CAST BRASS MACHINIST HAMMERS - PART 3 THE FINISHING

In this video I take the rough cast brass machinist hammer heads and process them on the lathe to give accurate finishes on the working surfaces. I also add some pizzazz to the finish by picking out the monograms with powder coat. The last stage was to fit the hammer handles. Enjoy!

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

“After all, it’s a bloody hammer”! Thank you for showing how to fit a shaft to a hammer head. A lifelong mystery solved. Your fettling resulted in beautiful hammers. 👏👏👌👍😀t

[@olfoundryman8418]

Mark, My hammer arrived today - it is beautiful - definitely a jewel and I will treat it as such, many thanks. The whole exercise looks to have been a very good learning experience - patience, practice, and perseverance most necessary attributes in the life long quest for making the next casting better than the last. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. Well done … Martin

[@Preso58]

Thanks Martin. Don't look too closely at my metallurgy. Hold it at arms length and squint and it'll look fine. As it happens, I used mine yesterday and it felt kind of wrong to be belting it against some hardened steel. Regards, Mark

[@bobvines00]

Mark, Chris is in your neck of the woods, isn't he? Maybe he's in New Zealand, i.e., "next door"? This has been a _very_ interesting series. Can you do a "lessons learned" video one of these days, especially on the gating(?) issues that caused you this grief? (Including lessons learned from other other videos too!) I never would have imagined/known that a sharp corner/edge in the gate(?) would have been responsible for those voids in the hammer faces. My PDP-8-(computer)-family CFD gate flow models wouldn't have been "quite" detailed enough to show the gate defect in order to catch that problem before failing over & over until the hammer head permanently ended up in the pond. I suspect that even if I had a full 32K of core, I still wouldn't have been able to properly model this project! ;)

[@Preso58]

AFAIK, Chris is an Aussie. Western Australia I think? I played around a bit with CFD when I was teaching. We were using it to verify model F1 cars for a competition called F1 in Schools. Students had to design and test these little cars that covered 20 metres in less than a second. Aerodynamic design was not well understood and even the judges didn't really get it. I was just starting to get a handle on it when I retired. Back in the early 2000's we were running CFD software on very underspec computers with limited processing power and the results took hours just to get a single static pressure map. I would like to go back and redesign the gate but I am a bit over melting brass. It takes three times longer than aluminium and the fumes stink. Regards, Mark

[@ScottHiland]

Lovely work as always. I really appreciate your polymath skill set , your attention to detail, and your pragmatism. One day I hope to be half as skilled in the home shop.

[@richardbradley961]

NICE JOB WELL DONE. AND A GOOD FIX ON THE CRACK......

[@Frogmobile52]

Magnificent work and also very well made video! At long last (so many clumsy and painful videos on Utub even when the subject is good) Thank for gracefully sharing your knowledge. I am doing foundry myself and learning.

[@Preso58]

As it turns out I use that little hammer a lot. It has just the right amount of weight and it won't damage steel parts. Regards, Mark

[@JourneymanRandy]

Nice looking hammers

[@roylucas1027]

Great video. Thank you.

[@scotthaddad563]

“The Finishing?” I would think that ,”The Shining” would be more appropriate. Hahahahaha!

[@sandrammer]

The hammers look great but I have to disagree with guy that told you that the defect in your one hammer was caused by a cold shut. The metal didn't have to flow far, the metal was plenty hot and the surface on the inside of the crack was jagged not smooth like a cold shut normally is. What caused the defect, in my opinion, was the hardness of the core. All cores have to be able to collapse when the metal solidifies around it so the metal doesn't form a crack during the most delicate phase of the solidification process when you have solid metal (where the metal solidified against the skin of the mold cavity and the surface of the core), liquid metal and slushy material where the metal is just starting to cool and solidify. If you could have a NDT (non destructive testing) lab check the hammers for cracks I'd bet that each hammer would have hidden cracks. But, as you said, they're just hammers and aren't likely to have enough force applied to them to have the cracks appear during normal usage. The cracks are the bad news. The good news is I have a solution for your collapsibility problem when it comes to cores. I produced a video on cores and everything you need to know about cores, including the formula of a basic core material is included in the video. The name of the videos on my youtube channel is...Cores and the recipes, Part one and Cores, part two, making the core. If you have any questions after you watch the videos feel free to ask! Good luck!

