hammer repair w/leather

[Joseph Garrett]

The leather that I find most acceptable is buckskin. But, it is a bit
thinner. As you approach note 88 it should get thinner. Cow hide is not
flexible enough, nor tough enough for this. The preferred glue is hot hide
glue. The process is: cut the leather to proper width. Dry fit so that the
length will go to just below the apex of the shoulder. Glue one side to the
hammer. Let set. Then, stretch the second end and glue to the hammer using a
small spring clamp. Let set. Once the glue is sufficiently set, trim as
needed. I prefer to bevel the ends to flush with the lower part of the
shoulder. Hope this helps. Oh, once the hammer has been played in, the tone
is quite acceptable for your average "clunker". Of course, the client needs
to be informed that this is merely a stop-gap until new hammers can be
installed. Always tell the client.
Best regards,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
Monday's Suck!