What is a slap hammer?

[dopplershift]

Slap hammer? Is that the one with a big, smooth, flat face?

Or maybe just slang?

 

[hotrodder]

Kinda, the term (often just 'slapper') covers quite a wide of tools with a large, low crown or flat face. The lower the crown of a hammer the larger the contact patch- minimises the amount of stretching and marring of the surface being struck. Very useful for forming large radii and planishing large areas. One of my slappers in action (stop giggling!)...



That one's made from an old leaf spring, rough out the shape with a grinder before linishing and polishing the working face.

 

[dopplershift]

Thanks hotrodder!

Yes, I did have a giggle.

Looks like a lovely tool though! Will definitely have to add it to the ever-growing list of "workshop stuff to do in the Uni break".

By the way.... how did you do the offset bend for the handle? Was the spring that shape already? Pretty hard to bend a leaf spring isnt it?

 

[hotrodder]

Sorry forgot about this thread. It was typical leaf spring shape to begin with, hole by the handle was the bolt hole for holding the leaves together. Bent it cold* to avoid destroying the temper of the spring but many people hot bend 'em with no ill effects.

Most of the work is in getting the crown across the width of the slapper face (springs natural curviture works well lengthwise), a fair bit of patience on the linisher to get a gentle crown before the various polishing steps

* cold in this case is relative. Did get the oxy out but kept it below straw heat.

 

[Shox Dr]

Hotrodder. what's it like on the hands, does it "twang" or vibrate, or does it have a sweet spot

 

[Hitch]

I think the slightly more proper term for those 'slappers' is spoons, isnt it, iirc.?

 

[hotrodder]

It can vibrate a little if you use the tip Shox Dr but as long as the contact point is kept around the middle or slightly toward the handle it's not really any different to a regular hammer. The extra length of the hammer surface is more to do with adding some weight to it as the contact area is so large compared to a regular hammer. The hole that origonally held the leaves together didn't end up by the handle by accident . May or may not do much with regards to vibration absorbtion/dissipation but could always stuff a rubber grommet or similar in it...

Hitch you may be right, probably depends a lot on the circles one moves in. For me a body spoon is quite a bit heavier, i would describe most of them as a dolly with a handle for those spots where you can't get your hand and a normal dolly in. What i call a slap hammer i've heard also referred to as a bumping spoon and spring spoon.

 

[inchpincher]

What's that you were making hotrodder, were you using a t-bar in the vice?

thanks,

 

[Arsonista]

We used to call them flippers. The big old files that blacksmiths and farriers used make good ones too.

 

[hotrodder]

Hey Inchpincher, they're the sides (or will be eventually, maybe, one day!) for the top half of a fuel tank for a '66 beetle. Mate of mine is building one and approached me to modify his fuel tank with a properly baffled fuel pick up and a return as it'll be fuel injected and turbocharged. My initial reply of buy a swirl pot was thrown back (no room) and i jokingly said something along the lines of 'i'll make you an exact replica (but properly baffled) out of aluminium'. Didn't expect him to say yes!

T-dollies go well with slappers/spoons, use them a fair amount but i was hammering on a homemade post dolly there. Just a chunk of 4" barstock with a suitable radius carved into the end

I know a few people that have used files Ari, the amount of grinding needed always put me off though