The Hammer
- Thread starter A_Pmech
- Start date
jkeyser14
Well-known member
LONG overdue for an update here! Until recently it's been COLD here and that's really slowed down work in my unheated shop. However, things have warmed up in the past few weeks and I've made some progress! I have a number of exciting things planned for this year, so this is just the beginning.
Among other recent changes, I finally bought an Aloris toolpost for the Pacemaker. Not a small expense, considering the size toolpost required for a machine of its size. (It weighs about 30 lbs.) However, the increase in accuracy and repeatability definitely worth it!
I still have a number of available hammers.
Here's an action shot of aligning the new toolpost:
It's better to indicate in on the tool post body. There's a good chance the reamer shank could have a few thou of bend or diameter change. Thats a great approach for reaming without a floating holder, but it doesn't guarantee all of the quick change toolholders will be aligned.
You bring up some good points, jkeyser. I did check that reamer for bends and diameter variations before using it to align the toolpost. My main reason for alignment was, as you pointed out, to align the reamer as the Jacobs chuck can cause up to .003" of runout. The other tools used don't require the same level of alignment so I chose to align to the critical reaming step.
Update
Steel faces are finished.
Hammer heads are finishing up their etching process as I type.
I'll be ordering Liquid Nitrogen in the morning!
I still have a few hammers left in this group, although I've received a flurry of orders in the past week!
Steel faces are finished.
Hammer heads are finishing up their etching process as I type.
I'll be ordering Liquid Nitrogen in the morning!
I still have a few hammers left in this group, although I've received a flurry of orders in the past week!
rockchucker
Well-known member
#17 is still whacking away without issue! I use it quite a bit. Whenever anyone sees it they want to touch it. Sometimes I let them! =) I almost want one just for display.
Thanks John!
Thanks John!
Glad to hear it Rockchucker!
You're welcome!
Just took this photo of finished hammer heads and steel faces:
Picked up the liquid nitrogen on Friday. It's hissing quietly in the driveway.
Assembling hammers tomorrow!
Here are a few more photos of finishing up this group. I made a set of custom soft jaws specifically for holding the hammers while fitting the handles and stamping the serial numbers:
Here they are warming up after fitting in Liquid Nitrogen:
Torquing the head screws:
I have four left out of 18.
Here they are warming up after fitting in Liquid Nitrogen:
Torquing the head screws:
I have four left out of 18.
gf0012-aust
Well-known member
is this your final build run? I'm int'd but not for a few months yet...
scott37300
Well-known member
If you are ever looking for an apprentice just let me know, I will pack up my sleeping bag and can stay in the corner under the table saw. Your work is just amazing!
How did I miss this
Here's shipping central. The four hammers on the left side are still available!
Make that 3 hammers left.. Just sold one!
gf0012-aust said:
No, this won't be the final run. It will be several months before the next group is ready to ship.
scott37300 said:
Thanks for the kind words Scott.
930dreamer said:
You haven't missed it yet, there are still three left from this group unless I get another PM before I hit "Post".
mjozefow
Well-known member
Put all of those in the TransAmaroBird?
I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my hammer, that my girlfriend gave me for christmas.
me too!!!
PM sent, I hope I'm not too late.
planecrazy
Well-known member
Hammer SN: 33 is sitting here on my desk, SN: 34 is in the garage waiting to be shipped to a dear friend. I'm just in awe of this thing. I'm not sure if it is a tool or a work of art. Likely, both. I am sure that is will be among my most prized tools and am very happy that I got one.
John, a simple thank you doesn't seem like enough but more eloquent words fail me at the moment.
John, a simple thank you doesn't seem like enough but more eloquent words fail me at the moment.
scada
Member
Got mine today. SN 39. I'm going to bring it to work tomorrow to show it off. Busy at work for the next couple of weeks so I won't be able to really use it.
garfunkle24
Well-known member
A_Pmech
Beautiful work as per usual. Any of this batch still available?
Also, could you recommend a good info resource for the mid-70s Enco (Taiwan) lathe and VBS I just picked up? I'd be interested to know your opinion on these tools in general, although I don't have the model numbers to hand right now (ie does Taiwan of this era = garbage?).
Thanks
Beautiful work as per usual. Any of this batch still available?
Also, could you recommend a good info resource for the mid-70s Enco (Taiwan) lathe and VBS I just picked up? I'd be interested to know your opinion on these tools in general, although I don't have the model numbers to hand right now (ie does Taiwan of this era = garbage?).
Thanks
scottg1952
Well-known member
Totally untrue.
Wooden handles go back 30000 years. The real problem is
cheapest handle ordered.
Did you know hickory handles come in 8 grades?? 8??
If you complain about that piece of **** you bought at home despot for $2.99, well it has a number 7 handle on it!
