Fitting a new hammer?

[TNHillbilly]

I tried fitting a hammer to this 'wall hanger' and as you can see, managed to file it wrong. I couldn't stand looking at the monstrosity someone expoxied on! I will silver solder a square piece in and retry. So, the question is: if you don't have a 'try hammer' how does one fit a new hammer?

 

[Bill Bounds]

When I need something like that I make a pattern out of old aluminum siding. you can cut it out with heavy sizzors and drill out the hole and square it up with a small square file. start over and it's no big loss of money or time.I file the square hole so it's sitting where its supposed to when the hammer is down.

 

[William Joy]

Great idea!!

 

[brubincam]

-----what do you tell the wife when she see's the hole in the side of the house?----- :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[mazo kid]

-----what do you tell the wife when she see's the hole in the side of the house?----- :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Doesn't have to be aluminum....you could use a tin can and still cut it with heavy shears/scissors. Emery

 

[Dave K]

I drill a small hole where the screw will go through that secures the hammer to the tumbler. Drill the hole, so that the threads of the same size screw will go through the hammer, but allow the hammer to pivot on this screw. I of course have studied first how the hammer will strike the nipple, so that I get the right arc to it. Then I clean and tin the back side of the hammer with solder. File that to a flat working surface. Now place the hammer over the square of the tumbler in the position you would like. All this is after you determined where you want the hammer to strike, where you want your 1/2 cock to be and off course you full cock.Secure you temporary screw to the hammer and snug it up to the tumbler. Now, with the hammer positioned where you want it, stike the the screw side of the hammer onto the tumbler, with a small ballpeen hammer.A socket works good to place over the hammer and leave clearance for the hammer screw. The solder will now have an impression of the tumbler on the back side of the hammer. Drill the hole out larger, but less than the impression of the tumbler. Now get your files out and file to the lines in the solder. Go slow, so you don't go over size. Also try to make the square in the hammer a little tapered,smaller on the outside of the hammer, so that you get a good snug fit when the screw draws it tight. Once you have done this a few times, it will take less time to do then it did for me to type about it.

 

[CARBABY]

Perhaps I have found HE (DaveK) that will give light to question/S. How does one establish What the hammer throw is on a gun missing a hammer? They have hammers that ae 1 5/8 inch and 1 ½ inch. I’m a wood butcher and working to 1/8 on a house frame Is one thing”¦but on a hammer ”¦ tolerance directs one’s focus. How much can nipple length screw one up? Will nipple length change hammer throw? I have seen guns that seem not to hit the nipple with optimum force. As a result I’ve seen hammers with metal added to the hammer face (inside the recess) and I’ve also seen guns with shims (washers) on the nipples. It seems like older nipples were shorter in the stack and some of the new nipples are longer. In the case of one nipple type there is as much as 1/8 inch in height (Hot Shot brand). What goes on there? Seems like the angle of strike is off. Some guys have filed to make contact at 100%, but it seems as the cap over fit is cylindrical, (nullifying the filing) ”¦ something just isn’t right. Then there is the question of a Hammer’s designed for black powder hammer guns (now I’m talking double Shotguns Primarily). As one views suppliers catalogs what should be of concern as far as not confusing hammers (Percussion vs. Black Powder cartridge). Also on some Black Powder Cartridge (shotgun) locks there seems to be some kind of main spring expansion that will expand past the lock outline (bottom of lock) and crack the wood on the stock. What’s the thing with that and is that found on Muzzleloader Shotguns? Is it an English Shotgun thing versus American or Belgium. My apologies if it looks like I’m trying to steal the link or if this is in the wrong area of topic. Any elaboration would be appreciated.

 

[Ephraim]

-----what do you tell the wife when she see's the hole in the side of the house?----- :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Put duct tape over the hole duct tape will fix anything. :blah: :redface:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Measure the distance from the center of the screw hole that hold the hammer to the tumbler stud, to the end of the nipple. That will give you the length of hammer needed. I know Dixie GWs sells a variety of lengths and shapes of hammers. In fitting the hammer to the stud, you have to drill a center hold to remove most of the metal, then mark the square in the right location so that the hammer comes to rest on or just beyond the face of the nipple when the tumbler rotates to its stop. Put lipstick on the stuck and use it to mark the backside of the hammer, with the nose of the hammer seated over the nipple. Do some measuring with a Machinist ruler( made of metal, with fine calibrations) to get your lines for the square correctly positioned. Put those 4 lines on both sides of the hammer. Then use a square-in-profile_ tapered file to carefully remove the metal, filing from the backside to the front. As you get close, you want to check your lines by putting the hammer onto the stud, as far as it can go. put dye or lipstick on the stud, and it will tell you where the high spots are in the hole you are filing. Take your time, and do it right the first time. The hammers are not expensive items, and you can buy another and do it again, if you truly screw it up.

I have seen men use a cold roll steel chisel to remove much of the metal, but they have more skill, and practice with a chisel than I have, and I don't have the nerve to try that, in such a small space. Filing may take several hours, but the end product fits, and works well. If you have the old hammer, which broke, you can get good information about the alignment of that square hole for the stud from it.

 

[TNHillbilly]

Thanks for the tutorial! i'm sure others will benefit. I don't know how I managed to screw this one up so badly. I think filing doesn't take that long, I can only imagine the damage I could do with a chisel!

 

[paulvallandigham]

This must be an exacting piece of work, that cannot be rushed. You can't put back metal you file or cut off! But, when you get done, the sense of pride in accomplishment is second to none. Best wishes.

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Dave K]

I can't imagine using a chisel either. But, without question, some are more skilled with a hammer and chisel than me. Don't feel bad, my learning curve had me going to the tig welder as well, to close the hole in the hammer and start over. Something to remember if you still have the original hammer, but the square is wobbled out oversize. If you can fix that original hammer, it's mate is hopefully still on the otherside. Nothing I dislike more, is wobbly and missmatched hammers on a double. I change both hammers, if one is missing and I can't find and exact match. Just a personal thing to me and I take advantage of my likes, when I have to replace hammers. I like the hammer at 1/2 cock to be about 1/8"-1/4" above the nipple when I at 1/2 cock. This way of the sear were to fail and the hammer were to drop, it probably will not have enough energy to fire the gun. But the main thought is the cap itself. By having the hammer close to the cap at 1/2 cock, it lessons the chance of the cap becoming dislodged while hunting. If you do this though, make sure that the full cock position will still have a long enough travel to detonate the cap. In most guns with good main springs, if the full cock position places the hammer about 3/4" above the cap, you will be fine. Another advantage to this is the hammer now has a quicker throw as well.

 

[TNHillbilly]

Seems like I read somewhere, the hammer should actually stop just short of the nipple. That is the 'spring action'-or snap of the hammer-fires the cap on a percussion gun. Supposedly keeps from beating the nipple down, like some guns I've seen. Urban legend, or true?

 

[Dave K]

Never heard that. But it could be true. I have more than, several antigue perc. shotguns and rifles. When I acguired them, they all struck the nipple firmly. Now, that doesn't mean that someone in the past has not messed with them.