Copper/rawhide hammers

[ettingtonliam]

I've got a favourite little hammer, copper at one end and rawhide at the other, that I use when setting work in a mchine. Over the years, the rawhide end has shrunk and has now come out. The hammer head has a fine screw thread inside the recess where the rawhide sat, presumably for giving a grip.
I'm thinking of soaking the rawhide in soemthing to expand it again, but what? Not water, because that will just dry out quickly and shrink again.
When I had flat belt machines, I used to dress the belt with Neats Foot Oil or caster oil, and I'm thinking of using one of those, unless anyone else has a better idea.

[jon38r80]

If it's a Thor hammer you can get replacement hide and copper faces and I seem to recall there is advice for refitting on their website. Another oil you might think about other than the ones you mention is Linseed oil.
Had a quick look via google and found this
www.thorhammer.com/media/wysiwyg/combined-replacing-faces-and-opening-and-closing-tool.pdf

[ettingtonliam]

Thanks, that was interesting. I don't think it is a Thor because it doesn't say Thor on it, and the recess isn't like that description, its parallel with a fine screw thread in it.

I hadn't thought of linseed oil, but don't see why not. I've goty some in my wood finishing box, I'll give it a try. All I need to do is to expand the rawhide end without rotting it.

[jon38r80]

I dont think Thor hammers have the name on the head, mine dont, only a transfer/decal on the handle, I have a number one with copper and hide faces and a number 2, both copper and they have the number in a circular recess on the side of the hammer head. I would treat the illustrations with a bit of healthly scepticism. In reality I expect they are pretty paralell and the pinch with the "special" tool is pretty small, it only has to work like the jaws of pliers. I think it would be pretty easy to make your own special tool if soaking the hide doesnt work. You can buy replacements on that purveyor of everything - Ebay
I use the no 2 for the same purpose as you plus any time I want to belt something without damaging it too much.
IMG_3617 by

[uuu]

Perhaps I have an earlier one - mine has "Size 1 Ref 210 THOR Copper Rawhide" on one side and "Made in England Thor Hammer Company Shirley Birmingham" on the other.

Wilf

[jon38r80]

The one on theleft is old and much abused, the one on the right only about 2 years old ( I got fed up with the big one being too big under the head of my mill. they are both Thor buthave no markings on them now other than the size number. I suspect as yours has all that posh expensive lettering on it that it is from a more respectable era.

Mine were like this when I bought them.

They are still made/sold from Shirley in Birmingham

Thor Hammer

[ettingtonliam]

I don't think mine is a Thor, its size marking on the head is 'A', although I have a larger version marked '2' which probably is Thor.
Taking stock of my soft headed hammers, I have 2 which I inherited from my father, one has an aluminium head with screw in rubber faces marked 'Thorlite' and the other, much smaller, also has an aluminium head with screw in plastic faces and is marked 'Thorex'.

To be honest, I rarely use these two, I find them too light to be effective. The little copper/rawhide one is just right for setting work in the machine vice, and the big copper/rawhide one for doing/undoing drive fits. Both feel nicely balanced.

[springcrocus]

Disgusting as it may sound, as a youngster I was told to treat the hide end like army boots. Pee in the toilet (don't flush) and rest the hammer in it overnight. Uric acid makes the hide/leather swell and also softens it. Drink lots of water first, though.

Regards, Steve

[ettingtonliam]

The rawhide end is soaking in olive oil (No Popeye jokes please) at the moment, and if that doesn't work, I'll try pushing it down the toilet.

[simplyloco]

Jun 28, 2020 21:37:57 GMT ettingtonliam said:

The rawhide end is soaking in olive oil (No Popeye jokes please) at the moment, and if that doesn't work, I'll try pushing it down the toilet.

Hugely forearmed is forewarned, if you remember the cartoons that is!

[jon38r80]

Looking at the Thor website again they do have hammers designated size A. If you want one for your vintage car toolkit they supply ones like Wilf's with a whole lot of writing on the head. I first looked at the website a long time ago with a view to replacing the copper faces on my older hammer. Getting the old ones out seemed like too much hard work so I didnt bother in the end. It doesnt seem to make any difference any way.

[mbrown]

Coming late to this thread, but I have salvaged a very badly dried out leather bag (the kind used by many footplate crews as it doesn't absorb dirt and oil) using "Hide Food" - a milky white fluid looking (but not smelling) like soluble cutting oil.

A good soak restored the flexibility of the leather and it slightly expanded - so for future reference, this might be a good "leather-friendly" solution.

Malcolm

[ettingtonliam]

I soaked it in olive oil overnight, thinking that a vegetable oil would be better than a mineral oil. It did expand it a little,so that it didn't fall out any more, but was still loose in the head. I resorted to cutting off the end 1/4" or so, which was visibly smaller than the rest, then pressing it into the recess in the head using the bench vice. This seems to have worked, and if I have to do this again every 15 years or so, then I'll be over 100 by the time it gets too short.

[twombo]

I watched video of a Man flanging boiler plates with something of the sort. A great hammer, it was but, the faces gnarled up, like the face of a Gnome!

blackgates, I recall. Is this the type of hammer? I have some plates for a 21/2” gauge boiler to do in 13 gauge copper. A great beast of a hammer is probably Not in order, yes? Suggestions from my Learned friends please? Mbrown, i believe does some work in that range. I’ve not bashed much copper, but I do a fair bit of bashing on other things! The Goldilocks method? Not too large, not too small, but, just right!

Mick

[ettingtonliam]

First buy a copy of Alec Farmer's book on model boiler making. Then read it. Its the best there is. He recommends something called a planishing hammer, which is quite light. You are right, for 13G copper, you don't need a big hammer! Just keep annealing the copper, tap away at it, and it will bend nicely.

E bay is your friend for the book and the planishing hammer.

[twombo]

Liam?

Alec’s book is the best! i have one beat up, “Shop Copy” and, a pristine one! that one. Is untouched by. Me Grubby shop mits! I also have a Flanged Boiler kit from western steam! For now I will build a 21/2” gauge teapot!
Then the 71/4 inch beast. Shipping weight from UK was 25 Kilos! That is a very heavy and HOT thing to manhandle! I will start small!

I have Made a number of Alec’s special tooling. A nearly tcomplete, pile of parts, for a press brake is under a bench! I have been drawing up flanging plates in CAD, for a friend to laser cut. For the little teapot! A vintage Sievert D2 torch and a selection of hammers Based on Allec’s suggstions fill out my armamentarium! Thank s for helping me get that thor out of my head . I recall a bit of one in the. Tool kit for my friends. Wire wheeled midget! “Only this hammer will do” sez he!