# Reclaimed Oak - Pallet Hammer



## Ulma Doctor (Oct 18, 2015)

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....

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



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.



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...



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 
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...

in the picture (below left) you can see some of the other remnants from the reclamation process



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... 

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


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) to pay for.

A more dramatic picture!




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




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


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## JimDawson (Oct 18, 2015)

Mike, you are becoming quite a wood worker.  Looks good.


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 18, 2015)

thank you Jim,
it was an easy project that i had to overdo and take a whole day to make


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 18, 2015)

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.


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## middle.road (Oct 18, 2015)

Aren't you the guy who stated several months ago something along the lines of that "_you weren't going to mess with woodworking._" ?
<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.


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 18, 2015)

middle.road said:


> Aren't you the guy who stated several months ago something along the lines of that "_you weren't going to mess with woodworking._" ?
> <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.
> ...


It's a sickness Dan, lol.


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## middle.road (Oct 18, 2015)

Isn't it though?  
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...


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## jpfabricator (Oct 18, 2015)

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


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 18, 2015)

Thank You All for the compliments and suggestions.
i really am learning a lot of stuff!


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 18, 2015)

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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## middle.road (Oct 18, 2015)

If I had a sawmill or access to one I would be in deep deep trouble. Have to build another shed or barn for drying...
3' wide? Oh the items that can be made from that. I avoid the auctions and estate sales that have piles of wood.
Widest I've see lately is only around 18" though.

(have we hijacked Doc's thread - me thinks?)


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 18, 2015)

don't worry about hijacking, i like the chatter!


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 18, 2015)

I think Mike might be getting an idea of how deep the sickness can go! LOL.
I have some pretty impressive slabs of 3" thick 28" wide crotch figure black walnut, one is destined to be a coffee table for my living room. And some wide maple may be a new kitchen table.


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## Bob Korves (Oct 18, 2015)

If you are into pallet wood, check out the tool this guy made.  Amazing!


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## Eddyde (Oct 18, 2015)

Bob Korves said:


> If you are into pallet wood, check out the tool this guy made.  Amazing!


I made a similar tool form pipe and a couple of donor crowbars, I need it to rip sub-flooring off of joists that are wider than standard. And yes, I have used it to rip pallets apart as well.


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 19, 2015)

thanks guys for sharing the tools, i have an idea after seeing these pallet discombobulators


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## middle.road (Oct 19, 2015)

Ulma Doctor said:


> thank you Jim,
> it was an easy project that i had to overdo and take a whole day to make


Perhaps, however the hours in the shop working on something practical is very therapeutic as is known to reduce stress*.

(*not scientifically proven but it sounds good.)


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