What do you use dead blow hammers for?

[rogersmithiii]

Just wondering. Never used one before. I've used ball peen, nail hammers, framing hammers, and rubber mallets, but never dead blows.

Thanks

 

[joedodge]

Hitting things I don't want to damage or gently push adding things. I use mine a lot for beating on wrenches to loosen stuff instead of the palm of my hand

 

[FiveFinger]

Persuasion and precision adjustment.

 

[metaldad]

smashing walnuts...........

 

[shocksandstrutz]

ive used them to hit a wrench to help get the bolt loose.......tapping things lightly like seals......knocking bolts into the hole completely without damaging the head......and i personally use them all the time for retaining walls, i use them to help level my bottom row and get the above layers straight.....they come in hand in all the weights......they sell nice expesive ones, but they all break down after a few walls, so i buy the HF ones and they are orange to boot (visibility)

 

[larry_g]

Now that you have the term, can you find all the different variations? There are both soft and hard faced as well as a few materials in between. Basically the dead blow hammer delivers all the force of impact into whatever is being struck without rebounding.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[rmc115]

aluminum wheels get stuck on the hubs, knock em loose without damage. Mike

 

[DodgeMech]

I use em for putting in seals...lot less damage than a regular BFH

 

[Milton Shaw]

They also hit quieter than most other types of hammers. They will smash a thumb or finger and create the same amount of noise as a regular hammer. They don't damage things as much as hard face hammers. Not good for nails etc though.

 

[Roland-5.0]

Variable angle swing press

 

[shooting4life]

My brother picked up a used set of metal faced snap on dead blows. They are nice but I could not afford them on the used market

 

[Tucko]

Just wondering. Never used one before. I've used ball peen, nail hammers, framing hammers, and rubber mallets, but never dead blows.

Thanks

I've used one for sheet metal work, when you want to bang the **** out of something, but don't want to mar the surface. Rawhide hammers are good for this too.

 

[DoubleA]

Variable angle swing press

Lol.

I'm an auto tech and I have hard and soft face dead blows and I use them for everything. Since I bought some SO ball peen dead blows I haven't picked up my old craftsman sledge hammer. Then I have a big soft dead blow for breaking loose wheels that are stuck on.

 

[Matt018]

Everything.

 

[GIJoe4500]

Everyone else has already said it... primarily seals, or any surface you don't warn to mar (like knocking threaded inserts into tubing to be welded up, etc)

 

[Packard V8]

I've got more than a dozen, from a few ounces to a full-length BFH of several pounds.

As mentioned, there are hard-face dead blow, lead, bronze, brass, soft face plastic, full soft face/handle and rawhide, among others.

Problem with rawhide is the new faces are mondo expensive.

jack vines

 

[jfcasey]

aluminum wheels get stuck on the hubs, knock em loose without damage. Mike

We have a 8lb sledge style dead blow thats a must have for working on Toyota trucks with aluminum wheels.

 

[sgrammel]

antique watch repairs

 

[Jawn]

Anything I want to "persuade" without denting.

 

[rogersmithiii]

Any advice on starter sizes?

 

[k-os]

They're an excellent tool to use when you want to make sure your workpiece is fully seated in a mill's vice.

 

[shampoop]

Any time you're striking something very hard and/or very large. you don't want it to rebound.

 

[Cedge]

I use one for seating metal parts in the machinist vice, on my milling machine. Dead blow hammer doesn't mark the material like a metal hammer would, especially for things like brass, aluminum or copper.

Steve

 

[larry_g]

Any advice on starter sizes?

Any advise you get will be a guess, tell us what you want to do with it. Machinists and mechanics do many things that will all require a bit different tool. Your question is like asking one to recommend a wrench.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[greasemonkey44]

freeing up heads after pulling all the bolts; popping off cam caps
alot of stuff
i would recommend a 1 lb and a 4lb i tend not to use anything in between

 

[route246]

Setting brick and stone, heavy tile, etc.

 

[In The Doghouse]

They're an excellent tool to use when you want to make sure your workpiece is fully seated in a mill's vice.

I use one for seating metal parts in the machinist vice, on my milling machine. Dead blow hammer doesn't mark the material like a metal hammer would, especially for things like brass, aluminum or copper.

Steve

Yep, that's what I used to use one for. But we also used to have lead headed hammers for the same purpose. When it got all beat up we would melt the lead and pour it fresh again.

 

[JoeyMitch]

Do you guys use them for punches or chisels? How about striking pry bars?

 

[RCStocker]

If you hit someone on the head it will not leave a dent. LOL

 

[Farmall450]

Yep, that's what I used to use one for. But we also used to have lead headed hammers for the same purpose. When it got all beat up we would melt the lead and pour it fresh again.

We have to send them in for that. After a while they get pretty messed up.

 

[cheechi]

Basically the dead blow hammer delivers all the force of impact into whatever is being struck without rebounding.

This makes them ideal when you have limited space to work.

They will smash a thumb or finger and create the same amount of noise as a regular hammer.

This is my experience
Dead Blow hammer: one FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Milled Face framer: several FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

 

[Big-Foot]

Installing or removing wheels!

 

[Jawn]

Installing or removing wheels!

Nice!

 

[Boiler]

Seems like most of you think dead blow = soft. Not true. Dead blow refers to grains inside the hammer that stop vibration. A dead blow ball pein will dent and mar just like a regular ball pein. A deadblow soft face won't mar, just like and soft face.

 

[chris fresh]

use mine for fixin my neighbors jaw for um.

 

[justanengineer]

We have a 8lb sledge style dead blow thats a must have for working on Toyota trucks with aluminum wheels.

I grew up in NY where the roads are painted white by the various State/County/Local DOT crews working double overtime October 1 - May 1 regardless of whether or not we had snow....so yes, this ^^^ to remove any rear wheel that hasnt been removed in the past month.

I made the mistake of hitting an inflated sidewall with a non-deadblow sledge in a moment of desperation once....

 

[jmm]

I use mine most often to properly seat gears when a using a proper pusher is a little much.

 

[bigcaddy]

Setting brick and stone, heavy tile, etc.

antique watch repairs

I picked up a Chicago Rawhide #3 Dead-blow hammer this morning and noticed it was covered with mortar mix and stone dust from being used as a masonry tool. I never thought it would have come in handy for that application but as other have said, they work with anything.

I use mine at the office to knock on the wrench as i loosen 2" nuts off our huge threading/cutting machine when they need servicing

Sgrammel,

remind me to never let you work on my antique pocket watches. For all of the repairs that i can't handle on my pocket watches, i want a competent repair man to complete the work. Everybody know that dead blow hammers are the incorrect type of hammer for delicate horological work

 

[Chandos]

FWIW, I picked up a couple of Northern's medium dead blow hammers the day before yesterday to help bang out a sheet metal cabinet. The worked wonderfully, and have a decent, quality feel to them. I can't remember what they cost, but they were pretty inexpensive.

CHeers!

Chandos

 

[D-man313]

Installing or removing wheels!

Are those knockoffs reverse thread?