Hammers for Auto Work

[Win]

A heavy rubber mallet is all I've ever used - something you can whack a wrench with and shock a fastener, but not shock your arm off.

Never had to use a hammer on a car until I started working on my Jags. They're put together pretty tight, with robust parts.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Win
A heavy rubber mallet is all I've ever used - something you can whack a wrench with and shock a fastener, but not shock your arm off.

Never had to use a hammer on a car until I started working on my Jags. They're put together pretty tight, with robust parts.


Yes, a good hammer and an oily rag belong in every British car owners tool box.

 

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex

So what is the best striking face for auto work?


It depends on what you're striking and why. For maximum impact, you want a hard face. If you don't want to mar what you're working on then you need a face that's a softer material than what you're striking. If you're going to hit it hard you want a face that's quite a bit softer. Keep in mind that steel and wood will harden with use while plastic and rubber will soften. Copper and brass shouldn't change their hardness enough to be a real consideration but they will tend to mushroom quite a bit. Brass also likes to chip. Woods show a lot of personality where mushrooming behavior is concerned and you may find they need regular maintenance for performance and longevity.

The weight of the head and the length of the handle are also considerations depending on what work you're doing. A heavier head and a longer can give a harder blow but with less control. Softer materials that save you from deforming the target are often less dense requiring more room to fit for the same weight.

If you need a real walloping hit you're into the territory where balance becomes an issue. Fiberglass need not apply. The bat-hammer for example handles like a comfortable war axe. It has such a heavy handle that I can control it very well and still swing it like with a good what-all for a hit like a 20 pound sledge on a full length handle but with a whole lot more accuracy. Having a pommel is just an extra safety related bonus.

If you're intention is to deform or reform the target the shape of your hammer counts for a lot. This is why auto body hammers come in a great many shapes. For mechanical work, a flat face covers a lot, but there are plenty of applications where a ball peen or cross peen are better suited. Ball peens and cross peens usually also offer a flat face.