Replies

1. 
   RW | Nov 24, 2002 12:19am | #1

   A dead blow hammer is one where the body is usually rubberized so as not to mar materials, and the inside of the head is filled with what amounts to lead shot. When you swing it, the energy is transferred more effectively to whatevers being struck. A regular rubber malled can bounce around on you, an Estwing can chew up sensitive pieces. A deadblow lets you put a good amount of force into the head without a hard whack and not mess up the piece. You barely feel it down on the handle. Back to me and my "this is like gunsmithing" commentary - ever seen a recoil absorber? Long tube which is inserted into a hole bored in the butt of a stock. Those are usually mercury filled, but same principle. But in the absorber the intent is to take energy away(from your shoulder) and a deadblow it is to deliver it more effectively.  The blades on a planer look like they do on a jointer - long knives, but there are different versions. Some have spiral cutters, and others (usually large machines) have segmented cutters set in a spiral pattern about the cutterhead. The segments allow you to change out one piece of the cutting head without having to resharpen one long set of blades if you nick it with something.

1. 
   DWRead | Nov 24, 2002 01:59am | #2

   Thanks, RW. Would a dead-blow hammer be good to use with chisels?

1. 
   WillisJr | Nov 24, 2002 03:22am | #3

   Please, please, buy or obtain from your local library, a basic woodworking book. Or learn to search the abundant sources of  woodworking information on the Web.

1. 
   DWRead | Nov 24, 2002 05:21am | #4

   I beg your pardon; was mine an inappropriate question for this forum?

1. 
   UncleDunc | Nov 25, 2002 01:30am | #10

   >> ... was mine an inappropriate question for this forum?

   There is much about your posts that is welcome. You write in complete sentences. You stick with standard spelling. You apparently have no stuttering keys on your keyboard. You don't ramble. You don't whine. For these virtues alone, I for one would be sorry to see you go.

   No one of your questions has been inappropriate. Unfortunately, their cumulative effect has been to suggest that you're asking the Knots participants to do your homework for you. As Chester suggested, some of your questions could have been answered by a book. If you're going to be doing woodworking, you're going to want a book anyway, because so much of what you want to learn is visual, and pictures here are not yet simple and easy. A good introductory woodworking book would have showed you what a planer cutter head looks like, and might have explained what a deadblow hammer is and how it works. If your post had said something like, "I read about deadblow hammers in Wile E. Coyote's Acme Introductory Woodworking book, but I'm not sure I understood it," it would have given the impression that you did some research before asking here.

   The interesting thing about this is that it works even if you don't actually do the research (unless the lie is too blatant). Another thing that citing your research does is give the impression that you're actually participating in the hobby or business of woodworking, in addition to participating in this forum, and if people believe you're really doing the things you're asking about, and not just doing research for your novel, they'll be more patient with your questions.

   Regarding planers, there are planers with helical cutters. The ones I've seen pictures of have carbide inserts rather than continuous blades. They are typically expensive, high end industrial machines. The planers discussed here have a cylindrical steel cutter head with two or three straight slots. The straight blades are clamped into the slots so they can be removed for sharpening or replacement. This site http://www.oldwwmachines.com/Parks/FWW/tuning.asp has two fairly clear drawings and several partial photos of a planner cutter head.

2. 
   RSRose | Nov 25, 2002 02:40am | #13

   DWREAD,

   Please don't let one grumpy message make you feel that you shouldn't ask questions. There was nothing inappropriate about yours. Yes, you certainly could have found the answer elsewhwre. and then your question might have been phrased in terms of getting others' experience with deadblow hammers, etc.

   It is true that there have been participants here who demanded answers to the most basic of things, resulting in some contributors getting annoyed and insisting that the questioner finally jump in and get some experience before asking anything else.

   At some point EVERYONE has some question that can best be answered by asking for collective advice.

   While it's possible that one COULD learn to drive a chisel with a dead blow hammer, the fact that it gives very little (if any) feedback to the worker, makes it an awkward tool for that task.

   Planers or jointers can have spiral cutting heads. Spiral heads don't cut any differently than straight knives, but they are more quiet, because the "attack" of the knife to the wood is gradual along the length of the knife, rather than all at once.

   BTW, what's your name or nickname?