[@Preso58]

Thanks for the info. I was surprised that the cores were actually burnt in half when I took the castings out of the mould. The centre part which was against the hot metal was charred and the parts in the core print were pristine and white. I also had only the one casting that had the strange flow line in it and that is why I thought it was a cold shut. The flow line was sort of rounded on the edge but the crack that formed after I put the handle wedge in was jagged and fractured. I understand what you are getting at though. I hadn't considered the shrinkage against the core. I sort of thought that it would shrink away from the core but the whole process is very dynamic and of course you cannot see inside the mould as everything is happening. I do appreciate the analysis of experienced foundrymen. There is so much to learn! I will check out the videos as you suggested. Regards, Preso

[@sandrammer]

@@Preso58 , I think you'll find that the core made with sand and molasses ( a recipe several hundred years old) will work just fine and will be considerably less expensive than using exotic mixtures like co2 (sodium silicate) sand. Best of luck!

[@brianmoore1164]

I just spent two days making a magnet on a stick for determining if steel has reached its critical temperature. Mounted on an aluminum rod with an ebony handle. Then the handle got 4 coats of hand rubbed lacquer. There is absolutely nothing wron with going over the top your tools. ;)

[@Preso58]

Yes, if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. Or, If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet! The first time I saw that magnet and hot steel thing I thought it was some sort of magic. We did a whole unit on metallurgy at college and I still recall the term for the critical temperature ... "the point of recalescence" Regards, Mark

[@brianmoore1164]

@@Preso58 I am a little jealous. I wish I could go back and take a 101 level metallurgy course. I have a lot of fun reading about it now.

[@andrew5792]

Mark, looks good. Just out of interest did you factor in a % oversize when you printed the master to allow for loss of material when finishing?

[@Preso58]

Andrew, no I didn't. If I have to cast a part to fit another assembly I increase the 3D printed pattern size by 1% for shrinkage of the print filament and then usually another 2 to 3% for shrinkage of the molten metal. Then, as you say, you need to factor in a machining allowance. This can be up to another 5% but only on the areas that need to be machined. It's all a bit of a judgement call. It's easy to make the thing massively oversize but then you are just wasting stock and it takes longer to melt the metal. It's all fun and games though. Regards, Mark

[@tylerkrug7719]

Do you have print file for the hammer head that you are making now? And possibly the inserts with letters too? I'm new to 3d printing. Thanks in advance

[@Preso58]

Tyler, here is a link to my Dropbox account with the STL files you are looking for. www.dropbox.com/home/Public/Cast%20Brass%20Hammer Hope they are useful. Regards, Mark

[@tylerkrug7719]

@@Preso58 excellent! Thank you very much

[@tylerkrug7719]

@@Preso58 drop box says that file doesn't exist? Am I doing something wrong?

[@rosscairns6733]

80% is still a Distinction. I'd be over the moon with that result

[@russterman1]

Excellent stuff Mark. Love your attitude when things go wrong, frustrated yes, beaten?, no chance. Keep it up mate. Best thing on you tube.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

💯

[@markfryer9880]

Good job Mark. Martin, Oldfoundryman will absolutely love his hammer. Glad he has been able to help you out with some of the casting issues that you have encountered along the way. Mark.

[@olfoundryman8418]

Yes, he does.😊... Martin

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Excellent work! If Clickspring made one you wouldn't dare use it! It would be a piece of jewelry.

[@Preso58]

I fully concur. I watched his last build on the card press and was so much in awe that I showed my wife. Even she was impressed. Regards, Preso

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

@@Preso58 Indeed! That card press made me question if he is but a mere mortal!

[@infoanorexic]

As you may know, Tom Lipton (oxtoolco) is a hammer junkie and a master of the file & fiddly-fit. Make him a hammer head and handle, and send them to him to finish out. No doubt that Tom would be happy to have another hammer for the collection, and you might be able to get some ideas to make the finish work easier. I'd suggest aluminum-bronze for that project, but by what I've seen, that alloy seems to have it's own set of challenges for casting.

