Dead Blow Hammer Use?

[Kev Godwin]

I have been a WW'er for over 30 years, yet I have never used a "dead blow" hammer for any assembly work. I have always used a scrap piece of wood to protect my work while tapping pieces together, nothing more.

I would appreciate some advice as to why these specialized hammers are useful or not. Are there other uses other than assembly? Thanks.
Kev

[John Harden]

A dead blow hammer is simply one with a hollow head filled with shot or some other dense pellets. They are usually made of a rubberized plastic type material. The whole point is that when you whack something with it, the shot helps absorb the spring back forces. It still puts plenty of force onto what you whacked, but doesn't mar the surface like a regular hammer might.

Your method of just using a piece of wood accomplishes the same thing.

There may be other, more specialized uses for one that I'm not familiar with, so it'll be interesting to see what others chime in with.

Regards,

John

[Zach England]

I like it because it does not bounce like a regular rubber mallet.

[paul cottingham]

I like it because it doesn't bounce when I hit it, and when my daughter gets her hands on it its harder for her to damage stuff....

[Paul Ryan]

The dead blow is nice because of the head is clean you dont have to hold a piece of scrap over what you are pounding on. If you buy good hammers they wont mar the surface you are pounding on, so it leaves one hand open for something else in most situations. A good set of dead blows is nice to have.

[Dell Moore]

Dead blows are also excellent to have for furniture DIS-assembly also. I used one (actually, I think I have 3 now) when I was in the biz. An all wood deadblow hammer is also useful. Plus it's fun to make and say "this is MY hammer, there are many like it, but this on is MINE...." :D

[Myk Rian]

Dead blow hammers are great when a teenager doesn't listen. :D

[Peter Quinn]

I like non marring shot filled dead blow hammers for assembly because when you swing one that shot puts a little more umph into the hit without a lot of spring back. I have them in sizes from 12oz to 5# (Da MAN HAMMER) depending on the work at hand. I think the one I use the most is around 20oz? The little one is mostly for dry fit work, once the glue gremlins are unleashed a larger size is typically needed to tame them.

I don't trust them for hitting anything but dead flat on a hard wood face, for all other purposes a banger block is still a good idea, they won't mash a surface like a steel hammer, but they will beat up softer woods like mahogany and poplar. In most cases for light taps during assembly you can ditch the block and have one hand free for some other purpose, in my case scratching my head wondering why it went together so easy in dry fit and won't go together at all with glue on it!

[Bill White]

I don't have one 'cause I don't have any room for 1 more. Maybe I should have a hammer sale. :D
Bill

[glenn bradley]

I don't have one 'cause I don't have any room for 1 more. Maybe I should have a hammer sale. :D
Bill

I had my hammer sale already :D. I keep a mallet for chisels, a warrington and a dead blow nearby. I have a claw and a couple ball peens in a drawer.

As to the dead blow; no bounce during adjustments, assembly or disassembly. I use it more than I thought I would but not in the way I thought I would. I had pictured myself tapping together large carcasses and such. Turns out I do almost no sheet goods work.

The block of wood and hammer do the same job, it just takes two hands where the dead blow takes one. If your other hand isn't busy, this is a no-brainer. If your other hand is holding something in position, now you're juggling. After 30 years, I imagine you've got it down to a science so, I wouldn't change.

[phil harold]

call me nuts, but I use mine with my wood chisels

[Dave Lehnert]

In woodworking it is a good idea to use a block of wood to protect the wood service.
I do think a dead blow hammer is more for metal and auto type work.
Norm just made it a Woodworking tool.

[Dave Lehnert]

call me nuts, but I use mine with my wood chisels

"You're nuts"

And I am to. I have started to use a smaller lighter weight hammer with chisels. Seems to work well. Guess time will tell what it will do to the chisels handles.

[Richard Jones]

In woodworking it is a good idea to use a block of wood to protect the wood service.
I do think a dead blow hammer is more for metal and auto type work.
Norm just made it a Woodworking tool.

I use mine quite a bit. Since I don't watch Norm, I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying that "everyone" started using dead blow hammers because of him?

Rich, confused as always

[Dave Lehnert]

I use mine quite a bit. Since I don't watch Norm, I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying that "everyone" started using dead blow hammers because of him?

Rich, confused as always


I think most woodworkers were first introduced to the dead blow hammer on the New Yankee workshop. Just like the biscuit jointer.

[Kev Godwin]

To followup my original question about dead-blow hammers, if the primary advantage is "no bounce", does that apply to all applications?

Is a dead-blow hammer useful if used to hammer sideways?

Is it useful for tapping upward from the bottom of an assembly? Would the dead-blow movement just be dead weight in that case?

If reduction in bounce is the primary advantage, what difference does a little bounce matter?

I'm thinking the comment about controlling teenagers might be the best response!:rolleyes: Thanks Creekers.
Kev

[Bill Huber]

To followup my original question about dead-blow hammers, if the primary advantage is "no bounce", does that apply to all applications?

Is a dead-blow hammer useful if used to hammer sideways?