   R

   Edited 11/24/2002 6:41:37 PM ET by Rich Rose

2. 
   RW | Nov 24, 2002 05:27am | #5

   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002X1XL/qid=1038102287/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-8878472-2778440?v=glance&s=home-garden&n=507846

   you can look at a deadblow there - this one uses steel shot (must be a deadblow for waterfowl! HA, I kill me.)

   I dunno on the chisel thing. I picture striking carving gouges with things that are softer and give you control like a wooden mallet but if I'm hitting a chisel, I'm hitting it with metal. I think that's just one of those whatever you feel like questions. Don't know of any reason one way or another. - - and yeah, what was up with that, Chester? Wasn't like he asked which end of the screwdriver went away from the body or anything.

3. 
   phenom01 | Nov 24, 2002 07:05am | #7

   Hi DWREAD:

   Japanese chisel hammers act as dead blow hammers.

   HTH

   Scott

1. 
   theRev | Nov 25, 2002 02:15am | #12

   scott to scott,

   Can you explain a little more fully? What would you classify as a "chisel hammer"?

   Scott

4. 
   greenebelly | Nov 24, 2002 11:17pm | #9

          Just an opinion on the deadblow as a chisel hitter. You need to practice on scrap and get your own "feel". Some like metal hammers for the crisp no-nonsence cut, but they have been doing it awhile . A dead blow would give almost all force unto the chisel, thus, you might cut to deap etc... I was taught to push with my hand into soft wood to get my feel for the tool. This way you learn what style chisel will react to differing force. Then you just use different hammers to find the one that gives you the resonce you are comfortable with. Then it gets tricky. Once you do it for a while, a metal hammer with just the right force might be the only way to get the ONE perfect result you are looking for out of a hard wood eg. oak. There are no right answers. Just practice.

5. 
   AlanTurner | Nov 25, 2002 03:01pm | #15

   I must be in the minority here, but I regularly use a dead blow hammer for mortising with a chisel.  Frequently an 8 oz; occ. a 16 oz.  I also use a wooden mallet if I need greater accuracy of depth. 

1. 
   Elcoholic | Nov 26, 2002 12:01am | #16

   I use a Stanly deadblow hammer to beat on my Marples Blue Chip chisels all the time.  I didn't buy it for that but it sure works great for me.  I don't need my joints absorbing any more impact energy that absolutely necessary.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

2. 
   crt2cu2 | Nov 24, 2002 05:49am | #6

   DWREAD,

   A deadblow hammer is designed to deliver all kinetic force to the head of the tool.  This is accomplished with lead or steel shot encased in the hammer head and is basically the applied physics of inertia.  I think the adjective of 'dead blow' was applied because the shot acts the same as the brain when punched.  That is, the brain moves and impacts the skull as a punch is applied.  Thus, the brain absorbs a lot of the punch force, causing temporary blood blanching and results in a knockout. Hence the term 'deadblow'.

   What do you mean by the "business part" of a jointer?  In this tool all the components pretty much work in concert so isolating one from the other for discussion needs more clarification I think.

   Good question about the costs of lathes.  Mechanically speaking, lathes are very simple tools at least compared to table saws, milling machines, jointers, etc.  Perhaps a machine manufacturer (are there any lurking in this forum?) could best answer that question.

   BTW, I did not think your questions were out of order.

   sawick

1. 
   bobhallsr | Nov 24, 2002 07:07am | #8

   I had always supposed the the term 'dead blow' derived from the fact that that at the point of impact there is no bounce of the hammer, or as some would say, the impact has no life to it. As for using a dead blow hammer on chisels or gouges, I find that when doing heavy carving with a wooden maul the impact is quite dead with no bounce to it.

   BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Nov 25, 2002 01:48am | #11

   You're absolutely correct. Dead blow means no bounce.

   Also, I noted a prior question about using a dead blow hammer for striking a chisel. All the dead blow hammers I have seen have a soft, rubberlike facing. The facing would not stand up to striking a small item like a nail or chisel.

3. 
   fredsmart48 | Nov 25, 2002 10:03am | #14

   You can buy a 14" by 40" wood lathe for $80.00 at harbor freight. Is that expensive. Why are some lathes more expensive because of hype, quality, accuracy.