Dead Blow Hammer

[taintedelephant]

I just got a 1 pound dead blow hammer. I just wanted to give it try and see how it would work. I haven't done much with it, but I tried it out with a slot punch, and the best thing about it is that it is super quiet, and it punches way easier than that tiny 4 oz wooden hammer I had.

[electrathon]

I rarely use mine while tooling, but most always use it when basket weaving. It stops you from getting double imprints from hammer bounce.

Wooden hammers are never a good choice.

[taintedelephant]

Yeah, I got the wooden one when I just got started, and only kept it because the poly and rawhide ones marketed for leather work are way overpriced. I think the dead blow was about $6. I figured I might continue using the wood one for stamping, since I don't do much anyway. Although I bet it would be good for letters, and 3d stamps.

[TinkerTailor]

Once with a smaller diameter metal punch about the size of a leather punch, I hit it so hard that the punch went through the face of the cheap dead blow and into the cavity inside and stuck there. Had to cut up the hammer to get the punch back. You may find the face mars pretty easily as well. It is a great light duty and cheap option however and you can go through 2-3 for the price of a crappy tandy mallet.

[electrathon]

If it is from Harbor Freight it has a lifetime warranty.

[TinkerTailor]

If it is from Harbor Freight it has a lifetime warranty.

True, however there will be the fuel to get the new one, as well as the 50 bux in impulse buys that get me every time i set foot in those doors...

(btw, for us it is princess auto.)

[taintedelephant]

Yeah its from HF, I too can't get out of there w/o at least walking down every aisle. The trick with them is to know the difference between the tools and the tool shaped objects that they sell. I bought a lot of TSOs from them. total waste of money. Any way the hammer isn't the Mjolnir that I had hoped, but I still like it a lot, and way better than the wood one.

[chiefjason]

That's all I use to punch holes with, and occasionally set rivets. Used one for 3 years now, face is marked but still going well. If you do break one open it's usually full of very small lead shot. It will go everywhere.

[TwinOaks]

I drilled out the core of one of my wood mallets (drilled from one side, only) and back filled with #8 shot. Then I mixed fast set epoxy and the drill chips as a plug. I only use the undrilled side for tool contact, but the result was pretty good. My next foray was using a hole saw and making a bunch of 'donuts' from an HDPE cutting board. I stacked those on a long bolt, and held in place with a flat back t-nut. That result was excellent, but I still think a solid faced hammer/maul will perform better.

[TinkerTailor]

I drilled out the core of one of my wood mallets (drilled from one side, only) and back filled with #8 shot. Then I mixed fast set epoxy and the drill chips as a plug. I only use the undrilled side for tool contact, but the result was pretty good. My next foray was using a hole saw and making a bunch of 'donuts' from an HDPE cutting board. I stacked those on a long bolt, and held in place with a flat back t-nut. That result was excellent, but I still think a solid faced hammer/maul will perform better.

You can fuse the discs together with heat. Look for the videos on milk jug mallets. Stack the discs in piece of pipe and heat it up in the toaster oven. They will fuse with a little pressure. You can get short lengths of various diameter steel tubing for a mold in the scap bin at a local muffler shop. Bring beer.

[taintedelephant]

Now you did it, I have a new project in mind that I don't need to do but am totally compelled to. A good source of HDPE is shopping bags, I have the whole thing planned out, my family is going to hate me

[TwinOaks]

Fire and melty/burny things.......mmmmmmm..... I really really really really really really really shouldn't do that......I can already hear the fire engines with me just thinking of it....

[TinkerTailor]

Now you did it, I have a new project in mind that I don't need to do but am totally compelled to. A good source of HDPE is shopping bags, I have the whole thing planned out, my family is going to hate me

TaintedElephant: most condiment bottles, milk jugs and cosmetic containers are hdpe as well.

Twinoaks: we are talking 300-350 degrees in a toaster oven. If there is smoke, you are doing it wrong. If your toaster oven is on fire, its a whole other problem.....To keep the housemates happy, get a 10 dollar toaster oven from the thrift store and do it outside. If you don't overheat it there shouldnt even be much smell.

[TwinOaks]

no fire??? ....

[Jwalker]

never realized how lucky i'd be to have the mallet that i do...rawhide...green stripe on the handle...16 oz i think...was told by dear friend Peter Main to cut 3" off the handle, and then choke up on it...i dunno how some folks can use a maul...i really like my mallet..lol

i dunno what yur using under the stamp, butcha shouldn't have to hit stuff all that hard...i got a nice piece of scrap of granite from a granite guy...then i have my marble from Tandy with the pound-o-board on 1 side..been using that piece for bout 18 yrs now

[taintedelephant]

stamping, is no problem, with the 4oz wood hammer, but I like some weight when I punch, and set rivets and snaps. I work on a granite tile glued to a marble tile on top of a piece of camp pad.

[TinkerTailor]

never realized how lucky i'd be to have the mallet that i do...rawhide...green stripe on the handle...16 oz i think...was told by dear friend Peter Main to cut 3" off the handle, and then choke up on it...i dunno how some folks can use a maul...i really like my mallet..lol

i dunno what yur using under the stamp, butcha shouldn't have to hit stuff all that hard...i got a nice piece of scrap of granite from a granite guy...then i have my marble from Tandy with the pound-o-board on 1 side..been using that piece for bout 18 yrs now

Tooling and stamping, sure, use yer rawhide..... Punching a 1+ inch arch punch through some 15oz vegtan, stamping large makers marks, etc you need some jam behind your swing. I have a special hammer for when i really need a heavy blow. Its a 3lb rock drilling hammer with a total length of 10 inches. It will drive a shader stamp right through the leather AND the marble table if you hit it enough. I also choke up on it and hold the head like a rock for finesse. I have epoxyed a layer of veg tan on one of the faces to protect tools, however i frankly do not care if the striking surfaces of a tool mushroom. I have a set of files and the ability to use them. I do not baby tools. I use them for what i need to do, how i need to do it. I maintain them frequently and if a tool breaks, I either repair it, or make a better one. I buy new tools only as a last resort.