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What weight ball peen hammer is best for getting rid of "rattly" noises on the street? 
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OT Ball Peen hammers...
- Thread starter BruiseLeee
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- Feb 12, 2001
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I imagine Nasty will have some excellent advice.
Nasty
Chief Cook & Bottle Wash
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It's about time that someone came up with a worthwhile thread on this subject...thanks Bruise!
The good news is that ball peen hammers come in a wide range of weights and lengths, so it is easy for any individual to find the perfect hammer for their use.
From the deminutive 2 oz "S702" to the massive "M48SG" weighing in at a whopping 48 ounces, there is a weight that will maximize your chances of success in some configuration.
As for handles, they come in "wood" for the bargain brands to fiberglass, to prime select Hickory.
Grips are as versatile. Traditional enthusiasts will of course eschew any separate grip, preferring to feel the stout wood directly in their grip. Others of more delicate sensibility might choose from smooth rubber to scalloped, to sculpted or even opt for the newest in shock-resistant ringed (for your pleasure) grips.
Please note, however, that the "cross-pein" heads are *not* what most readers of this post will be looking for...it is the convential ball head that will prove most satifactory for our use.
I myself happen to favor a 40 year old (select estate) hickory handled, non-gripped 16 ounce beauty that has stood the test of time over three generations.
For you Bruise, as an initiate, I would select (without getting into the whole tedious debate of weight [mass] versus velocity and the advantages of handle length) a slightly lighter model, perhaps a 12 ounce as a starter. I would further suggest that you go with a fiberglass handle for your first procurement as the glass handle, while giving up *some* sensitivity and control, will allow you to maximize velocity in your first attempts and also allow for the occasional errant swings novices are prone to. You might ask around to see if you can try out some belonging to friends first to see if the standard size grip is comfortable first and then make an informed decision as to this matter. One should always ensure comfort, as you don't want to be without your ball-peen hammer due to calluses or hangnails.
In all...get whichever seems to suit you...I promise it won't be your last!
ps: You might try checking the forums for blems...there are sometimes real blow-out deals available!
.
The good news is that ball peen hammers come in a wide range of weights and lengths, so it is easy for any individual to find the perfect hammer for their use.
From the deminutive 2 oz "S702" to the massive "M48SG" weighing in at a whopping 48 ounces, there is a weight that will maximize your chances of success in some configuration.
As for handles, they come in "wood" for the bargain brands to fiberglass, to prime select Hickory.
Grips are as versatile. Traditional enthusiasts will of course eschew any separate grip, preferring to feel the stout wood directly in their grip. Others of more delicate sensibility might choose from smooth rubber to scalloped, to sculpted or even opt for the newest in shock-resistant ringed (for your pleasure) grips.
Please note, however, that the "cross-pein" heads are *not* what most readers of this post will be looking for...it is the convential ball head that will prove most satifactory for our use.
I myself happen to favor a 40 year old (select estate) hickory handled, non-gripped 16 ounce beauty that has stood the test of time over three generations.
For you Bruise, as an initiate, I would select (without getting into the whole tedious debate of weight [mass] versus velocity and the advantages of handle length) a slightly lighter model, perhaps a 12 ounce as a starter. I would further suggest that you go with a fiberglass handle for your first procurement as the glass handle, while giving up *some* sensitivity and control, will allow you to maximize velocity in your first attempts and also allow for the occasional errant swings novices are prone to. You might ask around to see if you can try out some belonging to friends first to see if the standard size grip is comfortable first and then make an informed decision as to this matter. One should always ensure comfort, as you don't want to be without your ball-peen hammer due to calluses or hangnails.
In all...get whichever seems to suit you...I promise it won't be your last!
ps: You might try checking the forums for blems...there are sometimes real blow-out deals available!
.
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2001
- Messages
- 4,238
For wood handle refinishing do a search on woodchuck. For fiberglass handle repair seach for bondo. For how to use your new hammer, search for Nasty. For rust prevention, search for rust. And be sure to read the safety sticky post at the top. 
I've got this special ball pein.......
Steve
I've got this special ball pein.......
Steve
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2003
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- 20,207
Ray, your replies are classic. Great stuff and thanks.
Nasty
Chief Cook & Bottle Wash
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- Nov 11, 2003
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I see that you have given this much careful thought and it shows that you are insightful and wise. Many noobs will simply go out and pay full price from what are sometimes questionable dealers, or get rooked into bidding wars only to end up with an inferior, overpriced hammer that may carry with it very high shipping charges.
Your careful method of research, asking questions and shopping wisely (to include taking advantage of the estate market..brilliant!) will serve as a model for others seeking the wisdom on the hammer!
I wish you well in your endeavor and ask that you post pictures of your collection as it grows!
.
Nasty
Chief Cook & Bottle Wash
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- 5,924
Ad Astra said:
Ah...Ad Astra! It's a beutiful concept but I am afraid that I have to tell you that this is *not* an original (highly sought after) Ball Peen WarHammer, but rather one produced in China on a head cast in Detroit. The unscrupulous dealers selling these know how to tell them apart, but often foist such wares on the newly initiated.
