Brass hammer handle

[AV tinker er]

So I picked up a couple brass hammers at a yard sell least weekend; one had brass head had a steal handle fixed to it (it's heavy, probably won't use it much due to the weight but for $8.....) the other smaller brass hammer head had a broken handle. I drilled out the remnants of the handle with a core drill and as it sits now the hole in the head is about .050 over 3/4. I don't really want to use a wooden handle and prefer a steel or aluminum handle. I was thinking about taking a broken breaker bar, cutting the fork off and trying to afix the handle to the head somehow (don't know how much luck I'll have welding two dissimilar metals; maybe drill a hole and use a pin?). What have you guys done? Have any ideas?

 

[zkling]

For a hammer that large I think you will need, or prefer a oval, octagon or hex handle to help with stability. Maybe a heavily knurled breaker bar cut down, but I think the balance would feel off. The ultimate would be a semitubular knurled handle, like AP mech's hammer. Just my 2¢

 

[AV tinker er]

[URL=http://s1353.photobucket.com/user/jrcmjunkmail/media/20140521_163330.jpg.html] [/URL]

Pic for reference

 

[Outlawmws]

I think the Breaker handle idea needs to be a press fit, and it probably wouldn't hurt to use a slitting saw to scribe some length wise groove and epoxy the thing in.

Chamfur the top of the hole and peen the outer edge of the handle a bit out to truly capture it..

 

[92integra]

bust out a torch melt that brass head down and stick in the breaker bar!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I would try bronze rod, oxy-acet.

Richard

 

[pendragon1998]

bust out a torch melt that brass head down and stick in the breaker bar!

You know, if you encased the head in clay first, that might almost work.

 

[Davefr]

The rebound/vibration from a steel handled hammer will drive you nuts for anything more then a few light taps. I have one like it and hate using it.

I'd shape a piece of ash or hickory instead.

 

[Kracin]

shaping a wood handle, and setting it with a wedge isn't very difficult, far less difficult than getting a steel handle onto a brass head, the last few brass head hammers i've seen have been bolt on type. or mushroomed pins so they can be ground and the head can be removed. get the brass head on there too good and youll end up tossing the whole thing when the head gets too small

 

[G_P]

I hate metal handles on hammers. I have a 4lb steel hammer head that someone welded a piece of 3/4" steel pipe to as a handle. One or two good smacks with that hammer and I tossed it in a corner of the basement likely to be never used again. Its just too damn uncomfortable and hurts when you hit something.

A wood handle is what you need. Metal handles only really work good on small hammers that are not swung with much force.

 

[Steinmetz]

Hardwood handles are used on hammers for a reason, and it certainly isn't cost savings. It's for shock absorption. The only production (steel) hammer having a steel handle that I know of is the famous Estwing hammer. But substantial effort was devoted to designing a suitable shock absorbing handle for it. Even still, some users complain about the absorption effectiveness of the handle.
Other than Estwing, the only hammers I ever encountered with steel handles were lead hammers used in machine shops. In my experience, the deforming lead provides enough internal damping so that the steel handle doesn't provide too much discomfort.

Use a hardwood handle.

 

[BJ42LX]

I agree with what everyone else has said.

And I'll also add the handle on the breaker bar is small. A real hammer handle has a much larger diameter handle because you have to be able to control the tool through a wide range of motion, actions and stresses. A breaker handle is for pulling.