Titehammer chisel bashin' question

[Tony Wilkins]

I got one of the little titehammers with the funny handle from Glenn Drake when I first started woodworking a year ago or so - the smallest size (6 oz) to be specific. I subsequently saw it recommended not to use metal hammers (including brass) on non-hooped chisels.

Here's my question: what chisels can I bang with it and which should I not?

[Jim Matthews]

To answer your question - most any chisel can be damaged by a square faced hammer.
The corner will concentrate force and act as a gouge.

I had a "dedicated" set of Marples plastic handled chisels for this application, but
hated the way they feel. I like wood, and figured if I broke a wooden handle,
I could just make another .... but that's a different topic, for another day.


I use a Stanley soft-face hammer, with round replaceable tips.
(I doubt I could ever remove one, the hammer is so old.)

It weighs about 20 ounces.
I have one that weighs less, but the diameter of the face is too small
(I tend to miss with that, and the consequence is painful.)

A hammer that's heavier can't stay up in the air so long.
(I get tired, it's something of a contortion to make a mortice this way.)

A hammer that's lighter doesn't transmit sufficient momentum.

I've had good results with a dead-blow mallet, too.
Those are practically laying around in the weeds, they're so common.

Here's one (http://www.thorhammer.com/Hammers/Nylon/Hammer_id_12-714N) recommended by Paul Sellers, made by Thor.

FWIW - I don't like them, I found the Thor balanced toward the head and hard to control for long.

If it was me, I would find your nearest auto supply place and ask to see their stock of "non-marring" hammers.
Nylon faces seem to be good for all-around use.

[Mike Holbrook]

I think the answer unfortunately is hooped chisels, especially Japanese hooped chisels are usually designed for use with metal hammers. Some of the composite US home store chisels have metal heads so they can withstand regular hammers. I'm not sure how much damage a 6oz hammer is going to do though. Socket chisels have easy to replace handles. I bought a few extra at auction.

Lee Valley as you might expect, makes a couple metal hammers with wood inserts on the faces:
http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=50229&cat=1,41504,43688&ap=1
They also carry mallets made from plastic composite, made for use on chisels and dead blow hammers.

Stu at Tools from Japan carries a wide selection of hooped chisels. He also carries chisel & plane hammers & mallets in wood & metal.
http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=312_489

[Tony Wilkins]

After I read/watched that about brass hammers I got a wood is good urethane 20 oz. I figure it's easier to change one mallet than a few chisels. Was just trying to figure out what to do with this little hammer. It is comfortable to use but not enough to damage my Lie Nielsen and Blue Spruce chisels I dropped good change on.

[Mike Brady]

The Thor hammer that Paul Sellers recommends is sold in the the USA by Vaughan Hammers of Rockford, IL under their name. It has nylon faces and is the best chisel hammer I have found. The weight that works well is the 21oz. version. They sell their wide range of tools on the web page. I doubt you would find this hammer in a store. It is made for machine assembly. I use mine on my Lie-Nielsen chisels without any marks left behind. Wood Is Good mallets are recommended too if you like the carver's style of tool. They are urethane covered and mar-proof.

[David Weaver]

WIG mallets are excellent. I used to be a flat face mallet kind of person but use one of the bigger wood is good mallets, and almost never anything else other than an appropriate hammer for japanese chisels (the wig works fine for those, too).

At any rate, I made a bunch of socket chisel handles five years ago or so, and I've struck them with everything I have and none have ever split. If you're building tools and furniture, there's not a lot you'll hit that hard other than maybe mortise chisels or something you'd use for HBDT (but I hit the latter with a steel hammer without issue, too).

I've never found the need for a hoop, but it's easier to not worry about your tools if you can just turn another handle for them. If you fit that category, I'd just hit them with the brass mallet and hit them in the center. When I turned my handles, I left them rounded a little bit at the top like the LN chisels so that I would be striking the wood in the middle and not at the edges where you can split chunks off easily.

