glue for hammers

[Richard Brekne]

Seems like a lot of you folks are gluing with a lot of play in the 
hammer / hammer shank joint. I always drill my own hammers so the dry 
fit has basically no wobble at all. I use a similar glue to Tite Bond... 
and know all about the problem with trying to get the kind of collar 
most folks are after.  I don't find it necessary at all.  I swab the 
inside of the hammer with glue and let it sit for about 10 seconds 
whilst I swab an even thin spread on the shank.  Let that soak in for a 
few seconds whilst I set up the next hammer... and then fit the hammer 
to the shank. It takes me no longer to hang a set this way then any 
other way I've tried... and I have the opportunity to get a dead on dry 
hanging that I can use as an extra guide for gluing.  I haven't seen a 
single hammer come loose this way these past 10-12 years.  I do 
experience some very small amount of twist in a few hammers as they dry 
out. But nothing that isn't easily corrected with a bit of heat on the 
shank.

I'm not fond of hide glue for this job... gets messy real quick... at 
least for me. But I will always use it for key bushings.

Cheers
RicB