dead blow hammers/assembly mallets

A

AndrewG

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Nov 1, 2012
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Hi all,

Looking for a couple of different size non marring dead blow hammers and assembly mallets. The key is that they must be non marring.

I was leaning towards the harder supercraft and simplex mallets with the soft face (blue). Can anyone confirm that these are non marring?

I was looking at the lixie also, but seems they’re unavailable online.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks !
 
I got my Lixie here:https://westhoffinc.com/products/ and they still have tons of them in stock. (Rachel J. there was very helpful when my order had a small hitch). For the Lixie, the brown face (125 face) is the softest.

But I also like this a lot, and use it more often than the Lixie in smaller jobs: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/sho...-simplex-replaceable-face-mallet?item=69K5030 

I found the blue face too bouncy, and so I replaced it with a medium-hard face:

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Both the Lixie brown and Simplex blue or grey (?) are non-marring.

 

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I have and use the standard Stanley dead blow and Lixie hammers but the Stanley hammer body is too stiff and the Lixie has ends that are too small in diameter.

My favorite by far, far, far is the now discontinued Bessey dead blow which had a polyurethane? head. I keep a large one in the shop and a small one in the kitchen drawer for turning chicken breasts into cutlets.

I've tried to find a NOS replacement for these mallets for 5 years and have struck out.

If you find one, don't hesitate to purchase it or at the very least, notify me and I will purchase any that are available.  [smile]

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"... the Lixie has ends that are too small in diameter."

That's quite true.

However, as compared to the Simplex, the smaller head, coupled with the bigger handle and more weight of the hammer, offers one advantage: it gives a more focus and stronger blow to the spot. And in disassembly, especially in some tight corner or over-tight joint, sometimes that is what is needed after a dry-fit.

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Ya i agree Chuck, but it seems that whenever I decide to give that piece of wood "just one more" solid whack with the smaller hammers, inevitably it leaves a surface blemish. And that's when I cry.  [sad]

The Bessey's don't leave witness marks and they are the best of the best. Just wish I could round up a couple of more of them. I've literally searched for years.  [sad] [crying] [mad]

A rubber mallet comes a close second to the Bessey's but it's still too soft and compresses which absorbs much of the force.
 
Cheese said:
Ya i agree Chuck, but it seems that whenever I decide to give that piece of wood "just one more" solid whack with the smaller hammers, inevitably it leaves a surface blemish. And that's when I cry.  [sad] Snip.
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[oops]
 
ChuckS said:
Cheese said:
Ya i agree Chuck, but it seems that whenever I decide to give that piece of wood "just one more" solid whack with the smaller hammers, inevitably it leaves a surface blemish. And that's when I cry.  [sad] Snip.
Click to expand...
[oops]
Click to expand...

Ya it's funny, just rethinking the past...when I was metalworking, the Lixie & Stanley dead blow were my go-to hammers, they provided a significant punch without damaging the material. But then when it comes to woodworking...uh...not so much.  [smile]

Lord knows that Stanley dead blow would turn that chicken breast into mush.  [smile]
 
Thanks for the replies. I just ordered a halder simplex 30 with the blue face - should be handy for assembling smaller scale work.

Anyone have any experience with the halder supercraft? They have the dead blow feature.
 
[member=16995]AndrewG[/member] I seem to have a dead blow hammer problem.  [eek] As in my drawer with hammers is running out of room.

I have and like a couple of Halder Supercraft dead blows. The one currently on my bench is a 13 oz unit with the standard nylon face. It is nice. I also have a 20 oz version as well. The nylon faces are replaceable but if you manage to hit somwthing with a glancing blow the edge will leave a mark.

I also have a Nupla with replaceable faces and they make a bunch of different ones.

There are also a few of the solid cast urethane dead blow hammers as well. Here in the US,https://www.trustycook.com/ makes a bunch under their own label and OEMs a bunch for other brands. I like these as well and if you keep the face flat against the wood rarely mar the surface.

