I will need to get a new machinist/general purpose mallet.
I am thinking rawhide one end/plastic the other maybe.
Anyone have recommendations on what they have/prefer?
Thanks
Nathan
I will need to get a new machinist/general purpose mallet.
I am thinking rawhide one end/plastic the other maybe.
Anyone have recommendations on what they have/prefer?
Thanks
Nathan
I use a harbor freight plastic weighted mallet, it still will mar a mirror finish on aluminum though.........
mike sr
+1 on the Harbor Freight mallet (dead blow). I have several sizes.
I have several of the ~$5 H-F orange plastic dead-blow hammers. They're great, and cheap enough you don't care when you break one, though the two I have are over 10 years old now. Hardly a day goes by I don't use one of them. Rawhide is too soft to be of much use in a metal shop.
Regards,
Ray L.
That settles it. I need one too. I'm off to HF for my once every five years buying spree.
Not sure I understand the point of copper. Higher mass, but then why not use lead, which is higher still, and much less likely to damage the thing being hit than copper. I use lead mallets to remove the wire-wheel knock-offs on my '64 Jaguar, but almost never have use for it in the shop. Never used a copper mallet in my life. I do know they will do serious damage to the knock-offs on the Jag, so would never use one there. The lead never leaves a mark, even on the chrome plating.
Regards,
Ray L.
Copper is soft for awhile then it work hardens and would leave some serious dings. Lead hammer I use for the Bridgport to whack the drawbar with......
I like the HF Dead Blow for aluminum or really whatever needs a good whack.....
mike sr
STUNNING!!!!!!!
pete
guys
different hammers for different jobs
lead hammer is the original "dead blow" hammer , it will Flow at the point of impact and impart all of the energy into what your hitting. lack of damage to surface finish as well as it will not melt from compression energy
copper hammer is used when you need the hammer to grab but not slip off a target, it to will deform slightly reducing blowback. will not damage chromed steels
plastic dead blows without replaceable faces are junk, good for walnuts
plastic dead blows with replaceable faces are great. can make replacement faces from any material and swap when you need.
Ray is Right
lead hammer , pound untill it moves then poundit the oposite way untill it dont move. seems barbaric but it is the Right way.
Nice Jag
About lead hammers - i heard juwleliers don't use them beacuse they leave residue - if contaminated gold is heated (soldered) residue creates hard to remove stains.
Probably over kill but just bought a nice lixie dead blow Lixie Industrial Mallets, Sledges & Hammers 2" 56oz (hard/med/soft) with screw faces.
As no HF in Australia and the local stores want $80+ for a dead blow....
i had a friend who had one and it was very nice.
Cheers,
Adrian
The Harbor-Freight deadblow hammer has replaceable faces - they just come with the whole rest of the hammer attached. They cost about $5 each, and both of mine have, so far, lasted 10+ years, and are still going, so I have a hard time considering them "junk".
Regards,
Ray L.
So some 43 years ago I made these in shop class & I’m still banging things with them. We used a beer can for the lead mold using recycled wheel weights. The handle had a bolt in the end to help hold the lead on. For the brass hammer we just welded/brazed some stock onto the handle.
Wasn’t too good with knurling thing back then, but I don’t know if could do any better now either.
Yeah, for some things you can’t beat HF …
Sounds like this Topic has about been beat to death ha!! Couldnt resist.............
I have a HF deadblow, still works but the plastic is splitting on the sides of it, some plastics keep shrinking over time, guess its time for a new one??
mike sr
Trusty Cook.... They make them for Snap-on.
Machines: Grizzly G0704 Mill W/ 3-Axis DRO | Birmingham 12X36 Lathe W/ CNC Retrofit PMDX-126/107 W/ESS 3ph W/ WJ200 VFD