Lead faced hammer

M

Makintrax73

H-M Supporter - Silver Member
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2022
Messages
235
I was looking for a better hammer to set work in a milling vise. Found a neat idea in the downloads section: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/resources/machine-shop-projects-for-beginners.3424/download

See pg 37

I had to change to a smaller, round head due to no large hex stock, and I adjusted a few other dimensions.

20230720_174650.jpg

Basically it's pretty simple: set the compound to 15 degrees. Leave it set for all boring operations. 2 external tapers, 2 internal tapers, and a lead mold with a taper that matches.

20230720_174746.jpg

In my case the mold is a piece of durabar from the scrap bin. The mold fills and releases fine as long as it's hot enough (pre heat). The Internal taper locks it in once set so a light whack takes the mold off.

It doesn't use much lead, is easy to recast, and has a nice "dead" blow to it. Despite massive chatter taper turning the handle and horrible knurling it turned out fair and will be a useful tool.
 
For a long time, including my stint in production, I used the lead mallet my dad's uncle made. Nothing works like a lead face, that I must admit! But my education eventually outstripped my experience, and I am extremely wary of lead. Now I just use a small HF dead blow. It works the same, without leaving residue that sticks to my fingers, ends up in my clothes, migrates to the house, and so on. Us old farts don't absorb lead as fast as young folk, but there are many cases of people dying of lead exposure after accidentally swallowing a piece of bird shot. There's also a case of a guy who lost his son from chewing on an airgun pellet. Lots of data at the CDC and Census Bureau on cases like that. It is a fine mallet, though!
 
pontiac428 said:
For a long time, including my stint in production, I used the lead mallet my dad's uncle made. Nothing works like a lead face, that I must admit! But my education eventually outstripped my experience, and I am extremely wary of lead. Now I just use a small HF dead blow. It works the same, without leaving residue that sticks to my fingers, ends up in my clothes, migrates to the house, and so on. Us old farts don't absorb lead as fast as young folk, but there are many cases of people dying of lead exposure after accidentally swallowing a piece of bird shot. There's also a case of a guy who lost his son from chewing on an airgun pellet. Lots of data at the CDC and Census Bureau on cases like that. It is a fine mallet, though!
Click to expand...
you know people used to drink from pewter cups, and eat on pewter plates.. the leaded pewter.
 
They also lost teeth and hair, and life expectancy before antibiotics was 40 years. Lead poisoning may have played a part in the collapse of Rome. By the time lead gives you the jitters, the brain damage is already trenched in. Keep an eye on those cuticles for nail darkening and ask your wife to tell you if you develop a stammer.

Those of us over 40 accumulated most of our life exposure from leaded gasoline. It's gone now, but that doesn't mean we have room to fool around.
 
I was never careful about lead exposure my whole life long, I wondered about it and asked my doctor to test for it; result, nothing detectable, I shall at age 78, continue to use and make lead hammers. BTW, lead wheel balancing weights are the ideal hardness/alloy for hammers.
 
pontiac428 said:
They also lost teeth and hair, and life expectancy before antibiotics was 40 years. Lead poisoning may have played a part in the collapse of Rome. By the time lead gives you the jitters, the brain damage is already trenched in. Keep an eye on those cuticles for nail darkening and ask your wife to tell you if you develop a stammer.

Those of us over 40 accumulated most of our life exposure from leaded gasoline. It's gone now, but that doesn't mean we have room to fool around.
Click to expand...
many of us also got it from Chinese coffee cups. They were using lead in the paint and firing it up. You can tell by the spoon in the bottom. when it leaves the gray marks, you probably have a leaded cup. I tested one with a little test kit and it was positive.

I melted many a lead nose weight for my planes, hammers, played with bird shot.. grew up with lead paint.. and I'm still here... although a little CRAZY.. I like heavy metal, and making chips.. I wonder if that lead had anything to do with it.
 
I've endured leaded gas, lead shot, lead bullets (including casting), the use of a lead "knocker block", and countless other affronts to my body. That doesn't mean I ignore the danger. As an avid reloader, I get my lead levels checked whenever I have a physical. At one time (perhaps 7-8 years ago) they were at the high end of normal. Not in the danger zone, but high enough that my doc suggested I figure out ways to reduce my exposure.
For me, it was a matter of switching from (dusty) dry tumbling of my spent firearm brass, to wet (dust-free) tumbling, as well as cleaning up the area thoroughly.

I still use lead, including my knocker block, but I've definitely reduced my exposure, particularly to the readily-absorbed dust that comes from tumbling brass. In the process, I tried every lead-substitute I can find - and they all suck! To this date I am looking for a lead-free airgun pellet that's worthy of being called a hunting pellet. They're awesome as target pellets though...

Lead sucks. It's just that it's so awesome at some things...

I might build something like the head of that mallet (no handle). I really like having my "knocker" fully in my hand, and thus, more controllable. Stuff I can do with a lead hammer, I can usually do with a lead-free 'dead blow'.

GsT
 
When I was growing up,a substantial amount of our protein came from wild game, harvested with a 20 ga shotgun with either no. 4 or no. 5 shot. I have undoubtedly swallowed a number of pellets in the process. My dad was an avid fisherman, going out three or four times a week in his retirement. He would clinch lead split shot with his teeth. He was retired for 33 years before his passing at age 95 with his cause of death unrelated to lead poisoning.
 
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