Years ago I bought a toolbox from someone and there were a couple of these small hammers made out of wood. The head is maybe 1 - 1 1/2 inches across, a couple of inches long. On one of them the head is made of what looks like a wood strip that's been wound, the other is solid. Either of them weigh a few ounces.
What would these be used for?
google 'rawhide hammer'. they are usually used for tooling ( or beating the piss out of ) metal.
sya know...
If I had a hammer....
Doc wrote:
No, these are small. A few ounces in weight.
No, these are small. A few ounces in weight.
Did you Google? If you do you will find that raw rawhide hammers do come in small sizes, for example 2 oz. in weight 1" in diameter and 2 3/8" long. While the most common known use is probably for striking tools to decorate leather, the rawhide hammers can be used for any application large or small in which you do not want to mar the surface.
on 7/18/2008 4:50 AM Doc said the following:
They are more commonly called a 'rawhide mallet'. Mallets are used to pound on things that you don't want to use a steel hammer on, which would mar whatever you were banging on. In the old days, they were used to pound hub caps onto wheels. A lot less painful than using your bare hand.
Doc:
There is a guy (R.H.) who weekly posts a "What is It" tool puzzle on this NG, as well as other newsgroups:
I am guessing that another clue to the use of those lightweight wooden hammers might rest with info on the toolbox, other tools in toolbox, and so forth. Sounds like the hammer's are too unique for just average Joe's tool box. And since they are made of wood...Then there is no value.
Phil
for hammering stuff.
Hardly. Rob- the owner of
Jim
"Doc" wrote
Lots of things actually. They dont cause 'dents' and so are suitable to use on a softer wood product to 'nudge it in place'. I have 2 even smaller ones like you mention (just a few ounces) used when fixing a very antique shadowbox of a kitchen scene.
I also have a larger one, a wood mallet. I use it to adjust doorframes. I could use a longish block of wood (stayback) and a metal hammer, but I find it faster and easier to just use the wood one that doesnt dent.
same answer.
smaller projects
sNo, these are small. A few ounces in weight.
OK - I really hate to do this but.....
This is a case where proper use of the language could help us in answering your question.
Is it a "wood hammer" ie a hammer made to poundon wood? Or.....
Is it a "wooden hammer" ie a hammer made of wood?
This could make a major differnce (or not).
We can't see them from here. Post a picture somewhere if you want more than blind guesses.
-- aem sends...
"Smitty Two" wrote
Yep, Rob is one of the good guys.
Wooden hammers are for wooden nails.
To crack the shells of wooden snails.
to avoid scaring." So there's your answer - the rawhide hammer is a less fearsome tool. I guess it's chosen by people who smash a thumb all too frequently.
R
Doc,
Some time ago, I saw an episode of WoodWorks with David Marks where he made wooden body planes. The blade was held in by a wedge and you tightened the wedge by tapping with a hammer and you loosened the wedge by tapping the back of the plane body with a hammer. Marks used a brass head hammer but i feel a wooden head might be more appropriate.
Bill L.
Taking a cue from my uncle, a craftsman, I have many wooden mallets. I made many of them of different species. I use a softer wood mallet to tap the harder project wood, so as not to damage the project wood. When a head becomes too damaged (seldom), I replace it. Some heads are not perpendicular to the handle, about 8 to 10 degrees off, to accommodate a slightly different drive when needed. I have a wide variety of sizes and some have a wedge shape on one face. A few I've added cow hide straps simply for decor, like a tomahawk. On the brighter side, those of 4" or larger heads are attitude adjusters, not mallets, and more for display than use. Many I have are tree limb heads on tree limb handles, no two alike, and I've learned to distinguish them for particular uses. Besides, why waste a good tree limb by trashing it? Make a mallet.... or an attitude adjuster.
I also do upholstery work. Leather or rawhide mallets are used to drive tack strips into place and to attach front arm panels, and the like, onto the furniture. The tack strips and panel structures are under the fabric, so the leather mallet, though hard, does not damage the fabric when driving these tack/nail applications. I also have a series of short wooden plugs (3" long dowels of different diameters), wrapped in scrap fabric, that I sometimes use as buffers between mallet and fabric-structure application. As with anything, you can go over-board and tap too hard and damage anything, so some care is required when tacking/nailing through fabric, this way. Vinyl hammer heads (tack hammers) are used for decorative tacks, so as not to damage the decorative tacks. I suppose small wood mallets may have been used before vinyl came along.
Sonny
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