Plane hammers

[Frank Drew]

There are small Japanese steel hammers intended for use with their wood-bodied planes.

I've got a Spiers infill plane that needs hammer adjustment but I prefer something softer than steel for striking the plane body itself.

[steven c newman]

found a photo of Mine.IMAG0042.jpgMight need it in a few days, though, right now I'm stocking up on a few "parts"IMAG0041.jpg Big block is some very old, well seasoned Oak. Slat is more of the same. Stay tuned..

[Winton Applegate]

The Japanese dudes just go at it with a steel plane adjusting hammer. I hesitate to ding up my wood planes.
I have always coveted this hammer but put it off until it doubled in price. Stupid me, I thought fifty dollars was a little steep to pay.

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/produ...ng-Hammer.aspx

I would think that a wooden face would cause fewer problem

You’d think wouldn’t you ? I did. I was wrong.

I made this nice plane adjusting hammer for my wooden planes with a lignum vitae head and hickory handle. It was pretty happy with my rock maple plane that I made and the Japanese oak planes but
when it came time to use it on my super nice Old Street Tools coffin smoother.
Nope !

One or two taps told me it was time to come up with another plane adjusting hammer (mallet ?, hammer ? mallet ?)




Don’t worry Larry and Don, I stopped before any real blemish was evident.

soooo

Plastics, young man, get into plastics, it's the future. Remember that scene from The Graduate ?

Here is my latest.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use the copper tip and the red plastic tip.

I see David W. has one. It may be a bit light. I was interested in his thoughts but have not ran across his response here.

PS: I keep one of these with pristine faces for when I need to get Western with a stuck blade etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-9-38...ble+tip+mallet

[Derrell W Sloan]

I've been using this cheap little mallet from HF and so far have been very happy with it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/double-...dle-98285.html

[Tom M King]

I know it's beneath most to use such a cheap hammer, and especially with plastic parts, but I keep one of these in each my moulding plane toolboxes, and it works just fine the majority of the time, and never damages anything. Only a rare once in a while will I need to find the little brass hammer to adjust the iron. All my molding planes are old ones.

I actually like buying old planes that the wedge and iron are jambed together tight enough that "you can't get them apart". I have always been able to get one right apart with this hammer with not a mark left on the plane, and the wedge always ends up fitting perfectly with no extra fiddling.

http://www.estwing.com/sf_red_yellow_mallet_hammers.php

15 bucks in Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Estwing-1...FH12/202183882

[Joe A Faulkner]

You could build your own. Rob Rozaieski (Logan's Cabinet Shoppe) has a uTube on Adjusting a Wooden Plane where he shows a couple of mallets that he made for wooden planes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grs-U_7PoII

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Somehow I ended up with one of these

Which is what I've been using mostly as of late. Works well.

I also have one of these, (although not from Stew Mac, I don't think) kicking around which I liked until the head started to get loose.

[Tony Wilkins]

Found out about these hammers from an auto mechanic site as recommended for BFH duty. http://www.hammersource.com/Thor/ Might cause too much thunder though.

[Jim Koepke]

I know it's beneath most to use such a cheap hammer...

Can't get much cheaper than making it out of a broken chisel handle and a piece of scrap or even fire wood.

jtk

[Juan Hovey]

George - Wow. Juan Hovey