Is it useful for tapping upward from the bottom of an assembly? Would the dead-blow movement just be dead weight in that case?

If reduction in bounce is the primary advantage, what difference does a little bounce matter?

I'm thinking the comment about controlling teenagers might be the best response!:rolleyes: Thanks Creekers.
Kev

Yes it is just as good sideways and down or up.

When you strike something with a dead blow it is a more positive strike.

They just don't cost that much go buy one and try it, it you don't like it take it back.

[Richard Jones]

I think most woodworkers were first introduced to the dead blow hammer on the New Yankee workshop. Just like the biscuit jointer.

Well, then that's a sad commentary on more than one front and I guess I should be grateful that I don't fall into either of those categories.

It does seem odd tho', I didn't realize that Delta/Porter-Cable made a power dead blow hammer. Mine are/is the non-electric version and must be very valuable, as I've had one of them before Norm was a gleam.........

Rich

[James White]

Kev,

You can pick up a dead blow hammer at a Harbor Freight store for cheep. They are not as nice as the premium brands but they do work as intended. The main difference is the plastic. It is a little harder and can leave some marring if you get carried away. Give it a try you will like it.

James


I have been a WW'er for over 30 years, yet I have never used a "dead blow" hammer for any assembly work. I have always used a scrap piece of wood to protect my work while tapping pieces together, nothing more.

I would appreciate some advice as to why these specialized hammers are useful or not. Are there other uses other than assembly? Thanks.
Kev

[Rich Neighbarger]

Objects in motion stay in motion until acted on by an equal and opposite force... right? So where do you suppose that force comes from that causes the hammer to bounce back?

For those in Realinda, the dead blow doesn't bounce because it more efficiently transfers the the energy from your arm into the work piece.

[Floyd Mah]

Why doesn't the hammer bounce?

A bounce suggests that a non-dead-blow hammer would bounce because it did not lose all of its kinetic energy to the object being struck. Inefficient energy transfer. A dead-blow hammer would be like a bus-load of non-dead-blow hammers.

I bet it's like being in a military tank when it hits the granite boulder. The tank, if it doesn't crush, will visibly bounce back. The soldiers inside, even if they bounce off the front of the interior, may not impact the rear of the tank because of the roomy accomodations. My guess would be that the pellets inside just bounce around the inside without hitting the back of the compartment. Hence you would not see the orange part bounce. Because of the random movement inside the compartment, the second strike of the particles when they drop forward again would be less coordinated and since the whole hammer is still forward, there is no noticeable second impact.

[Myk Rian]

Why doesn't the hammer bounce?
Because the lead pellets strike the inside face, and since lead is soft, they don't bounce around inside the head. They compact.
With each hammer strike, the pellets are deformed a little.

[Jim Koepke]

A dead blow mallet has a hollow head. Inside this cavity is a bunch of loose material. Lead pellets are on common substance used.

When the mallet is being swung toward its intended target, the pellets are away from the striking face and being pushed by the inside of the non-striking face. When the face strikes its target, the pellets continue moving toward the back of the striking face. Imagine a small pile of shot flying through the hollow cylinder inside the mallet head. As the first ones hit the back of the striking face, the energy of their mass is transfered into the striking face. They are prevented from bouncing by the rest of the pellets still flying through the cylinder impacting them and transferring their energy toward the striking face in a piling on of pellets.

jim

[Chris Friesen]

I discovered that a dead-blow hammer works great on a flooring nailer when getting close to the wall. Shorter shaft and rubber coating makes it less likely to mar the wall, but the shot inside still gives it a lot of impact on the nailer. For the final row I've been known to swing it with the head sideways for that little bit more clearance.

[george wilson]

A dead blow hammer is indispensable around a milling machine,for setting parts in the bottom of a vise. I also have used mine on wood projects. I also use a steel faced dead blow for striking name stamps onto metal. A regular type of hammer often bounces down again,causing a double image,which is a pain to polish away.

My Stanley black dead blow hammer at work eventually turned white,developed cracks,and fell apart. I use as many Asian ones as any after that. The steel faced hammer is a Armstrong,and cost about $50.00. Haven't seen any imports with steel faces.

I also have a double faced plastic hammer that uses the density of the plastic as a dead blow device. The red face is softer,giving a dead blow. On the other end is a harder black face. The body is aluminum.

[Larry Edgerton]

Any vibration is wasted energy. The dead blow conserves that energy by not letting it deflect back, the shot hitting the inside of the chamber at just the moment that the energy would be reflected.

That is why Harleys are so slow, they are the worst possible engine one could design, a 45 degree V with both rods on the same journal. Whenever you see or feel a vibration, that took energy to create, and so is wasting energy that could be used for harnessed motion. In the case of the Harley if you manage to run it up to enough RPM it will literally destroy itself through its own terrible primary balance.

The dead blow hammer is the answer to the wasted energy used to move your arm that is lost in vibration.

I use several myself but the nicest one and my favorite is the one I bought from the SnapOn man. Very good balance.