Lead Hammer

[686]

does any one use one to open there mold.? i read an old artical about using one to hit the spru plate with. is there a mold to make the hammer with? what is the handel made out of? i always use a hard wood dowl . any help . thanks

[scrapcan]

686,

do a search on hammer mold on this site. A mould has been donated to the site for folks like us to get on the list to use. The posts you will find will also tell how others have made lead hammers using similar mould.

[FISH4BUGS]

I have 3 of them from Texasflyboy (thanks Tom!) They are really nice to use. I am wondering how long they will last. Mine are rebar handles with some garden hose over the rebar as a cushion. They work slicker n' snot as my grandma used to say.

[mtgrs737]

I have a two pound hammer mould, but I would think that you would not want anything over a pound for mould work. My mould uses 3/8" (5/8" O.D.) steel pipe for the handle. Midway sells the moulds.

[NVcurmudgeon]

does any one use one to open there mold.? i read an old artical about using one to hit the spru plate with. is there a mold to make the hammer with? what is the handel made out of? i always use a hard wood dowl . any help . thanks

Holy moley! A lead hammer to open a mould? Unless it's a tiny lead hammer a caster might get tired of using it. I use a rawhide hammer with a head 3" long and 1.7" diameter, probably weighs less than half a pound including the handle. It only takes a gentle tap to open a sprue cutter. I went to rawhide when I got tired of hardwood sticks shedding splinters and sawdust over all my fresh castings.

[floodgate]

NV:

AMEN!! I've used rawhide hammers for everything from opening moulds to repairing old spinning wheels with tapered or pegged joints, for the past 40+ years. Must have six or eight of various weights right now, and I've given nearly as many away over the years. If they get too bashed up, five minutes with a disc sander makes them like new again. They're the most reached-for tool in my shop, mebbe, after screwdrivers. Fairly pricey these days, but I've yet to break one - or to break anything else with one.

floodgate

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I use a lead hammer to position parts in the vise on my Bridgeport, and the chuck on my Cincinatti lathe. I made it by inserting the handle, which is a piece of 1/2" iron pipe, into one of the 2-1/2lb. ingots as I mold them. If I remember, C-H Dies, or one of the custom mold makers, makes a mold to cast lead hammer heads, but they weren't cheap. I also use a lead bar 1"dia. x 6" long, to remove the sideplates from revolvers by tapping the frame, an old gunsmith's trick.
Morgan

[Texasflyboy]

There should be two lead hammer moulds in circulation on the sign up list. The one I donated makes about a 1lb head, which is max for mould work in my opinion.

But, part of the reason I donated the lead hammer mould is because after using one for about a week, I quickly went back to a rosewood mallet that I had been using for over 10 years. The wood mallet is more efficient at absorbing shock over repeated hits vs. a solid lead head. A lead hammer just never felt right in my hand vs. the Rosewood Mallet. I get my mallets from True Value Hardware stores, it's the wood mallet they carry.

Rawhide mallets work just as well. But I am too old and slow to catch cows for the required materials these days....:roll:

Tom in Texas

[exblaster]

Lead hammer , used the cardboard roll from toilet paper an old stripped screw driver and make you're hammer.
Exblaster

[armoredman]

I may look for a rawhide hammer soon, like that idea.

[klw]

H&G had the mould and handles for this decades ago but they didn't sell them for long. They found that the handles had to be fitted to the moulds. To labor intensive. Still I have one of their moulds and maybe eight handles, two for each type of alloy. Haven't used anything else in maybe 15 years. Love them.

[ANeat]

Here is one of the lead hammer molds that is going around. The thing about using it to cut the sprue is you really just drop it. Doesnt take much of a swing:mrgreen:

Rawhide hammers are very nice also.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/aneat/Image031.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/aneat/Image032.jpg

[Ohio Rusty]

I just use a cut off from a sledge handle I broke many years ago. any wooden stick round or oval will work to pop open the sprue plate.
Ohio Rusty

[686]

that is what i have been using for years also, a shedge hammer handle. found new ones at home depot for 8-9$ makes 2 good ones. i just gor a h&g mold from blisti-cast and there booklet talks of using a 1 lb lead hammer to cut the spur. i have not desided whether or not to get one yet. i see midway sells the 1 lb. mold. thanks

[Texasflyboy]

Just wanted to show off my cool photo from the casting session with the small hammer mould that has been donated to the site.

The handles are either 5/8" rebar or 1/2 x ~12"~ bolts.

http://hgmould.gunloads.com/a/hammers.jpg

[686]

texasflyboy do you use a lead hammer in casting to open the spru cutter? is it a 1 or 2 lb hammer? thanks

[jar-wv]

I don't use a lead hammer to open the sprue cutter, just use and old hammer handle piece I have laying around. However I do use a lead hammer daily at the machine shop where I work. Excellant for "fine tuning" on finished surfaces. I'm on my last one now though and going to have to come up with a way to make a new one.

jar

[Texasflyboy]

I'm on my last one now though and going to have to come up with a way to make a new one.

Well, if you have access to a machine shop, just grab some empty 6oz Tomato Paste cans and wash them clean. Dry well and fill with hot lead. When cool, peel off the can with tin snips. Bore a hole in the center and there you go...lead hammer head.

That's how I used to do it before I discovered hammer moulds....

[cuzinbruce]

The simplest thing I have found is a mechanics hammer with the yellow plastic faces. I found a Proto one at the flea market for $1 or 2 and have been using that for the last two years. Absolutely no damage to the molds, quick, cheap and efficient. I'm sure pounding on hot molds isn't good for the plastic faces but if it ever wears out, I'll find another one or replace the plastic faces.

[pjh421]

I heard if you get convicted of mould abuse you can't purchase firearms, be around them or make ammunition anymore. But seriously folks...if you time it right (and wear a leather glove on your non-casting hand) you don't need to beat your sprue plate. Just push it over with your thumb while supporting the other side of the mould with your first two fingers when your sprue goes from shiney to frosty. If you do it too soon you'll tear chunks out of the bases of your castings. If you wait too long you have to set a push charge in order to cut the sprue. Using your thumb is pretty much effortless and real easy on the mould. With a little practice you could probably up your casting rate.

Paul

Edit: Don't forget to treat the top of the mould and the bottom of the sprue plate with Bullshop's plate lube. You won't regret it.

[HTRN]

Cook hammer molds - $49 (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=547181&t=11082005)-57 (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=547181&t=11082005)

Cook Hammer price list (http://www.cookhammer.com/110106.txt).

HTRN

[Bad Water Bill]

Just sent the 1# mould off to the next person last week. Using 1/2"x12" hex head bolts wrap 10 turns of electricians FRICTION tape where the bolt exits the mould. This will keep the lead from leaking out of the mould. If you are as slow as I am casting these hammers by the time you have cast 4 or 5 the handles will be cool enough to remove the tape and re use the tape over 2 or 3 times. When waiting for the hammers to cool down cut 5" lengths of 1/2" garden hose for the handles. P. S. A $5.00 donation for web site maintenance will always be accepted by our host. Thanks again to the Texas Flyboy for his generation. BWB

[TAWILDCATT]

go to any hardwear store and get the plastic faced hammer.I use one and have had it for 20 yrs.they also sell replacement heads.:coffee: :Fire: [smilie=1:

[Adam10mm]

Jesus, guys. I just use a rubber mallet I got from a garage sale for a nickel.