[@Preso58]

I would be embarrassed to send Tom a hammer. It would need to be Berkeley Lab certified, triple redundant and carry a triple A inspection certificate. Just after I embarked on this project, Tom put up a video showing how to make a machinist hammer from copper. (You probably watched it too) He stated that brass makes a "shitty" hammer. Sigh! 😥 Regards, Preso

[@BravoCharleses]

@@Preso58 Ha!, what a great comment. You're the best. Cheers from America.

[@unclebobsbees4899]

Nice work Mark, warts and all. Love your explanations of why or how 'stuff' happens. 👏 We would prefer not to learn from mistakes but as long as we are learning. 😉

[@dvdspndl]

Love your videos Mark, always pleasure to watch and learn. Thank you!

[@colincreedtattoomachines]

Mark, nice job on the hammers & three videos, Well done!! Always interesting to see how others tackle their projects & problems. From my own perspective as an old Jeweller, I'd have just oxidised the brass to get the black infilled letters. And agree that silver soldering was the best solution for salvaging the reject, given its intended use. regards Colin

[@Preso58]

Colin. I saw Tom Utley do some oxidised machine tags on Instagram. He used heat and a surface treatment that he didn't specify but the effect was the same as what you are describing. It looked like aged leather. We used to use "liver of sulphur" to oxidise copper and brass but I don't have access to that any more. I have seen it on Ebay though. Thanks for watching.

[@colincreedtattoomachines]

@@Preso58, yes the "liver of sulphur" is a jewellery standard & can be both hard to get & expensive. A much cheaper & readily available option is Yates "lime sulphur" liquid concentrate sold at Bunnings in their gardening section. www.bunnings.com.au/yates-500ml-lime-sulphur-concentrate_p2962741 Place your items into a pyrex bowl (with lid), pour boiling water over them & allow items to get warmed by water then add the concentrate until color is same as black tea/coffee, let stand for a few minutes then remove items & rinse, if needed items can be returned to bowl for another few minutes to build up oxide layer. The now mixed oxidising solution can be stored for a week or so & reused by rewarming & boosted by adding a bit more concentrate. HTH, colin

[@EmmaRitson]

thats been quite a project!

[@tylerkrug7719]

I will be making one myself soon! Thanks for the print file!

[@chrisleech1565]

Thing of beauty Mark

[@greglaroche1753]

Nice job. I wish I had a friend who would make one for me.

[@SharkyMoto]

the word "imperfection" simply does not exist in chris clicksprings vocabulary. i dont know how you can make things THAT flawless, but sure he can. awesome hammers btw, i really enjoyed the series!

[@Preso58]

Clickspring has a way of making me feel totally inadequate! I believe he is part alien.

[@brucewilliams6292]

Well done Presso. Hope to see more in the new year.

[@ramiroalonso3152]

So, you didn´t turn the "R" into an "M"...

[@tylerkrug7719]

Sweet hammer!

[@kenharper5755]

Hey Mark… Clickspring mentioned you in his recent electroplating video. That’s how I found you! love your channel!

[@Preso58]

I didn't realise that. I watch all his videos. We had exchanged a few comments though. Regards, Mark

[@ramiroalonso3152]

yo

[@garyskowbo3564]

Hey there Mark, not to be a spoil sport but as I was watching the progression I was concerned about the amount of material (or lack of )at the point where that one ended up breaking. Good save though. Looks like a ball turning attachment might be a good thing to make? Especially if you make more brass hammers. Lol well thanks for sharing another great video, always enjoy your videos.

[@Preso58]

Gary, I basically copied a small steel ball pein hammer that I already had and it would be forged so it would never split like the brass did. When I gave the repaired hammer to my mate he put it on a shelf in his house and said it was going to be an ornament. He is a boilermaker by trade and his idea of a hammer is something you could flog 1" plate with anyway. I have actually got a ball turning attachment but thought it might be overkill?

[@sparkiekosten5902]

A fellow diamond tool user! It is all I use on my lathe for facing and turning! Leaves a good finish and so easy to sharpen! You mentioned Clickspring and in a previous video you mentioned Abom! Looks like we travel in similar circles.