On the subject of marring, we all know you're not supposed to actually hit the surface of a mission critical piece of a project with a hammer, right?  [eek] Keeping instead a smooth piece of wood to place between the hammer and the actual workpiece. Don't ask me how I know that a clean rag wet with distilled water and a hot iron with sometimes take those bumps and divots out.  [big grin]

I just stumbled across these folks out of Naperville Illinois and they have enough different hammers to keep most hammer junkies happy.
https://hammersource.com/

 
rvieceli said:
I just stumbled across these folks out of Naperville Illinois and they have enough different hammers to keep most hammer junkies happy.
https://hammersource.com/
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Thanks for this Ron [member=3192]rvieceli[/member]  [thumbs up] [thumbs up] these folks actually sell the Bessey mallets I've been looking for over the last 5 years. I assumed the mallets were Bessey manufactured but they were just Bessey trademarked instead.
https://hammersource.com/tpc-792-urethane-mallet-1-1-2-lb-2-diameter-faces/
 
I have a Wiha mallet set, they are available in 30, 40 and 50mm head sizes and also square.  Individual heads are readily available
 
rvieceli said:
[member=44099]Cheese[/member] have you ever tried one of the completely cast urethane dead blows?
https://www.trustycook.com/product-category/hammers/standard-hammers/

Ron
Click to expand...

No I have not. However I did read this interesting tidbit.

"Jon Trusty, Senior, started the pioneering efforts of Trusty-Cook by introducing polyurethane dead blow hammers to the world in the 1960s. These hammers, made from Jon’s own formula and hot-cast polyurethane process, set such a high standard that Stanley Tools purchased the company from Jon in 1980. Trusty-Cook emerged in 1990 with a re-engineered hammer, once again staking a claim as manufacturer and private label supplier of the best dead blow hammers in the world."
 
rvieceli said:
On the subject of marring, we all know you're not supposed to actually hit the surface of a mission critical piece of a project with a hammer, right?  [eek] Keeping instead a smooth piece of wood to place between the hammer and the actual workpiece.
Click to expand...

I hit my work with the mallet (medium or medium soft face) directly as I use mostly hard wood. But on very soft wood or when I need a hard blow, I tend to put a scrap between the mallet and the work. I use the hard face when hammering Dominoes.

In case of doubt, I draw two parts together with a clamp, not a hammer or mallet.
 
I note the OP's location (Australia) and can appreciate his dilemma. That said, and since the thread has already been hijacked, for anyone located in North America, a great option is Nupla. They produce all their products domestically and their dead blows feature the same features (like a wide variety of different durometer and diameter replaceable/swappable heads, variety of handle lengths and head weights, etc.) as their European counterparts. Disclaimer - I have no affiliation with Nupla.
 
Seems like several of these options are somewhat similar, but I will add that I've been using a Thor interchangeable face 1-1/4" diameter mallet for the past couple years and like it very much. There are several options for the striking surface, but it comes standard with a fairly stiff nylon head and a somewhat bouncy rubber head. Right now I use one mallet interchangeably for vintage machinery repair and woodworking. I'm about to change that and get a second so my woodworking mallet stays a little cleaner. The nylon face is a nice option for striking chisels and the rubber face is reserved for assembly. I first encountered the Thor on Paul Sellers videos.
 
I have had this Nupla changeable face set for a long time. It is really nice to be able to choose the hardness and toughness depending on the job.  It looks like that price is for a two pack. I think I paid about $80 many years ago. Seems hard to find this set with searches.

Note the face diameter is about 1 1/4"  on this one. Nupla does have larger diameter interchangeable face hammers but I don't think they come in a full set.  Need to buy faces separately for the larger ones.

            https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nupla-So...9?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101021366

Seth
 
Seth’s Nupla looks exactly like the Amstrong set I bought around 1988.

Except I don’t think the Armstrong came with a case.
 
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