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Re-handling the Joiner's Hammer

What is a Joiner? What is a Carpenter then? I don't know the difference. Never got around to find out.
(On the other hand, a cabinetmaker is quite straight forward.)
 Now that my workbench is completed, I need to do something in-between projects. Something light to take my mind off the heavy lifting.

If you Google "carpenter vs joiner" the general consensus is this:

A Joiner joins wood without the help of nails(suggesting joinery), while a carpenter makes stuff out of wood, often with nails. Another diff: A joiner works from his workshop, making windows, sashes, stairs, doors, etc., while a carpenter always works on site: at your house.

So a Joiner's hammer will not have claws. It does have a cross pein (pane) for starting brads on mouldings.


But I digress. The joiner's hammer I found on ebay UK for about $10. Without handle. Wm Marples & Sons.

Solid Cast Steel. What's the "4" for? It's definitely not 4-ounces.

More exactly, it's an Exeter pattern joiner's hammer. The book ( R.A. Salaman's Dictionary of woodworking tools) then went further to clarify that it's actually a London pattern, since the similar Exeter has chamfers on the panes.

I believe on the Brit's side of the pond, Hickory is not commonly used for handles; Beech or more commonly, Ash is used. Here in the Far east, you can buy white oak or imported Hickory replacement handles. Ash? no luck.

I really wanted to be historically correct. Out of sheer luck, I spotted a thick, China-made carpenter's claw hammer, sporting Ash (or what appears to be Ash) handle. $3. Cheaper than a replacement Hickory. So...

I forgot to take pictures of Louis XVI while the charges were read out to the offender. I will of course re-handle the poor guy with a hickory replacement. After all, the design is a David Maydole Adze eye, is it not? I'll give it to my father, a compulsive tinkerer, who uses a screwdriver as a hammer sometimes. By the way, Jeff Burks had an excellent article posted on Lost Art Press. It's an account by James Parton, dated 1879.

Shown above: the American Hickory handle that I've left out in the open to season. Not married to the hammer head eventually due to a third party of English origins.

 It's more or less freehand shaving here. The handle takes shape. Reminds me of Dixie, my pet goldfish who died 29 years ago.
 
 Next: Fitting the head.

A trick I've learnt from fitting Japanese plane iron to their beds.


You take off the black high spots after trial fitting. Note that I marked the Hibernia on the Ash handle, so I always trial fit on the same side.

 For the wedge, I used a piece of red oak offcut, so the contrast will show. In the process, I realized that I'm a vain pot.

The other wedge that will pierce the wooden wedge cross-wise. This store bought wedge is too big. I'll cut it down to width and file a few teeth (like a unset rip saw-tooth on both sides) for grip.
The top part of the eye opening is very much larger than the eye in the centre. I had failed to compensate for this by using a slow tapering wedge. Gaps ensue, as a result.
 "failbutlivewithit"
 I will not apply finish the hammer until I had mucked it up with my greasy hands. That way, the handle will not look glaringly new, but commensurate with its age.

What do I think of the handle shape? How does it feel in terms of balance? The swell forces one to hold the hammer near the tail, which makes it top heavy and less sensitive. Well, any hammer 13oz and above will feel top heavy, regardless of handle shape. If I'm adjusting the plane iron on a plane, I'll simply hold it near the head, perhaps with my pinkie lifted. Let's have some tea, shall we?

Regards from the Earl's humble wood butcher.

 


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