134 



.Simple Designs for Hand-Made 

 Mechanic's Tools 



ONE of the first tools selected by the 

 mechanic when collecting a personal 

 outfit is the hammer, and the work which 

 he intends to do decides one of the 

 most important factors in hammer con- 



Popular Science Monthly 



Design for a ball-peen hammer weighing 

 seven ounces, forged or cut from bar stock 



struction, — that of weight. WhUe ham- 

 mers can be purchased at a reasonable 

 price, they, as well as other tools, can 

 be hand-made. Such, when properly de- 

 signed, are highly prized by the owner. 



While working at the mechanic's trade 

 I constructed in my spare time a number 

 of tools, and to this day no other tools 

 purchased seem to be so satisfactory or 

 to fit the hand so well as those made by 

 my hand. In making these tools only 

 limited facilities were accessible such as 

 any amateur may find available in almost 

 any locality. 



The hammer is the most used tool in 

 the kit. It does the bulk of the work 

 and the hardest part of it, and yet, 

 without exception, it is given the least 



A design for a cross-peen hammer weighing 

 seven ounces, for doing ordinary riveting 



amount of consideration in making, both 

 as to quality of materials and appearance. 

 Of the several kinds used in metal 

 work, two hammers will be considered, 

 which are sufficient for ordinary work — a 

 ball-peen and a cross-peen. A hammer, 

 to set properly in the hand, should have 



the proper hang, which calls for correct 

 proportions in the length from face to 

 face as compared with the diameter, 

 weight and location of the eye. The 

 dimensions given in the detailed drawings 

 are correct for weights of 12 and 7 oz. 

 respectively, which are neither light nor 

 heavy. 



A good grade of about 80-point carbon 

 tool steel should be used, forged to size, 

 with just enough metal allowance to finish 

 up. While doing this forging the eye is 

 drifted in the metal. If forging is out 

 of the question the head may be shaped 

 from a solid bar in a lathe and the eye 

 made by drilling out the metal and filing 

 to shape. 



The hardening or tempering is very 

 important, for upon this depends the life 

 of the tool. The usual method is to 

 heat it all over to a cherry red, or about 

 1550 deg. F. pyrometer test in a clean 

 fire, then quickly dip each end — the end 

 only — in water for a distance of about 

 ?4 in., until a fine straw color is obtained 

 on each face or end. The steel is then 

 polished, with a coarse grade of emery 

 cloth first and afterward with a finer one 

 about No. 0. 



The handles are cut from second growth 

 hickory, well thinned down in the neck 

 so that a spring is formed. — A Dane. 



An Auxiliary Chuck for a 

 Carpenter's Brace 



IT is a difficult job for a carpenter to 

 hold a small round drill in an ordinary 

 brace, as the chuck opening is 

 so shaped that no grip can 

 be had on this kind of drill. 

 By using the device as shown 

 in the illustration the drill can 

 be held rigid. The pressure 

 exerted by the chuck jaws 

 closes the slot and jaws on the 

 drill shank. This device can 

 also be used for holding broken 

 drills. The chuck may be 

 made from a piece of machine 

 steel in square form or filed 

 from the round stock to fit 

 in the brace. The hole through 

 the center must be of a size to 

 hold the drills most used, or else a com- 

 plete set of chucks for the drill shanks 

 should be made. J. R. Minter. 



Small 

 drill 

 brace 

 chuck 



