plane hammer?

[James Spillman]

I'm looking for a hammer to use with my wooden planes. What is a good weight for the hammer? Do you have one to recommend? Thanks.

[ken hatch]

I'm looking for a hammer to use with my wooden planes. What is a good weight for the hammer? Do you have one to recommend? Thanks.

James,

The best I've found is from Sterling Tool Works. Brass on one side and phenolic on the other. It is perfect for adjusting wood stock planes.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

One of the members (and a mod?) here sells nice looking and well performing plane hammers, along with marking knives. Perhaps he will drop in.

[Bob Glenn]

Just make your own, it's a nice weekend project. A short section of one inch brass bar and handle and you're good to go.

[Mike Henderson]

I agree on make your own. They're pretty simple to make and low cost. Here's a tutorial (http://www.mikes-woodwork.com/BrassHammer.htm)on how to make one.

Mike

[James Spillman]

I have made mallets in the past. This time I would like to purchase the hammer.

[Bill McNiel]

I was gifted one from Lee Valley that is quite nice.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have this one (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=46540&cat=1,230,41182) and like it fine.

Fred

[Phil Mueller]

I’ve been happy with the Wile plane hammer by Veritas.
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[steven c newman]

387966
7oz (maybe..) cross pean riveting hammer...also a great brad hammer, and works with mortise chisels....cross pean can also get into the Stanley 45 to adjust the lateral on a cutter...

[David Bassett]

You want taps, and not whacks, when making adjustments. It seems like there is a lot of personal preference in weight & shape to achieve that. (Though that Wile Veritas one sure is pretty.)

One cheaper option recommended in a recent thread (which I can't find, so maybe a different forum?) is:

Grace 8oz Brass Hammer at H.J. Epstein (https://www.harryepstein.com/index.php/grace-8-oz-brass-hammer.html)

[Bill McNiel]

I’ve been happy with the Wile plane hammer by Veritas.
387965

That's the one I was gifted. I have been really happy with it.

[Mark R Webster]

I have the Wile plane hamnnmer and like it as well. :)

[Dave Lehnert]

Cheap and it works.
https://www.harborfreight.com/double-sided-mallet-with-wooden-handle-98285.html

[Zuye Zheng]

Found a Grace 8oz brass and delrin hammer to be pretty good. Delrin for knocking on the body to get the blade out, bras to adjust the blade. I did reshape the handle though since it comes pretty chunky for a small hammer.

[John C Cox]

Small mallets are super fun and super quick to make.
All you need is a branch about 1 1/2" diameter and 3-4" long for the head, another branch 1/2"-3/4" in diameter about 18" long for the handle, a pocket knife and a drill.

And viola - make something like this in less than an hour.
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[steven c newman]

Hey...Xacto does make a "plane hammer"...
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They also came with a steel head, and a ball head....might keep an eye out for one?

[Jim Koepke]

Hey...Xacto does make a "plane hammer"...
388780
They also came with a steel head, and a ball head....might keep an eye out for one?

One of those has been in my kit since the late 1960s.

My tack hammer is used occasionally for tapping on the blade. Only wood faced mallets are used on a plane body.

Mostly a small mallet of my own making is used:

388798

The head is about 2" X 1". The handle is one of my first chisel handles, of myrtle wood, that had failed in use. The top was turned to ~1/2" and a hole of the same size drilled though a piece of what appears to be lignum vitae.

As stated by others, there are a lot of options. There are some hunks of brass and steel in my shop giving me the idea of making my own metal headed plane hammer.

jtk

[Matt Lau]

I prefer the plain Lee valley plane hammer. feels less "fancy" than the Wile hammer.

[Simon MacGowen]

I prefer the plain Lee valley plane hammer. feels less "fancy" than the Wile hammer.

The large plane hammer, I believe, is designed for using on a wooden type of plane; not that you can't use it on a western plane, but you have to be more careful to do the adjustment.

I use a cheapo hammer similar to the Wile in style and size...$5? to adjust my metal planes. When the Wile hammers came out, they had a wooden head, but has since been replaced by plastic. Mine is brass and nlyon.

Simon