Creative Woodworks & crafts 2005-01, страница 46

by John Polhemus

Pattern Located In Full Size Pattern Section No. 1!

If I Had A Hammer.

SUPPLIES

Wood: wood of choice—one piece 2" x 2" xl 0" (for hammerhead), one piece 1-1/2"x 1-1/2" x 16" (for handle)

Tools: scroll saw and blades (No. 7 or No. 9 recommended); drill press and 1/16" drill bit; router table; router; 1 /4" and 3/8" roundover bits Temporary-bond spray adhesive Sandpaper, assorted grits CA (cyanoacrylate) glue Black gloss enamel paint Finish of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Making lettering patterns

You can make lettering patterns a number of ways: trace or cut and paste copies of the alphabet provided in the pattern section; use lettering guides and expand-o-guide from Seyco Sales (800-462-3353); use a program like WoodTrax (800-229-5505), a paint program, or a word processor (if you have a computer and printer). Graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw also open vast possibilities.

Preparing the wood

I doubt you'll find a place that has 2" x 2" wood on fhe shelf, so you'll have to order it or prepaie Ihe wood lor the hammerhead yourself. You could cut it down from a 4" x 4", or glue up two pieces of 3/4"-thick and one piece of l/2"-thick wood. I have a planer, so l planed a 2" x 4" to 1" thick, then glued two pieces together. When it was dry, I cul the width 1o 2". The wood for the handle is 1-1/2" x 1-1/2", which is readily available.

Tip: look in your area for a place that makes roof trusses. I have one less than two miles from me. They throw away dumpster loads of cutoffs every day. The yellow pine they use is hard and makes a very durable hammer. You can also salvage shipping pallets and discarded furniture. There's plenty of free wood out there. If at all possible, invest in a jointer and planer. The money you save being able to mill your own dimensioned wood from rough cut lumber and salvage wood will make them pay for themselves in no time!

Making the handle

A mortise and tenon joint is used to attach the handle fo the hammerhead. To layout the lines for cutting the tenon in the handle, start by making a pencil mark 2-1/16" down from

Introduction

At the time, it may have only been a rock or a club, but the hammer was one of the first tools invented. It's such a fundamental part of our history that it's an icon in its own right. That's probably why the humor of this oversized piece of humanity is so universally understood and appealing.

The list of phrases you can choose to cut in the handle is endless. Surely you can think of one that will hit the nail on the head (sorry!). It's so easy to think: them up. Here are a few I hammered out [sorry again!): "FINNISH HAMMER" (hit something with it and it's finished); "LAST WORD" (guarantees the last word in an argument); "ATTITUDE ADJUSTER"; "SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS"; "TRAINING TOOL"; "ENFORCER"; "INTIMIDATOR"; "EQUALIZER"; "LOVE TAPPER"; "WAKE UP CALL!"; "FINGERNAIL PAINTER"; "ONE LUMP. OR TWO?"; "NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION"; "FINE ADJUSTER"; "FINAL TOUCH."

1 think you get the idea.

48 • Creative Woodworks S. Crafts January 2005