# Homemade hammer



## Mgdoug3 (Jul 24, 2021)

I have seen several homemade hammers lately and thought I should try to make one. I really wanted to make a brass hammer but I need to order some brass first.  I had some aluminum laying around plus enough steel for a handle. Figured it would be best if I failed to fail with metal I had laying around. 

Used my lathe to make the handle and made the end of of 5/8 and 3/4 then made a taper to blend it into the handle.  Took some 2" aluminum and turned it down just enough so I could polish it up. Took the chunk of aluminum to the mill and drilled a 5/8 hole and then a 3/4 so the handle fits in snug. 

Added loctite to the handle then tapped it into place.  The hammer is bigger and heavier than I planned but I still like it. Right when I was walking out of the shop I happened to notice a 1-1/4" piece of aluminum that would have be a better alternative but that's how it goes. 

Hammer head is almost 2" wide and 3.25" long. I didn't measure when I cut the hammer. I just went by what looked right. The handle is about 6" long or so.


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## mmcmdl (Jul 25, 2021)

That would make a very nice crab mallet !


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## wachuko (Jul 25, 2021)

When I get my lathe, I want to do the same.  But for now I just went ahead and ordered one... the shame, I know... the shame...


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## Mgdoug3 (Jul 25, 2021)

wachuko said:


> When I get my lathe, I want to do the same.  But for now I just went ahead and ordered one... the shame, I know... the shame...


I can buy a brass hammer for around $15. I can buy 1" round brass for around $30 to $40. There's no economic reason to make your own, but I like fun projects.


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## wachuko (Jul 25, 2021)

Trust me, I get it… 

As soon as I get a lathe, it will be one of the first projects that I want to do…

For now, I just went with this one:









						Precision Steel Dead-Blow Hammer
					

Professional lawn mower blade sharpeners, balancers, metal dust collectors, and other tools for lawn care professionals. Designed and manufactured in the USA since 1958.




					www.magna-matic-direct.com
				




Do not tell my wife... she would not understand... hahahahhaha


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## Bi11Hudson (Jul 27, 2021)

I'm not particularly taken with "dead blow" hammers. It may come from the type of work I do; I much prefer a solid soft metal, like aluminium or lead or tin for seating parts in the machine. I cast my own hammer heads in lead and tin. I found a hammer mold in a fishing supply shop that is the perfect size for small machine work. I also found a good source for handles at "Pawn Shops". There is always, at least in this area, a selection of junky hand tools, cheap!!. I find that cutting the head off of cheap ratchets and breaker bars gives a comfortable sized handle. The cheap metal they're made from is fairly easy to cut down to a usable size and tap.

The handle seldom (never?) contacts the work. Brass and aluminium headed hammers are machined to size and threaded to fit the home brew handles. Lead and tin are cast in a mold, using the same handle parts. A piece of cardboard is sufficient to stop the molten metal from leaking around the handle. I have little use for plastic hammers, so the ones I have, I have had a long time. But they are made using the same as Al or brass. I've never cast an acrylic resin head, but I'm sure it is plausable.

Making the first few hammers, _or any tool_, is a good introduction to machine shop work. The OP is to be commended for his work. As he advances, he will find the occasional work that doesn't quite fit what tools are at hand. That's what determines whether one "belongs" to machine work, or machine work "belongs" to them. Making what you need. . .

.


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## wachuko (Jul 27, 2021)

In the one I got, I can remove that weight and remove the dead blow feature... I just loved the looks and how well it was made... could not resist to get it as my first hammer for the workshop-to-be.

I agree, the OP made his own hammer.  That is awesome and something he can be proud of.

I can't wait to make mine.

I had not thought about going into a pawn shop in search of materials to use for making other stuff.  That is a great idea.  I love this forum... learning a lot from the post with folks with a lot more experience under their belt.


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## mmcmdl (Jul 27, 2021)

mmcmdl said:


> That would make a very nice crab mallet !


The reason why I stated this is the obvious . I made one when I first started out 40 years ago . I still have it ...................................somewhere !


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## Bi11Hudson (Jul 27, 2021)

mmcmdl said:


> That would make a very nice crab mallet !


Some thirty odd years ago (I won't go into our _lasting_ marriage) my wife came down south from Maine. Like northern Maine, where there are only two seasons, that being Winter and August. Winter is about over this year. . . I digress. . . 

My wife grew up eating lobster as a staple food. When she came down south she was shocked at the cost here. I'm fairly well traveled but lobster doesn't hold much interest to me. Once you fight through the shell, the meat is only so-so. Not worth the effort, so to speak. 

In any case, a friend (her Boss) took us to a lobster house on our first anniversary. As the lobster was delivered to our table and the house was providing the bibs and all the tools to open the lobster, she pushed all that stuff aside and asked for another plate. On receiving it, she proceded to "dis-assemble" the lobster by hand, placing the shell pieces on the extra plate. In less time than her boss with all the tools, she had a plate of meat and a plate of shell pieces. The house staff had been fore-warned when she sexed the lobster, turning down several before settling on one. So they were watching surriptously as she dismantled the lobster. She didn't get an ovation, but several wait staff were standing by as she passed over the plate with the shell. 

When I was working in the Pacific Rim area, before the (3rd) marriage, I had similar experiences with coconut crabs, a staple in that part of the world. I was taught a similar process to access the meat of a crab. They quite often use a coat hanger wire and drill to prep the crab for cooking. When it is done, there is a simple process to open the crab.

The hammer idea is a good one, but obviously someone to whom crabs are a delicacy, not a staple.

.


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