How to make a sliding hammer For under $20!

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:48 am
I decided to make this topic with some detailed instructions and list of supplies you need to make a sliding hammer that requires no welding.
I only saw 1-2 links online about DIY slide hammers with no welding but little or no instructions.
I actually did this for around $7 but only because I had some of the supplies needed. If you are starting from scratch it will be about $20.

For this DIY you can weld it if possible.
You will need the following.
(I do not have exact measurements on most of this stuff because you will have to use what you find locally, but you will have a good idea of what sizes to get!)

1 good size pair of vise grips.
1 12" or longer bolt that has the same thread pitch as the vise grip locking screw. (I used a 12" bolt.)
2 big washers with a small cirlce in the center that wont slide over the head of your bolt.
1 big socket, 1/2" (I used a 32 mm socket.)
1 smaller socket 3/8" (I used a 16mm socket.)
Tape (I would have used duck tape but did not have any.)
1-2 old rags (I used old microfiber towel.)
image.jpg


First you will start by removing the locking screw from the bottom of your vise grips. (Save the screw.)
image.jpg


Now set that aside, slide one washer onto your long bolt, followed by the smaller socket. Either end can go onto the bolt here. Then slide the second washer onto the
bolt. You should have something like this.
image.jpg
3


Now that you have that, the washers will be loose and twisiting all over the bolt.
If you have a welder, you can weld everything in place, but if you're like me and do not have one, you can wrap tape around the washers and head of the bolt to keep everything from moving around. Should look like this.
image.jpg
4


Now to make some sort of grip, fold a towel or whatever you are using into a rectangle and wrap it around the tape on the washers. (I only used one micro fiber towel.) Now wrap tape around the towel to hold it in place. Should look like this.
image.jpg
5
Last edited by Serf27 on Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:31 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:09 pm
Location: Oak hills, CA.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:55 am
Now you can slide your bigger socket over the bolt. Be sure to put the bigger open end of the socket onto the bolt first. The opening that goes onto a ratchet should not be touching the washer.
image.jpeg
6


Once a that's all done, you can screw the bolt into your vise grips and lock them in place and grab onto a stud! The finished product should look like this.
image.jpeg
7

With a 12" bolt, after the washers were on and the bolt threaded into place on the vise grips, i had about 8" of bolt space for the socket to move. Plenty of room to get some good force on the socket.

It will make some noise because the socket will be rubbing against the threads.
You could grind the threads not needed flat but that may weaken the metal.

I decided to make this because I did not know the HF stud gun, was actually a stud gun kit! It came with an actual sliding hammer and studs.They should really mention that in the online description. (By the way, the stud gun kit worked great)!

But I hope this can help someone else make their own sliding hammer if they want/need one.
:goodjob:
Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

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