Points to watch for include:
1. The blade geometry...the lower edge is always sharpened fully in a true convex grind (these are often kept sharp on 50 years old emery pocket stones you'll recall) but the outer edge is almost always deformed in a piece of this period due to shall we say, use?
2. The handle is *obviously* a modern (c. 1980) repair. Only true ld growth will sustain the force developed by such a hammer in skilled hands.
3. The ball itself gives the most telling clue...under great PhotoShop magnification, the machine marks clearly prove that this was ground on a carborundum wheel at about 2400 r.p.m. while authentic original makers would never exceed 1850 r.p.m.
It a nice forgery, but a forgery nonetheless. Sorry AA...keep hitting the shows. You might also have luck in the local flea markets...widows (*usually not* the fault of the hammer) often sell off their old man's stuff at low prices as they don't realize what they have.
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Nasty
Chief Cook & Bottle Wash
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Bamboo said:Nasty, exactly what is it that you do?
And more importantly ....
Bruise, exactly what is it that you are planning on doing?
Time to sharpen knives and lock all the doors.
Actually...I don't really *do* anything...I just know stuff.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
.
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D'Oh!!!Nasty said:
I'm so mad I could just hit myself!
A forgery! But I bought it from a 400 year old Chinese man in Pensacola's Chinatown district... He swore his forebears used it to kill both Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan and also, interestingly, Marilyn Monroe. I always thought she overdosed, but hey. The guy was 400 years old. Surely he wouldn't lie.
Ad Astra
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- Jan 30, 2002
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The uninitiated ball-pein shopper should make sure that the vendor is willing to stand by his product, and to swear to it's provenance by the sacred and little-known "bruiseoath."
This said, there are some hand-made items found in small towns and hamlets which are perfectly serviceable, and made in a traditional manner by highly-skilled practicioners of forging.
(It should be noted that while the occasional practioner of ball-pein techniques complains about the efficacy of one or the other tool, virtually NO recipient has ever complained about the lack of quality of the tools used upon him.)
This said, there are some hand-made items found in small towns and hamlets which are perfectly serviceable, and made in a traditional manner by highly-skilled practicioners of forging.
(It should be noted that while the occasional practioner of ball-pein techniques complains about the efficacy of one or the other tool, virtually NO recipient has ever complained about the lack of quality of the tools used upon him.)
A ballpeen hammer - instead of having the normal claws for pulling nails on one end, it has a 1/2 a ball. This is used to peen (bend) over threads on a bolt to keep their nuts from coming off.
when using a hammer to violate a wind shield always be sure to exercize caution when using a ballpeen hammer as the ball end can become lodged in the windshield causing rather difficult removal and thereby shortning your getaway time
Don't carve your initials into the handle of your hammer
because:
Sheriff Wilson and his men, however, went back to the murder scene, fishing for some uncovered clues to the murder -- and wound up with a prize catch. A ballpeen hammer was found in a creek, less than 100 feet from where the body was found. It had traces of blood on the head and the initials "D.M." on the end of the handle.
http://gesswhoto.com/sheriff-sherman.html
:grumpy:
when using a hammer to violate a wind shield always be sure to exercize caution when using a ballpeen hammer as the ball end can become lodged in the windshield causing rather difficult removal and thereby shortning your getaway time
Don't carve your initials into the handle of your hammer
because:
Sheriff Wilson and his men, however, went back to the murder scene, fishing for some uncovered clues to the murder -- and wound up with a prize catch. A ballpeen hammer was found in a creek, less than 100 feet from where the body was found. It had traces of blood on the head and the initials "D.M." on the end of the handle.
http://gesswhoto.com/sheriff-sherman.html
:grumpy:
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Ad Astra said:D'Oh!!!
I'm so mad I could just hit myself!
A forgery! But I bought it from a 400 year old Chinese man in Pensacola's Chinatown district... He swore his forebears used it to kill both Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan and also, interestingly, Marilyn Monroe. I always thought she overdosed, but hey. The guy was 400 years old. Surely he wouldn't lie.
Ad Astra
Don't beat up on yourself, I would have bought that story too.
Now if he'd have said it was Hitler's personal Ball Peen WarHammer, I would have been highly skeptical without it having proper genuine wartime written provenance printed on paper with a "Hammermill Xerocopy" watermark (accept no substitutes). That, and the correct WaffenAmt eagle / number code on both the head and the handle of course. But as we all know, with the plethora of fake WaffenAmt stamps out there the presence of WaffenAmts alone are not enough to go on.
Noah
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- Jun 16, 2003
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Personally, I think the Strider hammers are overpriced with poor ergonomics, and Busse hammers are often not even available except at a premium on the secondary market. As for Cold Steel hammers, they're just knock-offs -- some even made of ( :barf: ) stainless steel.
(And they don't have proper chos.)
(And they don't have proper chos.)