Dead Blow Hammer

[Richard in Smithville]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I was reading this article and the author listed a supplier for the shot. It was so much for a bag at "x" number of pounds. The hammer that he made had used less than a pound. As a non hunter, and not knowing anyone who bothers to reload shells, I thought that there must be an alternative to buying 10 times what would be needed.

I'm not actually planning on building one at this time. It's one of those projects that I would like to try though. Right now it is an exercise in planning.

[LCHIEN]

BBs as sold for air guns and such are steel. Steel has a density of about 8 g/cc
other materials mentioned:
Tungsten 19.3 g/cc
Tungsten carbide 15.5 g/cc
Lead 11.3 g/cc
copper 9 g/cc
Aluminum 2.7 g/cc
sand 1.4 to 1.6 g/cc (dry, depends on grain size and moisture content, wet weighs up to 2 g/cc but won't work for the dead blow.)

the objective of a hammer is to get a moving mass in a small volume, sand would be out of the question. Steel shot I would think would be relatively cheap and still get a pretty good mass in a hammer sized head. I was surprised tunsten was so dense! Now that incandescants are being phased out you should be able to get it real cheep (smirk).

[shoottx]

One other opportunity for small amounts of steel, would be bulk ball bearings.

[LinuxRandal]

Harbor Freight has a whole range of dead blow hammers, the most expensive being $12.
I'm curious why you would bother to manufacture one. Is there something really special about the one you are making?
http://search.harborfreight.com/cpis...blow&Submit=Go

I believe it was a few years back, that one of the magazines shown a woodworkers one, that used a filler for dead blow style mallets. They don't leave the marks that black ones do, and they hold up better for our needs, then those cheap plastic ones.

[LCHIEN]

I'm very impressed with the density of tungsten. Here's a pound of powder for $14+ 8 shipping... not cheap but you want the most compact hammer of a given weight... this stuff is almost twice the desnity of lead.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tungsten-Metal-p...3A1%7C294%3A50

[shoottx]

Richard

It took me a little time to remember Lawry's in Canada. They are a large clay target manufacture and they represent several shotgun reloading component companies. They would be able to guide you to a dealer that has reloading components. http://www.lawryshootingsports.com/targetlines.php

If you find a local shotgun shooting complex I am sure someone would be willing to sell you or maybe give you a pound or two of shot.

As I said if you were closer it would be no problem.

Lead should run about about $1.00 per pound.

[Mr__Bill]

Well the obvious solution is to buy a HF dead-blow hammer and cut it open for the shot inside.

[LCHIEN]

Well the obvious solution is to buy a HF dead-blow hammer and cut it open for the shot inside.

haha, i like that idea.

[sscherin]

OK I have to ask.. where can we find the article on making the hammer?

[Richard in Smithville]

Wood Magazine's " Best Ever Woodworking Jigs, Homemade Tools, & Shop Organizers".

They actually call it a dead blow mallet and takes .095" lead shot.

[gsmittle]

I would also avoid mercury, black powder, and flesh-eating nanobots. I like c-man's sinker idea -- even though I originally read it as "snickers" (as in tiny candy bars).

Nah. Too much temptation to crack the hammer open.

g.

[gsmittle]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I was reading this article and the author listed a supplier for the shot. It was so much for a bag at "x" number of pounds. The hammer that he made had used less than a pound. As a non hunter, and not knowing anyone who bothers to reload shells, I thought that there must be an alternative to buying 10 times what would be needed.

I'm not actually planning on building one at this time. It's one of those projects that I would like to try though. Right now it is an exercise in planning.

If you have some higher-end speaker stands, you can fill the stands with the lead shot, then fine sand. Makes the stands near-impossible to move and might (depending on your ears) improve the sound. At least you'll have bragging rights...

g.

[atgcpaul]

Holy crap! I didn't realize you could sell lab chemicals on eBay. This is a little
scary. Some chemical suppliers won't supply to our lab unless we have a legit
account setup. I'm sure there are ways to circumvent this, of course.

You can buy thermite through eBay!!! Now 15 year old me is thinking, where the
heck was eBay when I was 15?!!! I could have made some really cool things.
33 year old me is thinking, holy crap, you can buy this stuff on eBay?!!! What
are they thinking?

[gsmittle]

Holy crap! I didn't realize you could sell lab chemicals on eBay. This is a little
scary. Some chemical suppliers won't supply to our lab unless we have a legit
account setup. I'm sure there are ways to circumvent this, of course.

You can buy thermite through eBay!!! Now 15 year old me is thinking, where the
heck was eBay when I was 15?!!! I could have made some really cool things.
33 year old me is thinking, holy crap, you can buy this stuff on eBay?!!! What
are they thinking?

Woo! Thermite!! I'm sensing lots of possibilities....

g.

[ironhat]

If you know someone who hunts you could beg or buy two shot shells from them and harvest the lead. Just use a utility knife to cut the crimped end off and 'voila', there you have it.