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Ball peen hammer question
susie
Member Posts: 7,577 ✭✭✭✭
I grew up on a farm, used hammers all my life. It occurred to me that I have no idea what the use is for the rounded ball on the hammer. I have one in my tool collection. Claw hammers are for pulling things out or tightening a sagging fence.
Anyone? I know I could Google it but I thought it would be more interesting here. 🤔
Comments
Setting"Peening" rivets
I think the round side is used for shaping sheet metal somehow, too, but I’ve never really used one in that way.
It is for thumping the tires on the Big Rig. With the ball peen hammer the experienced driver can tell the pressure within 10 psi.
Minature Golf
For those places where you can't carry a firearm.
You can pretty much peen anything with it like the end of a bolt or as previous a rivet. You can even leave a little extra past a nut and peen it and nut will not come off. You can peen most softer metals to give them that hammered look or even peen over metal with something shaped and solid behind it. Very useful for assembling tack after you put washer on rivet and many places that you don't want something to loosen up for safety reasons.----------------------Ray
I use the round side to make my own gaskets
Yes, forgot that. Casting on other side will cut thru material and give a well fitting gasket.------Ray
A empty box cigarette pack and a ball peen hammer has gotten me home a few times when the thermostat got stuck in the closed postion
used to watch my uncle, use one to round over/peen rivets in a sickle bar he used to cut hay with, each little tooth was riveted individually, he would drill/grind them out when they got worn or broken...........
I've made many gaskets for the 37 Chevy I had years ago with one. Gaskets for those don't exactly grow on trees, even back then.
Joe
i have a few
I used the 'peen' part extensively when replacing sections on mower sickles prior to the invention of 'bolt on' sections. Also useful when shaping rounded areas in metal fabrication.
It is for upsetting the end of a solid pin by hammering the tip protruding from a hole. This makes the pin a little larger on that end creating a snug fit.
If you've been around hay mowing, you've seen a sickle bar mower. The sections ( blades) are replaced by grinding or chiseling off the old rivets, replace the blades, and then hammering (peening) the new rivets with the round end.
So my Dad left me a "lead" headed hammer. It's someplace but can't fine it. Had an imprint on the head where you sent it to have the head "renewed". What would this have been used for? Probably weighed 7-8 pounds.
Dead blow hammer with more authority.
The one we had we used for hitting the hub on free floating axles to get the axles to pop out
We had sickle mowers growing up. Replace a blade if it was bad. I know Dad did it, just never was in the field when it happened.
Used them a lot when putting in a new block foundation.
Chalk line the basement floor height on block walls. Put a hole in every block not core filled, with a ball peen hammer, below the chalkline.
Install drain tile around exterior walls. Cut a hole in tile. Cut a 8-10" section of water hose. Stick one end in hole in block, other end into drain tile.
Run drain tile into a sump basket. Pour concrete floor over all.
Enjoy basement. If sump basket ever gets water, install a sump pump, and empty the water.
watch "anvil " user name on youtube he uses them on guns keep the head polished mirror bright and some car body guys to the same keep the head of it polished so they dont leave any inprints in the metal . I use mine for the AR builds and shaping sheetmetal many different sizes and weights
Like most tools a hammer is a hammer if you have just one me it work for the project at hand but many varations for so many different applications like autobody hammers a whole new world of shapes and sizes
The lead hammer was used where you had to beat on a damageable part. The lead would deform before the part would be damaged.
Joe
You may have also seen a steel cooking pot in the old days that was peened. Also smaller ones are used for decorative peening, some times on things as small as earrings or fish lures (spoons).
Definition of peen
(Entry 1 of 2)
transitive verb
: to draw, bend, or flatten by or as if by hammering with a peen
peen
noun
Definition of peen (Entry 2 of 2)
: a usually hemispherical or wedge-shaped end of the head of a hammer that is opposite the face and is used especially for bending, shaping, or cutting the material struck
It's for peening.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
For me this is the most common use.
well I remember maxwell used a silver one ( hammer ) ( per the Beetles any way )😁