Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rich5ltr]

Hope this isn't a daft question but how do I replace the heads on a Thor copper/hide wheel nut mallet?

I've bought a new copper and hide bits via the interweb expecting them to screw on but now they've arrived I see they are just lumps of copper and hide with no obvious fixing. I haven't attacked the hammer yet does anyone know, do the old ones screw out and if so how do I fix the new heads back in?!? Thanks Rich...

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I think they just push in, the older ones do anyway, never tried to do any but have some spare hides to put in a few I have, I have tried just pushing them in, but I think I may soak them and then have a go, to see if they are any softer. I have about 5 or 6 of these hammers, dotted around, some of them are missing the hides, and there is just a plain socket for them to push into.

Where did you buy them from?

If anyone knows the way to put them in, I would love to know too!

Cheers

Dave

[Rich5ltr]

I just typed in Thor Hammes into Google and came up with these guys http://www.toolfastdirect.co.uk

[Greeney in France]

I think you will find Rich that they are specially sealed by the factory you could probably get them out by drilling them out but I am pretty sure you wont get the new ones in
Sorry to disappoint
_________________
www.OldFrenchCars.com

We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

[dclf1947]

I have just checked on the manufacturer's web site www.thorhammer.com and could find no information on how to replace the heads. Thor however show on their site all the part numbers for the replacement heads. They have a contact email address for information, I would try that approach for replacement instructions.
I remember when I was in the UK having a couple of Thor hammers and some spare copper / hide heads. I maybe wrong but I was under the impression that they are possibly pressed in and pinned? I never got round to replacing mine although they needed it.
If you get an answer please tell us, I am intrigued. I would not have thought they would have supplied replacement heads if they cannot be replaced relatively simply.

Dave
Philippines

[Rich5ltr]

Thanks everyone, likewise I saw that the replacements were shown on Thor's web site and as I found several tool suppliers offering them I naturally assumed they would simply unscrew or similar. However Greeney isn't the first person to say they are factory fitted. I have e-mailed Thor tools in Solihull and await their reply with interest! The heads cost about £8 together and I know I could have bought a new hammer for about £20 but in the interests of originality I thought, no, I'll clean the original, re-paint the head black, varnish the shaft and fit new copper and hide bits.

[Greeney in France]

I have had the same hammer "man and boy"
Its had 4 new handles and 5 new heads
_________________
www.OldFrenchCars.com

We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

[Rich5ltr]

Well that's interesting; I e-mailed Thor and got a quick and full response from them to say that it's not an easy job (in fact it sounds exceedingly difficult) and they sent me a scan of a leaflet from the 30's explaining how to do it!

Unfortunatly I can't open the scan, but the gist of it is that the copper heads are pressed in at the factory under a pressure of 50 tons!!!

The e-mail from Thor is below but I think I may just buy a new hammer!

To replace the faces on these hammers you really need time, tool room facilities, patience and determination.

To put things in perspective, these hammers were designed around 1930, when labour was cheap and changing faces was often an apprentices job in a large tool room where all the necessary facilities were available.

I have attached a scan of an old leaflet which tells how to replace the faces on the copper/rawhide hammer Size 2, but the principles are the same for all sizes.

The text from the leaflet is below:

"You ask the best method of removing and replacing faces. This is not easy but may I advise using as an example a No. 2 Copper Hammer (04-312) with face diameter of 1 ½".

During the manufacturing process faces are placed in the socket of the malleable iron casting which is oversize by approximately .025" to enable the face to sit firmly. With faces fitted the casting is then put under a 50 ton hydraulic press which swages the malleable iron around the faces, thus ensuring that they are securely fitted. In this operation the socket opening is closed in, and after swaging could be 1 ½", -×005" or -×007".

You may appreciate therefore that it is not easy to replace worn faces and I enclose a simple leaflet giving details of general fitting procedures. Whilst many customers do replace rawhide faces, copper can be particularly difficult for there are grooves in the copper socket into which the copper spreads.

The use of an opening and closing tool is ESSENTIAL to change the copper face and I can send you a drawing of the tool or make one for you. A different tool is needed for each size of hammer and for example the number 2 size is £45.00, although anyone with tool room facilities can easily make one themselves.

Our copper is 99% pure and, being soft, will after considerable use, mushroom over the hammer head and in this state often lasts almost indefinitely.

Many customers find it more economical to use the copper end to destruction and then replace the complete hammer. Some large users use an air/pneumatic chisel to force out the copper face but this can only be done before there is any head distortion.

The time taken to replace copper faces is generally not cost effective.

I hope this brief summary is of assistance."

If you do go the opening and closing tool route, there is a possibility that the casting will crack in the process and only the minimum opening up and closing in of the casting should be applied. This particularly applies to hammers made after about 1990 as we moved from traditional blackheart iron to spherical graphite, which is harder, due to the high environmental cost of annealing the blackheart.

Regards and Best of Luck

Derek Mathers

Thor Hammer Company Limited
Highlands Road
Shirley
Solihull
West Midlands B90 4NJ
ENGLAND
[/i]

[crisonic]

Found this thread will searching for an answer to this question. I have finally accepted that the replacement of copper heads may be beyond me but others have mentioned that they have replaced the hide heads
Does anyone know if the head should be softed before pressing it in? If so what do you soak it in so that it will dry as hard as the supplied part.
I have acces to a 50 ton press and I thought chamfereing a lead maybe all that is required
Can any one help me get my belovered Thor going again?
Thanks