[@Preso58]

I love those diamond tool holders. I now have three and the inverted parting tool as well. I am in total awe of Clickspring. It's a pity he has sort of disappeared of late. Can't wait for another upload. Regards, Mark

[@slypig24]

Any thoughts about casting & machining any of a larger size. As size is everything...

[@Preso58]

To be brutally honest, I am sort of over casting brass. It takes forever, the fumes stink and it uses a ton of gas. Agreed though, bigger is better in every respect. Regards, Preso

[@pgs8597]

G’day Mark, shame about the crack, you’ll have to reduce the SWL (sage wacking limit) on that hammer. Cheers Peter

[@wyohman00]

Outsource your final filing to Clickspring!

[@Preso58]

William, he is the master but I am hoping he puts out some more content soon! Regards, Mark

[@crashhanna]

I am sorry, I probably missed this in an earlier video, but why would you want a brass ball pein face?

[@Preso58]

Good question. In hindsight it seems a bit redundant to have a ball end but I had a look for a "proper" machinist hammer on Google and came up a bit short of ideas, especially in the small size I wanted. At the end of the day the design ended up being a replica of a small ball pein hammer I already had. Two flat striking faces would be way more practical but it didn't look quite as sexy. Sad but true! Regards, Mark Presling

[@Kevin-gx8lc]

Hi Mark... another great instructional video... youre an ACE teacher! Love those hammers! Greetings from Southport UK.

[@yeagerxp]

Excellent work👍👍👍. Thanks for sharing. Just in time for Christmas. Now you five blokes can get together for the Machinist Hammer band 🤣🤣

[@blfstk1]

Good Show Mate. I didn't know that powder coat used static electricity to attract the powder. If I'm not careful I learn something everyday. Suggestion: Before you hammer in the steel wedges, put the hammer head, with handle inserted, into a bucket of water, head down. Let it soak for a day. It swells the fibers of the wood and softens them so that the steel wedge goes in much easier. Makes the whole thing tight as Dick's hatband. I have no idea who Dick was.

[@Preso58]

Thanks for the tip. Regards, Preso

[@blfstk1]

@@Preso58 My pleasure. I've learned so much from you, I was glad I could give back. Be well. It costs no more. Silver soldering the head was a master stroke. It is a very strong joint.

[@yvesdesrosiers2396]

Thanks for sharing. Know the feeling. Finishing my 55 ton press build the table and I can't get it on. It worldwide to fit. Had to redo. I might post a picture on Instagram. Nice job. Can not wait for the next one. Cheers.

[@Steve_Just_Steve]

You could fill the void with silver solder if you wanted to Preso. Thx! Edit: LOL looks like you got it handled. Pun intended.

[@tylerkrug7719]

What do you use for pins,or dowels,for the hammer prints? Thanks

[@Preso58]

I think I used some 3.2mm brass pins. They were slightly tapered on the protruding ends so they released easily when you need to remove the pattern from the mould. Regards, Mark

[@tylerkrug7719]

@@Preso58 excellent, thank you very much!

[@TheDeerInn]

Don't you have a friend that does tig welding? All in all, they still turned out great!

[@Preso58]

Craig, my friend who does the TIG welding was the friend I was making the hammer for! Regards, Preso

[@TheDeerInn]

@@Preso58 Well that wouldn't work then.

[@robertburns2415]

Simply beautiful man nice job.

[@ramiroalonso3152]

Couldn´t you have filled the pore with silver solder as well?

[@Preso58]

Ramiro, I could have but the face of the hammer gets pretty beaten up as soon as you start to use it. It will probably burr over in time anyway. I use my own hammer more than I realised I would. It's a nice weight and just the right size for smaller work. regards, Mark

[@ramiroalonso3152]

Thank you Mark for the reply. Kind regards from Argentina.

[@ruperthartop7202]

Great series. Thanks for sharing

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

I got a big surprise when you said my name! Haha. They came out beautiful!

[@Preso58]

Well, you gave me permission to go ahead and use the silver solder! Regards, Preso