Shopsmith Forums

These are a couple of old hammers that I have bought recently at the local ReStore.
This spring I read The Anarchist,s Tool Chest by Christopher Schwarz. One of the tools he recommenced was this older style of claw hammer with a pronounced curve to the claws, so when this one turned up for $3.00 I pounced on it.
I am not sure the handle was original to this head but it is old, The end in the head was all ragged (rotted away?), had no wedge, and only went in about half way. On the plus side was worn very smooth and felt good in my hand, and there was enough length that I felt it could be re-fitted to the head.
So I sanded oft the bad end till I got to solid wood, fitted the handle to the head (strip sander again), ran a jigsaw blade through the slot to clean it out and cut a wedge from some scrap hardwood (bandsaw to the rescue), and reassembled it.

To finish it I wiped both of the hammers (claw, and cross peen) down with solvent and wiped on a coat of Watco Oil.
I used the claw hammer quite a bit today, pulling nails from reclaimed wood so I could store it properly and free up that end of the shop. I was impressed that it seemed to be able to pull longer nails than the style of head I am used to, without having to use a piece of scrap wood under the head to increase the lift.

They look great! I love old hand tools made functional again.

Chris

nuhobby wrote:They look great! I love old hand tools made functional again.

Chris

Thanks.

I'm not sure what the finish is (I'm guessing linseed oil) but it really feels nice in the hand, and all the scars and marks give them a lot of character.

If you could imagine the stories of the sweat and tears and mashed fingers these old tools could tell about.

I'm not sure what the finish is .
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Might have a little K1 and oil in there some where?

rpd wrote: "reclaimed wood so I could store it properly and free up that end of the shop."

That sounds like a statement I would make...

I have a few hammers...
A common yard sale conversation between Diana and I is her saying something like:
"Why are you looking at that hammer? You must have a hundred at home?
To which I say:
"Yes, but I don't have 'This one'..."

I have:
Common claw hammers
Rip hammers
About 8 kinds of hatchets
Many kinds of mallets (woodshop)
Tack hammers
A half dozen kinds of shoe repair hammers
At least one claw hammer in each of 5 barns
A full set of blacksmith hammers
Farriers hammers
Auto body hammers
Large tire changing hammers
Several sledge hammers
Wood splitting mauls
An ax falls in that category and I have at least a dozen
Sheet metal and riveting hammers
A small herd of ball peen hammers in tractor and vehicle tool boxes
Lots of soft face hammers and specialty mallets in the farm shop

I know I'm missing some..

I'll bet many of you have more hammers than you realize if you start counting. After all the hammer was the first tool of our ancient ancestors. One is a natural extension of our arm.



.

As has been said before, by others - -
I only have one hammer - had it for years - It is the same hammer I've had since I was a kid. The hammer has had 5 handles and two heads and remains in it's original pristine condition.

From a few years back:

http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/commu ... t8382.html

Ed

charlese wrote:As has been said before, by others - -
I only have one hammer - had it for years - It is the same hammer I've had since I was a kid. The hammer has had 5 handles and two heads and remains in it's original pristine condition.

An oldie but goodie! I used to hear that one quoted to people who bragged about the indestructibility of their old (and much repaired) VW beetles.

I have almost the same pronounced-claw hammer as RPD - it was my FIL's - except mine has a target pattern on the face. It was made by Heller Bros. some time before 1955.

I have a hammer like the bottom one. I've heard it called a tinner's hammer which I believe means it is for sheet metal type work. Mine came from Uncle Walter, who was later my grandfather but that is another story. My Mom got his tool box when he died but it was pretty picked over by then and further losses as other tools got loaned out and not returned. I did manage to get a few things out of it for myself but it would have been cool to have it intact.

Ed