Thread: A good cheap 4oz and maybe 8oz ball pean hammer source?

Antique store. They're plentiful at some of the bigger antique markets. Sometimes for next to nothing.

And USA made probably !

Any 2-4 oz. ball hammer will work, they don’t have to be polished like chrome, just smooth, round helps.

Picked this up at an antique flea market for 5 dollars, and have picked several more for a dollar to 5 at Antique stores and flea markets as Harry said.

Check out the handle on this one, very nice balance, the long thin handle is a delight to hold. I believe it is a watch or clockmaker’s hammer.



Holding it, makes you want to pin something.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Any 2-4 oz. ball hammer will work, they don’t have to be polished like chrome, just smooth, round helps.

Picked this up at an antique flea market for 5 dollars, and have picked several more for a dollar to 5 at Antique stores and flea markets as Harry said.

Check out the handle on this one, very nice balance, the long thin handle is a delight to hold. I believe it is a watch or clockmaker’s hammer.



Holding it, makes you want to pin something.

Euclid440.....that's a real prize! Too bad I don't have many flea markets at my location. It's nice that with the razor resto bug are breathing life into other vintage tools.

Tony

I tried the polished 4oz ball peen route and all I had was problems. So I contacted a friend with a well established reputation here at SRP and he recommened going to FleaBay and looking for a Jeweler's hammer with a round face opposite of the ball end. It was cheap and it works well right out of the box. With that said, I did polish up the ball and rounded face.

My biggest problem was the way the handle was shaped. I didn't like the way it 'felt' in my hand on the ball end and I figured that since I'd be using the ball end the most and the curved face the least that I'd turn the handle around. I drilled out the head, reshaped what was left and epoxied it all back together.

Now I'm a Very Happy Camper. My pinning is vastly improved and I haven't broken a scale since I started using it the Big + is that the pins look really nice.

For What It's Worth

I have a vintage from a yard sale 4 oz and a 16 oz that i had for something else that I sometimes use. Its heavy alright but if you grip it up to the hammer head, it works fine in finish peening. I wouldnt try to start a mushroom on a pin in a vise though. I have polish sanded them both with no issues. I find that a buff with a dremel felt wheel not necessary although it will not hurt

Peening pins is not rocket science,But certain things make it much less of an ordeal.
Look at the starrett Richard posted above,note the gentle curve as opposed to the ball of a ball peen hammer.
My homebrews are modeled the same as the Starrett as to curviture.
With a gentle curve you have a bit more surface area to contact the pin and IMO less chance to slip off and damage a scale.
All I do is Ivory scales so I need all the help I can get.

I've found bargains on hammers at pawn shops too.

No pics but my favorite for pins is a 4oz cross peen cutler's hammer I found at a flea market.

For those REALLY contrary pins, I've got a 16 pound hammer that belonged to the Katy Railroad at some point in time.

" Holding it, makes you want to pin something."


I hope your smiling when you say that :<0)

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I tried the polished 4oz ball peen route and all I had was problems. So I contacted a friend with a well established reputation here at SRP and he recommened going to FleaBay and looking for a Jeweler's hammer with a round face opposite of the ball end. It was cheap and it works well right out of the box. With that said, I did polish up the ball and rounded face.

My biggest problem was the way the handle was shaped. I didn't like the way it 'felt' in my hand on the ball end and I figured that since I'd be using the ball end the most and the curved face the least that I'd turn the handle around. I drilled out the head, reshaped what was left and epoxied it all back together.

Now I'm a Very Happy Camper. My pinning is vastly improved and I haven't broken a scale since I started using it the Big + is that the pins look really nice.

For What It's Worth

__________________________________________________ _

That's the same hammer I use. It works fine.