[Greg Obach]

Hi all

now to carry on and show how i made the handle... it is a very simple method with simple tools..
- the wood that i selected is sugar maple....its hard and a nice lite color




Ok... now lets cut this into handle lengths.... hold the wood in the shop vise with some towel around it...I'm cutting it was a fat maxx saw... i use this for lots of my wood cuts




almost there





Done
- notice how rough the cut is.... now we have to go to the disk sander



The disk sander is a very valuable tool..... i made mine by buying a baldor 3/4 hp motor and using a flat IRON disc from K&G knife supply.... i use it so much that i wonder how i got along without it.....

use a new disc..... if you use fresh sharp abrasive ... you way less likely to burn wood...



now were flattening it


remember to square it up... get it close to the hole size on the hammer head...... now knock the corners off the handle on the disk grinder.... so its an octagon of sorts...

Now....place the handle at the outer rim of the disk..... and rotate it in your hands .... gently round the handle end... (disk is spinning clockwise)... make sure the handle is being abraded evenly... not an acute angle !




Check your work


Looks good... now lets try to fit it...





Notice the smudge marks on the shaft...... now you know where it needs some dressing down...







so far so good

now when you've got a snug fit.... and it fits about 3/4 of the way down the socket..... its time to move on




snug



Lets clean up that handle....... hold in the vise in a horizontal way....... alway put some soft wood in there to hold it........ i like to use cedar wood...... get a long piece of sand paper and use a shoe shine type motion to round the handle.... once you've worked all the sides...... work a final grit paper up and down the handle following the grain of the wood...




now set the head on with a lite tap........ make sure its in the direction of the grain.. !!!


place the hammer upside down and tap the handle end to push it through the socket till its very snugg


Test it......... now check to see if the hammer face is parallel to the handle...




dress that little bit of wood




now you are done the shop work........ and finish the handle with what you like best..... i use clapham wax





I hope my picture size is better this time

take care
Greg

[Janel]

Delightful! Image file size was great, you "handled" it perfectly and then some. It was done loading before I reached the end of the great tutorial. Thank you Greg, for the clear and helpful instructions.

[Jim Kelso]

Nice job Greg.

[Greg Obach]

thank you

glad you enjoyed the tutorial


G

[tsterling]

Greg inspired me to get busy, so following his tutorials I made my own hammers. That was a lot of fun. Now considering that these are my only Japanese-style metalworking tools and the fact that there can't be very many others required, I'm ready to set up shop! Move over, Jim and Ford!

Thanks Greg!

PS Where are the chisel and punch tutorials, guys?

[Greg Obach]

Hi Tom

right on bros !
those are some cool hammers...

i tried them out... and just like Ford had said... i was hitting the chisels way too hard to produce a nice cut... .. i'm hoping to get out and do some practicing ... ... thanks again Ford... i'm inspired !!

i've made a bunch of chisels..... but jeez..... nothing i'd ever post had a really hard time to make that V chisel with the round sides... and still .. i'm not sure if i got the face flat enough ... have to figure out how to polish and sharpen them .... ?

my goodness this inlay stuff is exciting.........


hey... thats another cool site to check out....... thanks Kathleen

Greg

[tsterling]

ford hallam, on Apr 24 2007, 10:27 PM, said:

hey Tom,

they're looking good. I'll post an image of all my Japanese hammers and a spread of chisels as a temporary measure, all the specs will follow, asap. Where do you think I should post all this metalwork stuff?

cheers, Ford

Hi Ford,

I'll set up a "Metalworking" sub forum tonight (Wednesday April 25th) when I get back from my Wednesday morning flint knapping group. Can't miss that!