Dead blow mallet

[VicParticipant @vic]

I have been using a copper and hide mallet for tapping stuff down in the vice on my mill but I’ve decided to treat myself to a new dead blow mallet but not sure what size to get. Needs to be heavy enough without being too big to get in the way. What weight are you guys using? Links of the type might be useful.

[VicParticipant @vic]

[Phil PParticipant @philp]

I just use a lump of lead in my hand for setting parts in the vice.

I recycle old car batteries and melt the lead in a steel pot with my blowlamp, then pour it into a mould made from a short piece of round steel tube, about 1.5" dia and 2" long.

I have a few of these dotted around the workshop and they last ages without getting too deformed.

Not sure about the safety aspect of car battery recycling, so please take proper precautions if you do attempt it.

Phil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I’ve used a cheap ‘clone’ of this: https://www.thorhammer.com/20-1414.html for more than 30 years.

If I ever need to replace it, I will buy the real Thor one.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/09/2020 22:15:12

[VicParticipant @vic]

Yes I’ve seen the Thor ones. Not sure what the best size/weight would be though. As it’s only just to seat stuff maybe the 1lb model?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Vic on 02/09/2020 22:16:42:

Yes I’ve seen the Thor ones. Not sure what the best size/weight would be though. As it’s only just to seat stuff maybe the 1lb model?

.

I suppose that depends upon the size of your stuff

I linked the size that I use

… but I do also have smaller [non ‘dead blow] plastic faced hammers.

MichaelG.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I use a cross between a Thor and Phil's lump of lead.
I had a cheap metal shafted hammer with interchangeable head faces, rubber nylon etc.

When the soft faces finally died, I re-cast them with lead ones.
Essentially a bit of water pipe knocked over the hammer head, with molten lead poured in.
The lead warms up the pipe making it easy to remove, and also contracts away from the inner pipe wall, also easing removal.

Every five or ten years or so, I just re-cast the faces.

Bill

[robjon44Participant @robjon44]

Hi all, as an apprentice operating a shaper in the toolroom refurbishing old school brazed tip copying lathe tools the weapon of choice was a big lead hammer, they of course became politically incorrect although 50 years later I still have one for real emergency's, also a modern rubber coated dead blow item for gentle clobbering of items which need to remain unblemished. Most of these however are a little on the large size for tapping components about on faceplates or gently trueing things up so I have a piece of lead gas pipe retrieved as I was refurbishing the first little terraced house I owned ( other sources are available ) about 7" long it is perfectly suited to the task, if you cannot find such a thing then knock up (geddit) a light hammer with say one copper & one lead head.

Bob H.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

For gentle seating in the vice or tapping things true I use a Thor copper/hide Size "A" mallet. This is the smallest one, works well and they last for years. There should be no need to really clobber things on a machine. My number three and four copper/hide mallets are reserved for belting old Land Rover and farm equipment apart.

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

The leadshot inside the hammer does the dead blow part of it. It is the deadening material in most of the dead blow hammers. If you have an old copper rawhide and hide side has failed, drill most of it out, fill lead shot. Take the handle off and hold like it is a block. Very simple and very effective. I use lead shot inside hollow parts to deaden them when turning. Make plastic bungs or use expanding water plugs that can be removed to retain it.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

May I just mention that the ‘Thorace Dead Blow’ hammers work so well because the head is loose-filled.

See the lower half of p3 : **LINK**

https://www.thorhammer.com/media/wysiwyg/Thor_Catalogue_2014_.pdf

MichaelG.

.

Posting crossed with Neil’s

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 03/09/2020 09:30:41

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

PostScript

The company history page is interesting : **LINK**

https://www.thorhammer.com/thor-history.html

… and it starts with this :

Thor can trace its roots back to 1910 when The Birmingham Belting Co Ltd was founded in Snow Hill, Birmingham, by the Stephens family.

an ambiguous name if ever there was one ^^^

MichaelG.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

I'd agree that the Thor 2010, 1 lb nominal, dead blow hammer is a decent choice for knocking down in the vice. I have a collection of Thor and Clarke (Machine Mart) ones and its the one I usually use.

Technique is, I find, important. Best method seems to be to hold the hammer lightly and strike the work with an aggressive flick sort of motion so it hits the work hard but the handle is still able to move pretty freely around in your grip. Holding firmly and walloping is pretty ineffective as the hammer tends to bounce rather than shift the work.

Completely counterintuitively , to me at least, knocking down works best with the vice done up tight. I've often found that ajob which seemingly won't sit down on both parallels suddenly gets manners with the final few flicks after the vice is done up properly.

I have a 2 1/2 lb Thor 2016 for serious work but it has too much heft for knocking down duties.

Way back I got the full set of Clarke ones from Machine Mart. The 16 oz and 12 oz ones have survived. The others died on duty. The Clarke ones are rubber faced and seem more tolerant of a tight grip but hard grip and wallop is still not good. I imagine the Clarke rubber face is softer than the Thor nylon helping reduce bounce back.

Clive

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

I use a 24oz dead blow hammer as sold by Toolstation for £6.74.

Just Google Toolstation and then search for "Dead blow hammer".

Jim

[VicParticipant @vic]

I decided on theThor in the end. Not the cheapest option but it’s not too big and I ordered several different plastic heads for it.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A wise choice, in my opinion, Vic

MichaelG.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

I have a selection of hammers to use; I have one that has replaceable heads, rubber, plastic, nylon, then I have a lb dead blow ( Clarks .. usual disclaimer ). I have also made a couple of brass headed hammers for use on the lathe; 1 approx 12 oz & other approx 8 0z,plus a 2lb ball pein that I have from my early fitter days which I had shortened the handle to feel nicely balanced for my swing. I mainly use the dead blow for tapping down in the mill vice & the two brass headed for centre popping & tapping objects in the lathe, the rest are now classed as ' nice to have'.

George.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I could have bought a DBH for as little as about £7 but the heads on them are pretty big. Hopefully the Thor will do the job.

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

If you don’t have a dead blow you can use a piece of leather to deaden the blow from a ball pein or engineers hammer, pieces of old leather belts you use to hold your pants up work well and cost nothing ..

[MK_ChrisParticipant @mk_chris]

For an alternative approach look at MEW No. 63, Page 12.
Article by Robert Newman entitled Dead Blow Tools. A make one for yourself option is in the article.

Chris

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

Just picked up a couple of ali Thorace dead blows, 32mm and 38mm dia with new and old heads for £20 + a bit of postage from ebay…

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