Texas A&M Mechanical Engineering Hammer
After years of watching machinists on YouTube, I was taught how to use the basics of a machine shop at Texas A&M. The first test of my new skills was to manufacture the right of passage, the TAMU Hammer from stock brass and aluminum.
Learning by Doing
Simple engineering drawings were given to each student to machine their hammer. The hammer would consist of a brass head and an aluminum rod that could be screwed together.
In total, a band saw, mill and lathe were all required to machine the hammer.
The Final Design
My final hammer was able to threaded on the first attempt after many delays waiting for machines to free up. We were encouraged to do something extra with our hammer designs to personalize them. Some people knurled their handles, others added extra chamfers, but I wanted to do something that would require a bit more time and testing prior to committing my sacred hammer. I plan to acid etch the A&M logo into one of the faces of my hammer.
