:

Pallet%2BHammer.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B1.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B1.jpg

Pallet%2Bhammer%2B2.jpg

Pallet%2Bhammer%2B2.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B3.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B3.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B4.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B4.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B5.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B5.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B6.jpg

Pallet%2BHammer%2B6.jpg
 
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Mike, you are becoming quite a wood worker. Looks good. :encourage:
 
thank you Jim,
it was an easy project that i had to overdo and take a whole day to make :bang head:
 
Cool stuff Mike. I too sometimes salvage pallet wood, but I look for maples, cherry, and believe it or not walnut. There are a lot of steel suppliers here and the ship on really nice hardwood pallets to support the weight. Almost all pallets are not dry enough to make furniture with but a little stickering and stacking for a couple of months in a hot garage will usually bring the moisture content down. I usually just use a 3' prybar and pry them apart, beating on them just seems to break too much wood and takes too much energy, lol. If I pry up the boards I can usually get the nails out. But I almost gaurantee if you stick those boards with a moisture meter they will be well over recommended moisture content for furniture, but would probably be ok for crafty things.
 
Aren't you the guy who stated several months ago something along the lines of that "you weren't going to mess with woodworking." ?
<:cool:Chuckling Here>

Give it a good finish and soak with some type of oil finish. Tung works well as do the Watco products, Minwax oil finish, and then there's also walnut oil.
Don't use Poly, that'll keep the moisture in.
Then under the head engrave your name and date, perhaps when your great-grand children end up with it they will know what they have had passed down to them.
 
Aren't you the guy who stated several months ago something along the lines of that "you weren't going to mess with woodworking." ?
<:cool:Chuckling Here>

Give it a good finish and soak with some type of oil finish. Tung works well as do the Watco products, Minwax oil finish, and then there's also walnut oil.
Don't use Poly, that'll keep the moisture in.
Then under the head engrave your name and date, perhaps when your great-grand children end up with it they will know what they have had passed down to them.
It's a sickness Dan, lol.
 
Isn't it though? :grin:
I swear I was a tree in a former life. I've got the entire back end of the shed filled with pieces. Cherry, walnut, cedar, oak, ETC.
There's a 6x6x96 and (2) 2x6x96 hunks of cedar up in the rafters. Haven't figured out anything for them yet.
In the attic above the garage I've got hickory, walnut and cedar logs drying out.
Then there's the cabinet panel pieces and hardwood floor cutoffs out in the pump house.
Then there's the pieces from old furniture that I've grabbed on trash days. Old dressers are a great source of wood.
Someday I need to get the lead out and start making some of the items that I have planned to for years....
I've got this plan for a Gerstner style box.
Meanwhile all I'm doing is rebuilding and refinishing a platform bed that the missus picked up...
 
Check out "Woodworking for mere mortals" on youtube.
He built a deadblow hammer out of wood similar to yours.
I work in the freight industry, and am always snagging lumber.
Yesterday morning I made a socket caddy out of an Oak skid runner. About an hour and a half shop time and free "tool storage".
Dont use plant, or animal oil on wood, inless its specificly intended to do so. It can sour, or attract rodents and bugs. Boiled linseed oil is a staple in both the wood shop and the metal shop.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker
 
Dan, you want to talk sickness? See my avatar, that's a chainsaw powered sawmill, I mill my own lumber up to 36" wide. I have a garage full of all species of hardwoods and half my basement is wood shop and full of wood too. The other side of the basement is the metal shop.
 
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