Machinist's hammer

[PhillT]

What would be the better material for this, the choices I have are, Acetal, Extruded Nylon, Cast Nylon?
By "better", I mean most likely to last longest.

 

[devils4ever]

Why "plastic"? I believe Acetal would last the longest, but I'm not 100% sure.

I made mine out of solid brass with a steel handle and it seems to be holding up very well. This was one of my first machinist's project. The knurling is always challenging for me, but turned out acceptable here.

 

[woodchucker]

I happen to like my Vaughn hammer with the rubber and some other hard plastic. I don't know what it is, but they are available separately.
edit:
new link from the manufacturer cheaper and no min.

SF12H 1-3/8'' Hard Yellow Tip For SF12 Hammer

SF12H 1-3/8'' Hard Yellow Tip For SF12 Hammer

www.vaughanmfg.com

 

[wayback machine]

You want only one hammer ?

 

[PhillT]

You want only one hammer ?

I'll make one at a time ;-)

 

[PhillT]

Why "plastic"? I believe Acetal would last the longest, but I'm not 100% sure.

I made mine out of solid brass with a steel handle and it seems to be holding up very well. This was one of my first machinist's project. The knurling is always challenging for me, but turned out acceptable here.

View attachment 437184

Aluminium is softer than brass. Nylon is softer than aluminium

 

[wayback machine]

I think weight is important in a good hammer -
Regardless of what face material you use, the body of the head should have good weight to it.

 

[PhillT]

I think weight is important in a good hammer -
Regardless of what face material you use, the body of the head should have good weight to it.

Agreed, but it will only be used to seat parts in a milling vice, or similar.

 

[sdelivery]

It's just my opinion but in my experience this has worked best.
I can let the weight of the soft face do the work and rarely do I have to pound on a part to seat it. There is no bruising of the face of the part. I have several pretty brass hammers which bruise the face of the part. Something
Lead Mallet with Hickory Handle, 4-1/2 lbs.

Ready for pickup today by 11:30 am
$59.65 Each
5910A4
Each
Each
ADD

Hammer Type	Mallet
Faces Replaceable	Nonreplaceable
Face Material	Lead
Face Shape	Round
Head Weight	4 1/2 lbs.
Face Diameter	2"
Overall Length	14"
Head Material	Lead
Handle Material	Hickory
Grip Style	Plain
Handle Replaceable	Nonreplaceable
RoHS	Not Compliant
REACH	Not Compliant
DFARS	Specialty Metals COTS-Exempt
Country of Origin	United States
USMCA Qualifying	Yes
Schedule B	820520.0000
ECCN	EAR99

Drive chisels and strike work without damaging its surface. To avoid marring, choose a mallet with faces that are softer than your workpiece. Lighter weight mallets are good for tapping work into place and driving a chisel to make small cuts. Use heavier weight mallets when assembling joints, dislodging stuck parts, and making aggressive cuts with a chisel. Longer mallets allow for more powerful swings.

Lead faces are the softest metal faces we offer. They're for use on plastic and soft, nonferrous metal, such as copper and aluminum.

Hickory handles resist vibration.

 

[RJSakowski]

I have a 6 oz. soft faced hammer with removable faces, one rubber and the other Nylon. The faces screw into the hammer head with 1/4-20 screws embedded in the faces. There a socket which contains the base of the face, keeping it centered and preventing it from sliding off side. The basic design is good but the hammer is really too light. Rather than an aluminum head. I would have used brass for a better wright to size ratio. A 16 head would be more effective for setting work in the vise.

edit: I would make a soft faced hammer with a replaceable faces sothat hamere can be restored easily.

Were I making a hammer, I would embed a screw in Delrin by heating it an plunging it into a plastic blank, allowing it to melt its way down and the plastic to flow in behind to capture the screw. Then I would turn the blank to final dimension. I have found the rubber face to be of little use and if making a hammer, I would make a removable copper or brass face instead.