FINALLY!! I have never ever figured out which Nupla hammer inserts to go for.
I'm on it! 1½" greenies -- got it! Thanks, Harold!

Grant

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...

I was browsing the MSC catalog and came across a page of soft hammers.
Brass, of course, but also copper, bronze, zinc, aluminum, lead, and
babbitt. I can see lead (the softest), copper (harder), and brass
(somewhat harder yet). But bronze and zinc are about the same hardness
as brass (?), and about the same density. What distinguishes these
three from each other, as far as their use in hammers?

It seems that lead and babbitt are even more similar and yet both are
offered. Why?

Thanks,
Bob

BTW - I've always believed that brass being softer than steel, you could
deliver "... a solid blow to the work without damaging it." (as MSC
puts it). Don't believe it! I recently mushroomed the end of a steel
shaft using a brass hammer. Fortunately it wasn't a big deal.



Hammers made from soft metals aren't a great idea if they have the
propensity to work harden. A brass (or copper) hammer will get to the point
where it will easily dent steel, rendering the hammer no more useful than a
ball peen. Metal soft hammers have no real place in the machine shop.

You want a good hammer? Buy one that is made by Nupla, or make one that
uses Nupla hammer head inserts.

http://www.nuplacorp.com/

There is NO hammer on the market that comes close to the performance they
provide. They provide tips in various diameters, with the most common being
1-1/2". Their color code is an indicator of the hardness of the
heads------and there's one made for almost ANY type service. For the
machine shop, the green heads are a perfect balance of hardness and
toughness. I have used them as long as I've been in the shop, and
recommend them highly.

I made my first hammer right after I started in the shop, back in '57. The
body is brass, with the green Nupla inserts on each end. I've had to
replace the heads only about four times in all the years I've used it.

Usual disclaimers. I am not affiliated with Nupla Corp. in any way, just a
very happy customer. They're top notch people.

Harold