Dammerrs (hammers)

[Aaron McDonald]

Hey Dan,

Hope you are well. I am still loving the the drills you made for me.  Would it be possible to get a titanium head Dammer?

Aaron

[daniel banquo merrick]

Aaron - I've never worked with titanium but everything is possible. Let me know what it is worth to you and I'll consider it.

Jerry - Not sure which hammer you used. It was probably either the original (#1) which I had loaned to Mucci or perhaps it was one of the hammers John and Sue have. They are all different. In fact, I think all the hammers are unique in some way. In the photo you can see all the hammers I have on hand. If one appeals to you, let me know what it is worth to you. I have got from $39 to $175 for my hammers.

#1 through #5 had the original pyramidal pick, the rest have radius cut picks which I think  look better. Perhaps I shuld go back to making the original.

#1 is the original DAMMERR and may be the one you used. I'm keeping this one. 13.75" 24.1oz
#12 is a stubbie head on a fiberglass handle, 13" 23.3oz
#8 is a DAMMERR 2, 13.5" 23.8oz
#11 is a DAMMERR 2, 13" 23.5oz
#15 is a DAMMERR 2 I made for Bob but haven't got to him yet, 12.75" 24.8oz

#3 is a DAMMERR 1 but the head is cut down and weighs about 2.5oz less than #1
#13 is a stubbie and weighs about 2.2 oz less than #1
#9 is a DAMMERR 2

#16 through #23 are whatever I decide they will be.

I also have #7 which is in the photo of Bob drilling on the previous page.

[Gerard(Jerry)Jessurun]

Dan, I like #12, #8 and #11.
Kinda like the fiberglass model more.....may need to take it out for a spin.

[susan]

Hi Jerry not sure if you tried mine shown in the photo several posts up thread, or John's which looks like it but with the new lighter weight radial head and drilled hole keeper cord. 

Wonder what Serial # John's is.

 

[daniel banquo merrick]

Susan has #4
John has #10
If my notes are right.

[John]

You used my hammer Jerry. Curved pick, drilled handle for cord.

[Gerard(Jerry)Jessurun]

Thanks for the info guys!

[daniel banquo merrick]

I think John's #10 is the same as the #9 head in the photo. I have some wood and some fiberglass handles so it would be easy to put a hammer together using #9.

Or perhaps John's #10 is more like the #11 head.

I have trouble with my quenching oil getting too hot so there was one batch that I quenched in oil for a short while and then in water. They came out rusty so I steel brushed them. #9 and #8 in the photo have this steel brushed/burnished look to them. The other hammers all came out with a dull black look. Other than appearance, I don't think there is any difference.

They all look a bit shiny in the photo because I wiped them down with boiled linseed oil to keep them from rusting. Unlike petroleum oil, linseed oil drys or hardens. Boiled linseed has some metals (like lead) in it that act as a catalyst making it cure faster. It doesn't actually dry, it polymerizes by reacting with oxygen. It's good for putting on tools that tend to rust like shovels.

I am out of the world series giants color 4mm cord.

[John]

Yes Dan, we have #10 and #4. Mine is like the #9 head in the photo. Sues looks closer to #1.

[daniel banquo merrick]

The best two DAMMERRs to date are #9 and #13.

I put the remaining finished heads onto handles. I put the two stubbies (#3 and #13) onto fiberglass handles since the lighter head mates well with the heavier handle. #9 got a nice wood handle.

#3:  23.4 oz., 13"
#9:  24.3 oz., 13.5"
#13: 24.2 oz., 13"

I never liked the shoulder just below the head on the wood handles. It's there because the handle is intended for a big rawhide mallet and that is how far the mallet head comes down the handle. For hammer #9, I filled the space between the head and the shoulder with 4mm cord which I think looks better and also protects the handle. I like the cord wrap so much, I added it to all the fiberglass handles since fiberglass damages easily.

I think #9 and #13 came out pretty nice:







#3 came out pretty good but the head isn't quite square with the handle. You'd probably never notice this while using it but it annoys me. Fiberglass handles are better than wood in some ways but they cost more and are more of a mess to install.

[John]

I like the cord wrap on the handle. Looks good.

[daniel banquo merrick]

DAMMERR #19 at work last weekend.

[John]

Sweet.

Where is  this?

[daniel banquo merrick]

"I was able to make it out to the western Colorado desert this past weekend and and get on a new tower."
That's all I know.

[daniel banquo merrick]

I think I have the hammer head design is where I want it but the handle isn't perfected. Since I don't have a mill, or a place to put one, I use a round hole in the head. I use a 7/8" drill and it ends up a bit oversize as drilled holes tend to. The only handles I can find that are fat enough at the head end are mallet handles. I turn them down to just over .88" for a tight fit. The grip portion of mallet handles are all nearly round - probably because they are not self aligning and can be inserted in the head off axis. I prefer an oval grip since it gives a feel for how the head is aligned.

I suppose I could get custom handles made but haven't looked into it because I have assumed the cost for a couple dozen would be too high. Making them seems like it would be too much trouble since a nice handle is a very complex shape. I have thought about the router duplicator things they use to copy rifle stocks but it still seems like it would take too much time and I don't want to buy or make one.

I could buy a mill and make oval holes in th heads. I would probably have to shape the insert part of the handle still to get the perfect fit I want. Of course a CNC mill could make the holes in the heads right for off the shelf handles but I'm not investing in a CNC mill.

So here is a mock up of a simple handle. Functionally I think it is all that can be asked for. Aesthetically it isn't much. 1-1/8 mop handle planed down on two sides. I would buy good hickory of course.

Anybody have any better ideas?