Steel slappers and using them
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Thought it might be a good idea to accumulate some know-how on this topic ....??
Attachment 43418 Steel slappers L to R - Small and flat, made from a fine file (shop made) Small and half-round, made from a file (shop made) - these two are used for doing thin brass repairs on hubcaps and brass lamps Attachment 43424 Standard size, made from files, sold commercially in 1930's -40's and 50's - one flat and one half round. Handles wrapped with friction/hockey tape. Round steel, 3/4" dia. and curved. (shop made) Twisted straight slapper for smoothing narrow areas on trim and doing detail work. (shop made) Round steel 4130 tubing 3/4" dia. (shop made) Round steel, heavy, made from 1" with a 3/4" handle. Drilled for weight-saving. (shop made) Round steel slappers are ideal for working metal around inside curves, and over either a form or body-tubing. Attachment 43419 Attachment 43420 Last one on R, flat spring steel slapper, hardened. (TM TECH) In this application I am flattening a rumpled fender bracket .085" thick, mild steel. Attachment 43421 The bracket is laid flat on a flat bench anvil and gently heated to "black heat" - and the slapper is laid on top like ironing a shirt on the ironing board. Smack the slapper with a body hammer to flatten the warm bracket. Blacksmithing calls this using the "flatter." Attachment 43422 Attachment 43423 Seeing the shine on the surface shows me the flatness. More coming .... |
Never heard the term "using the flatter". Thanks for the pics and the write-up.:)
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Thank you, that is one of the best recent posts Ive seen!
It gives us lesser mortals a fighting chance with the correct equipment used in the correct manner. I enjoy the equipment and can make pretty much whatever I need, effective not necessarily pretty! Some of us are too old to go fully through the "apprentice" stage, so starting in the right place is a huge bonus. Thank you for giving your time. |
Thanks for taking the time to post this article Kent. It is valuable information from accomplished veterans of the metal shaping community that make this site such a valuable resource. It is perfectly timed for me personally as well.
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Hi crystallographic,
This is a great post. I thought that slapping was to use the tool as a type of hammer or SLAPPING the metal. So the correct method is to use it more like a dolly then? This is very helpful as I have a 1952 Morris Minor that has a bumper that is almost flat with 45* curved ends. It has a dent in the middle and was looking for a way to take this out before I finish cleaning it up to have it plated. Is this the correct method to work on this dent? It is about 1.5" tall by 1" wide. I figure heating and using the correct slapper to form the dent back out is the proper method from what I gather from your post. Newbie here, so anyone let me know if I'm even 1/2 way on track. TX Mr fixit Chris :) |
Thank you for this post, very good as I have brass lights, horns ect, had many these old files years ago, on the lookout for suitable ones now to re purpose them, would like to learn more about working with brass lights ect,once again thanks for the post
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:) :rolleyes: |
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As with many tools, the slapper can be used in various ways - depending on the how the tool has been made. Forged steel, cast steel, pressed and hardened steel - and the original old hot bent file-type slappers are common types ... and then the TM annealed, pressed, and hardened spring steel slappers which I abuse the heck out of because the others eventually gave up. So, a good steel slapper can be used as a "shove plate" with a jack to go from Attachment 43439 to Attachment 43440 along with some judicious bumping with a track dolly from the back side ..... similar - although without the pulling - as the 356 dent tute that I posted here, previously. The track dolly is one of the primary autobody tools for straightening or shaping "thin sheet" - designed to be grabbed in the paw and used to bonk good-sized dent areas by hand, with its 2"x3" low crown surface and hardened to industry standard Rc 45-48, typical for that application. Otherwise, one conventional smoothing method is: Attachment 43442 supporting by lifting up from below and smacking down from directly above. This will also tend to stretch - if you hear and feel the hard contact of tool on dolly, instead of the soft contact from tools on metal. A hand skill takes practice. Attachment 43439 Attachment 43440 Attachment 43442 Attachment 43443 Attachment 43444 |
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Thank you. |
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