Ball Peen, my tool collection expands one piece of "junk" at a time.

[Lucky Strike]

Just thought I would post a thread about my most recent "junk" to treasure find. I am often dismayed at what other people throw out, and tend to collect and restore / reuse such items.

This past week, while walking my dog, I saw a ball peen hammer head, with the broken stub of a handle laying in the ditch by the road. Probably busted and someone just chucked the head in the ditch and went to buy another one. I gleefully picked it up and tucked it in my pocket. Here it is:

Chipped, pitted, scarred... Dreamy.

Then I went to the only "real" hard ware store left in my area. (Southland Hardware, for those living in Houston) I went to the back where I found six boxes of hard wood hammer handles covered with a good layer of dust, and got this:

The handle was $5.79

And I punched out the stub of handle left in the old head:

I then soaked the head in white vinegar for 2 days. That stuff is stronger than you think. It actually dissolved a bit of the face. And, I'm glad I did not leave it in there longer.

I also put one layer of marine varnish on the new handle.

Finally, I cleaned up the head with a dremmel tool and angle grinder. I coated the head with WD40, and attached the new handle.

Now I have a ball peen hammer, which will probably last me the rest of my life. Here she is:

I'm looking forward to the new handle taking on that warm glow from use that they tend to get, and if it should ever break you won't catch me throwing it in a ditch.

Cheers.

 

[84TurboBuick]

Nice save!!

Glad to see a tool that still is useful put back into work!!

 

[Lucky Strike]

Nice save!!

Glad to see a tool that still is useful put back into work!!

Thanks TurboBuick! I must admit that it took me longer to post this thread than I had originally anticipated, because I saw your tool box build thread first, and had to read through every last bit of it. Can't wait to see your finished product.

 

[BB26]

Nice story; that hammer has a lot of life left in it!

 

[MOPARHOUND!]

Any markings telling the manufacturer of the hammer head?

Great story and pic's. Thanks for sharing.

 

[vartz04]

Nice. I do the same thing. Yesterday at work a equipment mechanic as trying to bust a huge nut loose with the $130 craftsman heavy duty impact gun. It wouldn't do it so he got pissed and chucked the thing in the field. I made note of where it landed. After he left I drove over and found it laying there. I snagged it up broght it home and cleaned it up. The thing has 580 ft lbs so I don't think any 1/2 inch gun would have done what he wanted it to do

 

[Lucky Strike]

Any markings telling the manufacturer of the hammer head?

Great story and pic's. Thanks for sharing.

No markings. But it has the letter "D" on the right had side of the head. I think it is quite old. Historically there have been several machine shops in this area going back to the 40s or earlier. Now, they have all been either torn down to make way for town homes, or turned into restaurants or bars. Can't stop progress.

 

[Mike83]

One man's junk is another man's treasure...nice save!

 

[Bull]

Very cool indeed. We are a special breed, those of us who would take the time to save such a small little tool, and then the rest of us who care enough to read and comment about it

 

[dan1552]

I bet that the steel in that hammer head is 20 times better than the stuff on the shelf at the chain lumber yard. In addition i bet every time you go to town with your new prize you appreciate it more than an off the shelf tool. I know i have

 

[84TurboBuick]

Thanks TurboBuick! I must admit that it took me longer to post this thread than I had originally anticipated, because I saw your tool box build thread first, and had to read through every last bit of it. Can't wait to see your finished product.

Thank for the kind words....

I'm out putting drawers together right now as a matter of fact!

 

[jamesemery728]

Excellent post. There are those of us who use tools and those of us who love tools and then people like you who probably do both. You will remember the history of this hammer every time you use it and it will be more meaningful to you than if you just plunked down a few bucks for it. I have many tools saved from the junk heap and its always a fun project. Thanks for sharing the effort.

 

[makgreens]

ha good job
i usually collect old hammerheads and turn em into shifter handles

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

a tiny lil hammer
I grab for my 8 lb engineers hammer first

 

[fatfillup]

Very cool. I guess when you use it you'll live up to your handle Lucky (for the find) Strike( for the impact)

 

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

Great thread! We live in such a "disposable" society these days. Everything is made so poorly and cheaply, nothing is saved or repaired, it just winds up in the trash.

 

[Lucky Strike]

I'm glad to see some other folks who feel the same as me about tossing out perfectly good tools rather than rebuilding them.

Now I need to get a pick handle for the pick head I found earlier this year. found it in the garden of a rent house I own. Rusty, scarred, missing the handle. And, free. How can you resist that?

 

[GDA]

Great work. I have rescued a few items myself and its cool to get to use them in the future knowing where they started out. No one would ever guess that those two hammer heads were once the same component.

 

[Bull]

I'm glad to see some other folks who feel the same as me about tossing out perfectly good tools rather than rebuilding them.

Now I need to get a pick handle for the pick head I found earlier this year. found it in the garden of a rent house I own. Rusty, scarred, missing the handle. And, free. How can you resist that?

When you do, post up pics. I have an old rusty pick needing a good handle, too.