(12/09)
Bronze head, applewood handle.
Head is 50mm long, 30mm dia tapering down to 22mm (4.5 degree taper), with a 12mm bore. Handle is 200mm long including the head. 200g total.
Here's the sequence of manufacture (actually for the second hammer I made, for myself, not for Clara's one).
Start with a bit of apple branch (from the tree nearest the compost heap, in fact). I'd varnished the ends, then kept the wood in my shed for 18 months to dry. Split with froe and froe club. Remember the first rule of froe club.
That gives you a split chunk like this:
Tidy up with drawknife to something like this. The wood felt a bit damp, so I kept it on a radiator for a couple of days. There was a bit more splitting of the ends, but I had spare length to allow for that.
Turn between centers on the metal lathe, using a spindle gouge and a skew chisel:
33mm bronze bar, turned in the lathe to make the head:
The head has a 12mm bore, with a bit of a taper at the top end. The shaft has a sawn slot, with a tiny wedge driven into it to expand it into the taper.
Shaft and head ready for assembly. You can see the sawcut ready for the securing wedge::
The second hammer completed:
Head secured with an applewood wedge:
Home | Artefacts| Jewellery