What is this tool?

[Jerry Olexa]

Along with other tools I purchased in my regular rust hunt, came this unusual hammer? As I cleaned off the grime, dirt I started to uncover brass/copper? Cleaned it more and here are a few pics......Any help on what it is and why the metal chosen? Thanks ..

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[ernest dubois]

It's a solder bolt. I know it as used by the plumber to solder zinc rain gutter lengths together and more.

[ernest dubois]

The copper is for good heat conduction and retention.

[Jim Koepke]

It's a solder bolt.

That wouldn't surprise me. Most of my experience with soldering tools made of copper is they will retain a bit of solder on the soldering end. This one may be unused.

Another use might be a hammer usually carried on fire trucks. It is used for driving a copper or brass plug into ruptured gas lines to seal them. Copper on brass will not create sparks to ignite the gas. It looks a bit small for that job.

jtk

[Jerry Olexa]

It is a very HEAVY (weight)tool..Much more than most hammers I've used.....Thanks already for the tips...

[James Pallas]

It sure looks like a gutter soldering tool. They were heated up in a small charcoal stove on site and used to install or repair copper gutters. There are several shapes used to reach into the various bends and corners of gutters. It looks as if there is still a little lead on the sharp end. They also used them to install all of the various roof jacks, chimney flashing, drip edges and such.
Jim

[Bill Houghton]

It's a solder bolt.

That's a new term to me; the term I was taught is "soldering copper," to distinguish it from an electrical soldering iron.

During my brief life as a tinbender, we used much smaller coppers for rain gutter. That one would be mighty hard to manipulate into the gutter, and using it for a shift would definitely tire me out!

[ernest dubois]

That's a new term to me; the term I was taught is "soldering copper," to distinguish it from an electrical soldering iron.

During my brief life as a tinbender, we used much smaller coppers for rain gutter. That one would be mighty hard to manipulate into the gutter, and using it for a shift would definitely tire me out!

Of course you would use the right one for the job you wanted to get done. My chimney has a rain cap ca 1m x 1m solid wood core with a zinc covering fit by the blacksmith of the village some years back. Probably a "copper" similar sized to this was the one he reached for to get that job done. These things are common enough around here that I have ended up with one or two over the years without ever intending to have even one. I make use of them from time to time. Last was to melt shellack into cracks around a knot in a chair seat in order to salvage that one which I liked enough. It worked quite well but takes a lot of fire to heat up the head of the hammer.

[Jerry Olexa]

I'm getting that it's copper and its intended use but not sure what to call it?? Thanks much as always..I'm learning

[John Schtrumpf]

I'm getting that it's copper and its intended use but not sure what to call it?? Thanks much as always..I'm learning

From google:

Plumbing: A Text-book to the Practice of the Art Or Craft of the ...

https://books.google.com/books?id=y6pvB94vfkQC

William Paton Buchan - 1902 - ‎Drainage, House
A distinction must be made between this soldering " iron " and the soldering " bolt,"* the latter being made with a copper head and iron handle. A plumber's copper "bolt" is made something like a hatchet, on account of which shape it is often designated the " hatchet-bolt; " this appellation also serves to distinguish between it ...

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks John.....Very helpful...