Get yourself a #2 hand carved handle you are in a whole new league altogether.
yours Scott
Attachments
mjozefow
Well-known member
Wow, I don't think that many products overwhelm a customer to the point of thanking the manufacturer for producing them. This is quite a testament John!
BTW, it was quite serendipitous that my trusty (but cheapo) ball peen hammer broke at the mount about two weeks after receiving my own Paulding Hammer. It must have felt inadequate and decided to self destruct rather than suffer the embarrassment of being in the presence of a superior tool!
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I just checked the tracking and my hammer was delivered yesterday. I'll be back in town:bounce later this afternoon.
As I first held the hammer, the first thing I noticed was the superb balance. The hammer just feels like a natural extension of your arm. The finish was perfect from the knurling to the hammer heads it was all just beautiful. I could not be more pleased. I can't wait to use it on my next project!
What combination of heads does everyone use?
What combination of heads does everyone use?
Here are a few more photos of finishing up this group. I made a set of custom soft jaws specifically for holding the hammers while fitting the handles and stamping the serial numbers:
Is that a Paulding built mallet, used to assemble
the "hammers"?
Totally untrue.
Wooden handles go back 30000 years. The real problem is
cheapest handle ordered.
Did you know hickory handles come in 8 grades?? 8??
If you complain about that piece of **** you bought at home despot for $2.99, well it has a number 7 handle on it!
Get yourself a #2 hand carved handle you are in a whole new league altogether.
yours Scott
pm me where I can get one of those...
lwlobo
Well-known member
I recieved a Paulding Hammer (SN 44) as a gift from my wife for our 10th Anniversary. My wife had it personalized with my name and the date of our 10th annivesary, which I think was a very classy way to have it marked. A brass face was also included.
Regarding The Hammer, it's extremely well made and I'm very happy with it. John's done a nice job with overal design, getting the knurling right, the etching is immaculate, etc. I've used it very little so far as I've been traveling virtualy the whole time since I got it. The weight is very far up toward the business end, especially with the heavier faces (brass and steel). It is a unique and quality tool, sure to please even the snobbiest tool nut.
The quality of materials and selection of head materials is fantastic. The weight can also be adjusted by changing or removing heads.
The only negative to my review is with regard to the head faces. I forget if A_Pmech or any other posters have discussed this so excuse me if this is a feature vs. flaw topic:
The faces are perfectly straight and perpendicular to the head axis. The outside corner edges are not sharp, but nearly (especially on the steel head). If I were designing it, I'd put a more generous radius or chamfer (or better, a small radius into and out of a chamfer) on the outer edges of the faces. As is, it the edges could leave a mark on surfaces if the incoming blow is not perfectly perpedicular to the surface, which is dififult to always prevent. The current design gives a bigger, flatter striking surface but risks damaging softer surfaces. It also increases the risk of cutting a substrate if it were cloth, rubber, etc. Obviously it's more work to machine those features but that given the effort and precision going into the rest of the hammer, I think it'd be worth implementing a more gentle geometry on the edge faces. Even a simple radius form (.04?) would be a nice improvement.
I might be interested in ordering a slightly crowned head design as well as a full ball peen design in the future. That's the great thing about The Hammer, it's a fully customizable product.
Thanks for the Hammer, and keep up the good work!
Here are some pics:
Regarding The Hammer, it's extremely well made and I'm very happy with it. John's done a nice job with overal design, getting the knurling right, the etching is immaculate, etc. I've used it very little so far as I've been traveling virtualy the whole time since I got it. The weight is very far up toward the business end, especially with the heavier faces (brass and steel). It is a unique and quality tool, sure to please even the snobbiest tool nut.
The quality of materials and selection of head materials is fantastic. The weight can also be adjusted by changing or removing heads.
The only negative to my review is with regard to the head faces. I forget if A_Pmech or any other posters have discussed this so excuse me if this is a feature vs. flaw topic:
The faces are perfectly straight and perpendicular to the head axis. The outside corner edges are not sharp, but nearly (especially on the steel head). If I were designing it, I'd put a more generous radius or chamfer (or better, a small radius into and out of a chamfer) on the outer edges of the faces. As is, it the edges could leave a mark on surfaces if the incoming blow is not perfectly perpedicular to the surface, which is dififult to always prevent. The current design gives a bigger, flatter striking surface but risks damaging softer surfaces. It also increases the risk of cutting a substrate if it were cloth, rubber, etc. Obviously it's more work to machine those features but that given the effort and precision going into the rest of the hammer, I think it'd be worth implementing a more gentle geometry on the edge faces. Even a simple radius form (.04?) would be a nice improvement.
I might be interested in ordering a slightly crowned head design as well as a full ball peen design in the future. That's the great thing about The Hammer, it's a fully customizable product.
Thanks for the Hammer, and keep up the good work!
Here are some pics:
