What kind of hammer is this?

[Charmin]

Got a box of old tools at an estate sale and this was in it. I think its some kind of hammer(?) but not really sure what it could be used for. The square ends are made of wood and they screw into a brass fitting. Each wooden piece has a different design on the four sides. Brass piece has "U.S.A. Pat. Appd. For" on it. Hammer measures 11" long and each wooden piece is 1 1/4" wide. If anyone can tell me what this was used for, I sure would appreciate it! (I will post a couple of pictures and then add more with a reply--my internet service will only upload 2 at a time).
Thanks for looking!
sandcreek

 

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[Charmin]

more pics~

 

[Silver Searcher]

Looks like a Gavel

SS

 

[IronSpike]

Looks like the pieces of wood were added later. Maybe replacing worn pieces previously in place

 

[Silver Searcher]

on it's way way to be coming one of these Auctioneers hammer(Gavel) perhaps

SS

 

[Charmin]

Looks like a Gavel

SS

Hey Silver Searcher--thanks for the help---it may be some kind of gavel , I just don't know. The thing that I question is the different designs on the wooden block parts. And there's not much wear to the wooden pieces but the brass part it all scratched/banged up.
Thanks so much for your help!
sandcreek

Looks like the pieces of wood were added later. Maybe replacing worn pieces previously in place

The wood pieces aren't very worn so maybe they have been replaced. Thanks IronSpike!
sandcreek

 

[lamar]

Dear Sandcreek4;
The hammer in question is actually a mallet and it almost certainly came from the aviation industry. The body of the mallet is the standard GI issue aircraft mechanics mallet. The mallets originally came with a soft face made from green rubber and a hard face molded in red polymer. They screwed into the body and were replaceable. Later someone took a phenolic block and turned out two phenolic faces, most likely to either replace the damaged rubber faces or to be used as a tool in a special application. I happen to have a mallet just like the one in the photo (minus the phenolic faces) with the original rubber/polymer faces, two aluminum faces and two brass faces. The aluminum and brass faces were produced by myself on a lathe.
Your friend;
LAMAR

 

[Silver Searcher]

Dear Sandcreek4;
The hammer in question is actually a mallet and it almost certainly came from the aviation industry. The body of the mallet is the standard GI issue aircraft mechanics mallet. The mallets originally came with a soft face made from green rubber and a hard face molded in red polymer. They screwed into the body and were replaceable. Later someone took a phenolic block and turned out two phenolic faces, most likely to either replace the damaged rubber faces or to be used as a tool in a special application. I happen to have a mallet just like the one in the photo (minus the phenolic faces) with the original rubber/polymer faces, two aluminum faces and two brass faces. The aluminum and brass faces were produced by myself on a lathe.
Your friend;
LAMAR

Yes could be...but don't panel beaters also use that type of hammer, for repairing dents in car body parts. usually the screw in ends were either rubber or plastic

SS

 

[lamar]

Dear Silver Searcher;
I have no idea, my friend as I do not do autobody repairs, however phenolic blocks of the size in the photo are very spendy when purchased by an individual, yet they are used frequently in the aircraft industry for all manner of projects. We used to build shaping forms out of phenolic blocks in order to form aircraft structural parts such as rib sections, caps, etc. Also, since the mallet body comes from a GI aircraft mechanics toolbox, I would say with some authority that the mallet came from the aviation industry.
Your friend;
LAMAR

 

[Silver Searcher]

Dear Silver Searcher;
I have no idea, my friend as I do not do autobody repairs, however phenolic blocks of the size in the photo are very spendy when purchased by an individual, yet they are used frequently in the aircraft industry for all manner of projects. We used to build shaping forms out of phenolic blocks in order to form aircraft structural parts such as rib sections, caps, etc. Also, since the mallet body comes from a GI aircraft mechanics toolbox, I would say with some authority that the mallet came from the aviation industry.
Your friend;
LAMAR

lamar...sounds like a very similar application

SS

 

[Charmin]

Dear Sandcreek4;
The hammer in question is actually a mallet and it almost certainly came from the aviation industry. The body of the mallet is the standard GI issue aircraft mechanics mallet. The mallets originally came with a soft face made from green rubber and a hard face molded in red polymer. They screwed into the body and were replaceable. Later someone took a phenolic block and turned out two phenolic faces, most likely to either replace the damaged rubber faces or to be used as a tool in a special application. I happen to have a mallet just like the one in the photo (minus the phenolic faces) with the original rubber/polymer faces, two aluminum faces and two brass faces. The aluminum and brass faces were produced by myself on a lathe.
Your friend;
LAMAR

Well thank you so much LAMAR! I never would've guessed that it was that kind of mallet! That's pretty cool! I'll mark this as solved----really appreciate all the help Lamar, Silver Searcher and Iron Spike!
kind regards,
sandcreek

 

[Shortstack]

Sandcreek4:

Lamar is correct about this hammer. I am a bodyman, and our basic hammers are steel used with steel dollies. Hammers and mallets, such as you have pictured, are used for shaping metal pieces without stretching the metal. There are different techniques for shaping metal by hand with hammers and dollies. To stretch metal as part of it's shaping; use hard hammer on hard dollie. To shape metal without stretching; use soft hammer on soft dollie. To shrink metal, use hard on soft or soft on hard.

Since aircraft panels have critical requirements in shaping; your mallet would fit the needs. As one possibility, it was used with a backup dollie for leveling small dimples in the aluminum panels. Those panels were too expensive to throw away because of a little old dimple. I've worked on aluminum bodied 18-wheeler tractors and can vouch for that. I would bet that the squared faces of your mallet means it was used for final planishing on flat panels.

 

[Charmin]

Sandcreek4:

Lamar is correct about this hammer. I am a bodyman, and our basic hammers are steel used with steel dollies. Hammers and mallets, such as you have pictured, are used for shaping metal pieces without stretching the metal. There are different techniques for shaping metal by hand with hammers and dollies. To stretch metal as part of it's shaping; use hard hammer on hard dollie. To shape metal without stretching; use soft hammer on soft dollie. To shrink metal, use hard on soft or soft on hard.

Since aircraft panels have critical requirements in shaping; your mallet would fit the needs. As one possibility, it was used with a backup dollie for leveling small dimples in the aluminum panels. Those panels were too expensive to throw away because of a little old dimple. I've worked on aluminum bodied 18-wheeler tractors and can vouch for that. I would bet that the squared faces of your mallet means it was used for final planishing on flat panels.

Thanks for explaining how it was used Shortstack! I cleaned a little more on the brass part and found some other writing: C.W. Mfg. Santa Anna Cal.
Thanks again for all the help guys!!!
sandcreek

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Definitely a mallet - but people who are woodworker's also use them. There is nothing like it for tapping in dowels, etc.

I have a couple, from my grandfather, actually - and the ends do wear down and can be replaced easily, and it will not leave a dent on cabinetry pieces.

(My grandfather used to call them "dead blow mallets".

B

 

[Charmin]

Definitely a mallet - but people who are woodworker's also use them. There is nothing like it for tapping in dowels, etc.

I have a couple, from my grandfather, actually - and the ends do wear down and can be replaced easily, and it will not leave a dent on cabinetry pieces.

(My grandfather used to call them "dead blow mallets".

B

Thanks B! I just didn't know what it could be used for (especially since there was no sign of use on the wooden part).
I really appreciate all the help from everyone!
kind regards,
sandcreek

 

[lamar]

Dear Sandcreek4;
Definitely aviation industry related my friend. The dead give-away is the brass body of the mallet which was specified by the USAF to be of a material which is non-sparking in nature when working in and around fuel cells. Besides, mine is identical to yours and mine was purchased from a USAF auction on Tinker AFB.
Your friend;
LAMAR

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Lamar,

You may be right - but, I have one exactly like pictured also - and it was never used in the aviation industry.

There are items that are used in more than one industry.

Either way - it is a mallet, what's the problem?

B