What should I look for in a hammer for adjusting plane blades? Do you have a favorite?
What should I look for in a hammer for adjusting plane blades? Do you have a favorite?
I don't have any wood planes, so I don't use one all that much. The hammer I have has brass on one end and wood on the other. It is quite small. Not sure where I got it. It looks a lot like the wile plane hammer on the lee valley website.
James - take a look at Harry J Epstein. They've had a small brass hammer on closeout that should work.
Go to Lowes and Home Depot. They both can help you.
It depends on the plane or spokeshave on which it is to be used.
For my wooden molding planes an upholsterer's hammer or a tack hammer is often used to set the blades. A wooden mallet is used to hit a plane on the heel to remove blades.
Tack Hammer.png
A tack hammer at most hardware stores is likely less than $10.
Sometimes my small shop made plane hammer is used:
Plane Tapper hammer mallet.jpg
The head on this is made from a scrap of lignum vitae.
This is also used on my pre-lateral Stanley/Bailey planes and block planes.
This is the only percussion adjuster used on my metallic spokeshaves.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 01-15-2021 at 11:30 AM. Reason: Added tack hammer image
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
I made a hammer out of about 2" of 3/4" brass square stock. Drill a 3/8" hole in the bar, chamfer the edges with a file, and make a handle that fits in the hole. Then I glued about 3 layers of suede to one face for hitting the wooden parts of the plane.
At center-right below:
IMG_20190818_211251.jpg
Last edited by Joshua Lucas; 01-15-2021 at 11:50 AM. Reason: added photo
I’ve used what Jim uses for years, a very small tack hammer and wooden carvers mallet. Light taps with a tack hammer will not damage any blade, even on the smallest spokeshave.
Here's a link to HJ Epstein - $11 brass hammer 8 oz - https://www.harryepstein.com/tool-ty...lose_out=9&p=2
Light tapping on the handle will withdraw the blade. This is why my preference is to use a small wooden tapper. The tack hammer might chip the japanning or sully any plating.
That was funny. Fortunately there is one further down the page > https://www.harryepstein.com/grace-8...ss-hammer.html
My rust hunts these days include looking for small pieces of brass that may be usable as hammer heads.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
No self-respecting hobbyist would ever use such a thing, but not being a hobbyist, I keep one of these in each molding plane toolbox, and a few others laying about. That, and a cheap brass head 4oz. hammer off ebay.
https://www.estwing.com/products/red...-mallet-hammer
It's never marred a plane body, or wedge.
I like that Tom. Thanks for sharing.
I have a vintage hammer with two plastic faces, but the plastic is extremely hard clear ( like on the old clear type screw drivers).
You can find them hanging with the other hammers in Home Depot. I don't think Lowes carries Estwing now, at least, ours doesn't.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Estwing-...FH12/202183882
You can probably get them from Amazon, but the cost will probably be higher, to cover the free shipping.
[QUOTE=Jim Koepke;3088918]Light tapping on the handle will withdraw the blade. This is why my preference is to use a small wooden tapper. The tack hammer might chip the japanning or sully any plating.
I use the tack hammer only to adjust the blade, never on the body. It has a 3 oz. head and I’ve never had a mishap. And frankly I wouldn’t care if I ever chipped the japanning on one of my old Stanley spokeshaves - they’re not exactly NIB. 😊 Even though it’s brass, an 11 oz. head seems heavy for this particular task. The only wooden plane I have is a coffin smoother; that’s when I use a wooden mallet on the body.
I use this Wile Plane Hammer from LV
75A153F8-85CF-4B89-BD3E-461387EBA0FD.jpg