Whatsit brass hammer head

[bridger berdel]

Junk store find. So sue me, I accumulate random tools. Anyhow, it's brass or bronze, shows some odd wear on both striking faces, and it's tiny. 2.9 ounces.


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Anybody here know what it's for?

[Patrick McCarthy]

No idea, but this should be interesting

[James W Glenn]

How hard is the metal? Is it at all copper colored? If it is it might be Beryllium copper, which is spark proof. If so its very cool and very toxic, so don't use sand paper to clean it up.

[Jim Koepke]

which is spark proof

That was one of my thoughts. I know some fire departments carry spark proof hammers. One use is to drive a soft metal plug into a broken gas line.

This piece seems a little small for such a use.

jtk

[Karl Andersson]

I don't mean to be contrary, but the machined/ cut areas along the points and the offset sides make this look like a cut-down part of something like an impeller blade that was modified into a pick/ hammer after the blades were cut off for something else. The word "down" might be and instruction for which direction to install the impeller. I could be wrong, as I'm only going by the pictures and they're a little dark. If the hole is not flared, that might hint at "impeller" also, although plenty of hammers had straight handle holes.
Thanks for the mystery,
Karl

[Pat Barry]

I doubt its intended to be a hammer head. Looks like it could be part of some sort of mechanism, like a ratchet assembly. No clue why its bronze? Its not brass unless its very dirty brass. Are you sure the surface color is not a surface treatment - can you pick it up with a magnet? Maybe file a tad bit off in an inconspicuous spot

[bridger berdel]

I doubt its intended to be a hammer head. Looks like it could be part of some sort of mechanism, like a ratchet assembly. No clue why its bronze? Its not brass unless its very dirty brass. Are you sure the surface color is not a surface treatment - can you pick it up with a magnet? Maybe file a tad bit off in an inconspicuous spot

definitely not plated. the hole is not flared, but for a shaft I'd expect a setscrew, or at least machined true surfaces each side for a flange seat and jamb nut. it is also small for the mass of the head. seems like this was designed for very precise driving of something. as far as material, my best guess is bronze, but there are a lot of colors of brass and I have no way to do analysis.

the shape is puzzling. it feels very specific. the actual striking surfaces are small for the size/weight, about the same size as each other and at least close to the same location relative to the centerline of the head. they both show enough wear to have obliterated the original surfaces. the wear is odd, as though it was used to strike a very rough nubbly surface. the actual appearance of the striking face reminds me of the slag left behind by a slightly misadjusted stick welder except that there is no sign of foreign material driven into the bronze/brass. whatever it was used to strike was clean and quite rough. the whole head has a slight taper. the cheeks are asymmetrical as though to create clearance near one cheek, I think the left cheek from the perspective of the person using it, as I imagine it being used, sitting at a bench.

something from a dental lab.... something like that?

[Malcolm McLeod]

The flats on the bore make me believe it was on a shaft, either as a rotation input (i.e. a handle), or as a rotating output (...impeller hub?). The asymmetry is more suitable for a handle.

I'm sure it was originally a manual disambigulated reticulation adjuster (and unquestionably Prussian).

What do I win??! :cool:

[Tom M King]

Maybe a bell striker????????? At least it tells you which side goes "down".