The New Lead Hammer Mold

[HotGuns]

I've been reading the various threads about the lead hammer mold and figured out that if I ever signed up to use it, it'd take me several years to actually get it. If I ever did get it, I would have to eventually send it to someone else. So,thinking that a lead hammer might actually be of use, I figured the quickest way to get one would be to make a mold.

Since I'm not much of a mold maker, I figured I'd fly by the seat of my pants here and basically use a bullet mold for a rough guide of how to make it. Anyhow, I think it turned out OK.

Here is what it looks like:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/HammerMold001.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/HammerMold003.jpg

Here it is with the handle stuck in it. I thought that I may get some leakage around the handle but as it turns out there was none.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/HammerMold004.jpg

Here is a picture of the hammer with the first pour. The mold wasnt sufficiently preheated, as can be seen with the cold pour. It filled out well, and serves its intended purpose. If the mold had been preheated, I think the wrinkles would have been eliminated, but since its just a hammer and I will beat it to death, I decided to use it as it is. Next time around I'll preheat and try to make it look prettier.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/HammerMold007.jpg

Its just the right size. You'll notice in the first two pictures that I put a pin in the handle to keep the head from rotating. It may not have needed it, but its easy enough to do that I figured better safe than sorry.

[No_1]

All I can say is SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

[Four Fingers of Death]

Well pickle me grandmother! I finally found out what a hammer mould was, it was just to obvious for a simple old aussie.

[Murphy]

Never thought I had a need for one, but THAT makes me WANT one.

NICE!

Murphy

[Four Fingers of Death]

I should have mentioned it Hotguns, you are a class act, that is one professional looking mould, well done. I might forward this on to my brother it would be a good exercise for his machine shop class and I might end up with a hammer out of it.

[timkelley]

Murphy+1:-D

[Ghugly]

I see a problem. It's too damned pretty. I don't think I could get myself to wack something with it.:mrgreen:

[wheelgunner]

Now THAT is impressive!! Gourgeous machine work. What holds the mold together during casting? Friction? or did you use a clamp? I would imagine you spent so much time making the mold that it would be cost prohibitive to make them for sale?

[Red River Rick]

Very nice workmanship. You may just as well start cranking some of those moulds out, there's enough members out there that would love to have one of those. Excellent job.

RRR

[HotGuns]

Thanks all for the comments. I thought about putting handles on it, but since its something that wont get used a whole lot I just made a quick clamp for it out of a couple of peices of keystock. I've probably got about 10 hours in it. The sprue cutter and the base plate are surface ground, the rest is just fly cut.

Pictures of the clamp to keep it together. Not just real pretty, but it works.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/HotGuns/Clamp.jpg

Too much time to make for sale. Someone with a CNC could blow them out pretty quicky though.

[Red River Rick]

I've probably got about 10 hours in it. Too much time to make for sale. Someone with a CNC could blow them out pretty quicky though.

HotGuns:

That time factor sure puts a reality check on whats all involved with making such a "Simple Mould". It's amazing how many people do not realize how much time can be burned up making something which seems so simple.

I did some drawings and simulations on my CAD system for a double cavity "Hammer Mould" with the intent of machining it on my CNC mill. Even on my CNC, total machining time is approximately 4 - 5 hours for both halves. So, with that info and without material costs, machining time would cost somewhere around $200 - $250 for each complete mould. Material costs have not been added because the material I have on hand was left over from a previous job (free).

I've added a couple of screen capture images of the proposed design, the larger cavity drops a 2 lb. hammer and the smaller one weighs in at around 1 1/8 lbs.

I have enough material on hand to machine 5 complete moulds. I'm just waiting and debating weather or not this is a viable project.


RRR

[HotGuns]

That looks good. The advantage of CNC is that you can make the hammer heads more of a hammer head style with the radius from the center to the end. Thats hard to do with a lathe. I made my blocks first, chucked em up in a 4 jaw and then bored them out to insure that it was concentric and a true radius...much like a bullet mold is made.

With the CNC you can make each half separately and you have a lot more leeway for design.

Most of the time with the CNC is the design and figureing it out. Once you made the first one, the rest would be minor, and of course the more you made, the more economical it woudl be.

I made mine from steel, but I see no reason why you could'nt use aluminum. I would make the sprue cutter from steel though, just for wearability.

I think you ought to do it. Lead hammers are consumable anyway, once you've got the mold, you have an endless supply of hammers. I've used mine to settle stuff in my mill vise on parrellels, it works great for that too.

[DeanoBeanCounter]

Just kind of thinking about it. Would there be some benefit to making steps at the diameter go bigger? It just seems like that as the hammer started to mushroom that a step would slow down the process and make the hammer last longer.
Dean

[Red River Rick]

Dean:

Your idea has been noted and I made a few changes to the hammer design. It's a lot easier to make any changes now, once the cavities are machined, I can't put the chips back.

Some engraving would be in order as well, the "Cast Boolit" logo would look nice cast into each hammer. I'll need a few days and then I'll post another pic with the proposed engraving.

RRR

[DeanoBeanCounter]

I just picked myself up off the floor after a 10 minute faint. WOW! I helped? I was actually thinking of more than one step but I'm no expert in tooling. It just seemed like it would have been a good idea. That looks fantastic! Do I get a two cent discount if I order a mold? I like the idea of a logo. Glad I could help.
Dean

[mold maker]

There are those of us who would be willing to just buy the hammer from you. Got any idea what price range you could recoup your time and materials at, with a built in profit?????

[theperfessor]

Hotguns -

What a nice job you did! A first rate job of machining if ever there was one. Keep up good work.

Isn't it amazing how much time can be spent on doing something like this?

Makes you appreciate the price of Lee products, for all their minor flaws.

[mordantly]

looks good. i have been kicking arround the idea myself... here is what im working on. this is the bottom. with 6x 1/4-20 tapped holes, 4x .250 alignment pins, 2x 1/4-20 clearance holes to affix to handle with rubber arround bolts (to aid in strength and removal and remelting). the handle and mold will be 6061-t651. mass of 1.75x4" lead is ~3 lbs.

[jnovotny]

+1 on buying an already made hammer, you my be able to sideline a little rathole money.

[45&30-30]

Very nice work HotGuns, great ideas all.

[gnoahhh]

McMaster-Carr will sell you one for around $70. Cast iron, works well. been using one for about 25 years now. Sell a few for $10-12 bucks and you got it amortized.

[mroliver77]

My machinist pal made a couple for his shop. He put copper rings around the "step" to control mushrooming. It works well and the lead flows over the copper rings some so the copper will not mar anything. I can envision a fairly small lead hammer being very usefull around the bench also.
Jay

[mikenbarb]

I gotta get me one of those programs. I just want to see one of them a finished product and how it comes out. The step idea is perfect and should work great because I have a couple big old brass hammers that have stepped heads and it definatly makes the head last longer.
+1 for HotGuns. Nice looking mold.