Instead of the various things I have been attempting in order to finish projects a simple machining project was needed. A quick look at Mr. Pete's website revealed a simple adjustment hammer or a hammer for adjusting alignment and setting a workpiece firmly in the milling vise.
The plan is extremely simple. A length of 3/4" hex steel will serve as the handle. The hammer head will be made of 1" brass round bar stock. The head is cut to length, 2 1/4", and faced. It is drilled through on center and reamed to 3/8". The handle is is 4 3/4" long with 1" length reduced to 1/2" and 1" reduced to 3/8". After inserting the handle into the head a 1/8" hole is drilled through both for insertion of a 1/8" roll pin.
Both the brass round and the steel hex were sitting in the basement machine shop. A roll pin needs to be purchased. Menards has a 120 roll pin assortment kit, which includes five 1/8" X 1" pins, for $5.33. Perfect! I'm set for life.
The project began this morning and proceeded according to plan. A piece of 1" brass was cut from stock at 2 1/4". It was faced on both ends. A piece of 3/4" steel hex was cut at 4 3/4". It was faced on one end and the end was heavily chamfered with a file. The opposite end was faced, 1" turned down to 0.375" and a further 1" was turned down to 0.500". The faces of the hex were sanded with green Scotchbrite pad.
The brass was marked at the halfway point with the height gage. It was set up in the four jaw chuck with this line on center as aligned with a tailstock center. The other axis was centered using a dial indicator on a magnetic base. The brass was drilled on center with a center drill and then with a 23/64" drill. This hole was reamed to 0.375". The handle is a perfect slip fit in the hole in the head.
The head and handle combination needed to be cross drilled 1/8" for the roll pin. The combination was held on the large drill press. It was center drilled and then drilled about 3/4" deep. At this point the drill bit broke off in the head! Not the planned approach, but the head is now pinned in place.
The hammer was wiped with acetone. The end of the handle peeking through the handle was filed ro fit the round head. The head was then scrubbed with the same Scotchbrite pad. The hammer with the head "pinned" to the handle is shown in the last photo.