[Jim Koepke]

My chisels are my friends. They will never know the feel of metal falling on their heads.

With the exception of mortising, it is my opinion that chisels do not need a lot of force to do their cutting when they are sharp.

As far as mallets go, one of my favorite is made from an old piece of what appears to be an oak 2X4.

265225

It is the one on the left.

A few have been turned on my lathe. Those seem most useful around my froe. For me, they just aren't as good for driving chisels, ymmv.

Square headed mallets seem to suite my way of working better.

An understanding of physics helps here. Most people understand on a rudimentary basis that a mallet the weight of a feather striking a chisel is not going to transfer force measurable in foot pounds (newtons or other measure of force for those in the metric measuring world) to the work. When the force meets the stationary object, there will be some deformation. If the objects are of equal hardness, the deformation will be equal.

If it were my choice to hit my chisels with metal, they would either have hoops or leather to absorb the forces of deformation.

jtk

[george wilson]

I just use wooden mallets. No problem.

[Tony Wilkins]

Think i'll stick with the WIG and probably add the little 12 oz soon. I have making a tradition carpenters mallet on my need to make list.

[Tony Shea]

It is unfortunate that you have been scared by something you read or saw recently about using your Titehammer chisel hammer. This hammer is a bit different than a typical metal hammer. The brass can probably do the same amount of damage to wood as regular hammer steel but really is almost not an issue. You shouldn't be coming down on your chisels hard enough to even dent them with that Titehammer.

I'm not sure what Blue Spruce chisels you own but their bench chisels are made with handles infused with acrylic that will take a tremendous beating without showing any sign. And LN hornbeam handles are incredibly durable as well. I don't own BS bench chisels but use their mallet that also has been infused with acrylic and I can't put a dent in even the outside finish, this thing is incredibly tough. Before using this mallet I used the Titehammer almost exclusively on my LN hornbeam handled chisels with ZERO ill effects. I have even mortised with this hammer with LN mortise chisels and they also show very little sign of damage. Your LN chisels are designed to take a beating and if your using BS bench chisels then these are going to take even more of a beating. If using BS dovetail or their parers then you shouldn't be using them with a mallet anyway.

I say don;t worry a bit about using that Titehammer on your chisels design to be hit with a mallet. I've been doing it for at least 5 years with zero issues.

[Derek Cohen]

I have a selection of hammers and mallets that range from the round Blue Spruce mallet (excellent) to steel gennous and a shop made brass hammer. Several years ago I purchased a Thor plastic-headed mallet for wacking wooden parts into position. I find myself using this increasingly, even with Japanese chisels. What I like it that there is some reduction in jarring without cushioning a blow (which is better on the elbows) plus is much quieter (much appreciated by the family).

The one I use is about 450 gm ..

http://www.thorhammer.com/images/uploaded/48_prod_desc_md.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Matthews]

plus is much quieter (much appreciated by the family)...

Wait a second, that set of photos from last Winter wasn't staged?
You've got time for this pursuit, a productive career and family?

Even our very own Martha Stewart couldn't manage all three...

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Jim, that is funny! :)

The truth is, it is all photoshopped.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tom Henderson2]

David Charlesworth recommends using steel hammers on non-hooped handles; I've followed that advice and used a steel hammer (japanese style) on LN chisels with no damage to the handles. I'm not sure what kind of wood they use for the handles but it is pretty tough.

Part of Charlesworth' technique is that for fine furniture work you probably aren't whaling away like a gorilla.

Large mortises in hard wood might be a different story!

So try the Titehammer and see how you like it. I suspect it won't damage things as much as you might think.

[Tony Wilkins]

How do you hold it? I've done some more reading on it and it seems from one blog that it's supposed to be held a certain way.

[Mike Henderson]

I just use wooden mallets. No problem.

Me, too. Specifically, the round carver's mallets.

Mike