The knock on hammers and
how to nail down a good one

By By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

SOME say the strength and shape of the shaft is the most important factor. Others claim it's the size of the head that makes the difference. But Frank Suster, City Mill's in-house building expert, says both factors are important when buying a hammer.

"The difference in cost between a great hammer and a poor quality one is just a few dollars," Suster said. "A good-quality hammer will perform well for years."

Hammer shafts (handles) come in ash, hickory, tubular steel with rubber grips or fiberglass, all of which absorb shock well, are comfortable to hold and provide a good grip. Heads, Suster said, should be cleanly forged -- not cast -- of quality steel. And on a general purpose hammer, the face -- the surface that comes in contact with the nail -- should be smooth and have slightly beveled edges.

Specialized hammers are available for everything from installing drywall to cutting bricks in half to upholstering sofas. And remember, Suster said, every basic tool kit should always include a small carpenter's claw hammer, like a 16-oz. one that will let you do minor projects such as installing drapery hardware, or putting new weather stripping around a door.

Here are the different types of hammers:

Claw hammer. The standard, and most common hammer, is the 16-oz. curved-claw, the best choice for most home uses, Suster said. Choose a hammer with a slightly curved face and beveled edges to prevent chipping. If 16 oz. is too heavy, try one with a lighter handle.

Framing hammer, also known as a ripping hammer. This one is used for most rough construction work. If you do a lot of rough framing, go for a 20-ounce waffle-faced hammer. The coarse hammer face, which bites into the nail head, and the extra weight will give you more power, Suster said. It also is available in 24- and 28-oz. sizes. The most popular handles in this type are wood, Suster said. Some of the striking area of the heads have indentations that grab the nail head to prevent it from slipping and damaging the surface being hammered, Suster said. The longer handle provides more leverage and power.

Carpenter's hammer. These are made for driving and pulling nails. Suster advises that you not use a carpenter's hammer as an all-purpose hammer because you can ruin it by using it as a crowbar, or by driving chisels, or other hardened driving tools. A carpenter's hammer also is not heavy enough to drive hardened masonry nails. (Use a ball-peen or small sledge for driving hardened concrete nails and with driven tools.)

Ball-peen hammer. A ball-peen hammer head has a hardened hammer face on one side and a ball on the other. Before modern fasteners such as pop rivets were available, the ball side of the hammer was used to flatten or "peen" soft metal rivets. This hammer is a useful addition to the homeowner's tool box, and can be used to drive steel chisels, masonry chisels, nail pullers or concrete nails, Suster said. Ball peens, which can range in size from 10 oz. to 48 oz., are used primarily for shaping metal and working rivets.

Sledge hammer. This is a large hammer used for heavy driving, or for breaking concrete. The sledge hammer usually has two hammer faces, but may have a splitting wedge on one side of the head and a flat face on the other. A sledge hammer usually has a head weight of 2 to 12 pounds, or more.

Wallboard hammer. These are designed specially for driving drywall fasteners. First, the wallboard hammer has a larger face than a carpenter's hammer, and the hammer's face is crowned or convex. This larger, crowned face lets you set the wallboard nail below the surface of the board, or dimple it, without crushing the plaster core around the nail, and without cutting the face paper around the perimeter of the hammer mark. These two factors -- crushing the plaster core and cutting or fracturing the face paper -- account for a large percentage of the fastener failure problems in wallboard. The wallboard hammer handle is longer than an ordinary carpenter's hammer handle, so a person of average height can reach the top corner of the 8-foot high wall without having to use a ladder.

Tack hammer. These are excellent tools for setting small fasteners. They are used by cabinetmakers because the broad face is good for nails and the tapered end is right for striking brads (thin nails) held between fingers. They are also good for upholstery tacks. Some are magnetized to allow a tack to be set right on the smaller end so you won't smash your fingers, Suster said. The larger side is not magnetized and is used to drive the tack in all the way.

Hand-drilling hammer. When using a masonry chisel for cutting bricks you can use this easily held "baby sledge," Suster said. This tool is also excellent for pounding concrete nails into concrete. "You can't use a regular sledge hammer because the handle is too long, about 36 inches, or a regular hammer because that's too light," Suster said. "The hand-drilling hammer lets you get real close to the nail because the handle is only 8 to 10 inches long."

How to be a smashing success

Everyone bends a nail now and then. No, not on your fingers but when hammering.

Here are some tips to help you use a hammer better and avoid mashed fingers, as well.

To reduce the chances of bending a nail in heavy work, try to drive it home with the fewest possible hammer blows -- no more than three or four. Hold the hammer handle at its end, not in the middle, and swing your arm like a clock pendulum, keeping your wrist stiff during the swing. Always wear safety glasses or goggles.

When hammering indoors, use a pair of thick city telephone books as a work surface. The books will not only protect the surface but also deaden the sound. And if you're working on a messy project, you can tear out the pages of the book and use them to catch spills.

To keep your fingers out of the way when you start a small nail or brad (thin nail), stick the nail through a piece of stiff paper and use the paper as a holder as you drive in the nail. Before finally seating the nail, tear the paper away. Needle-nose pliers or the teeth of a comb also can serve as nailholders.

To shield a work surface from an accidental hammer blow when you're driving finishing nails, simply drive the nail through a hole in a scrap of perforated board with one-quarter-inch holes. As you near the surface, lift off the perforated board and use a nail set to sink the nail.

Driving a nail into hardwood is easier if you drill a pilot hole first, just as you would for a screw. If you don't have the right drill bit, nip off the head of a nail that is the same size as the nail you are going to drive, and put it tightly in the drill.

Another way to ease a nail into hardwood is to lubricate it. Beeswax, household lubricating oil, even lip balm all work well. If your hammer has a wood handle, drill a hole in the handle end and fill it with beeswax, keeping the wax handy for use.

Glue a small magnet to the end of your hammer handle to make it easy to pick up a few nails.

To pull nails too small for the claw of your hammer to grip, create a miniature nail puller by filing a V-shaped notch into one claw tip. A triangular-shape needle file will do the job nicely.

You need the right stuff to tool around

A carpenter friend once told me that in the building business it is "by the tools that you will know the workman."

For the pro, it's always smart to buy the best tools available, said local carpenter Bob Hansen. And while quality tools are a definite plus for the homeowner, in some instances buying pro-quality tools may be overkill.

Except for hand tools, Hansen said.

"That's when quality is essential even if (the tools) will see only occasional use," he said.

Savings between cheap and quality tools are small, at most. Buying a cheap hammer may save a couple of dollars, but it also might mean buying a hammer the head of which can chip, possibly injuring to the user with flying steel.

Hansen suggests that when buying hand tools you stick with a name brand, or at least buy tools that are made of drop-forged steel. Hammers come in different weights, so choosing the right

one will make your do-it-yourself life a lot easier.

Before you buy, lift the hammer and see how it feels. Give it a good swing. Most people find that claw and ball-peen hammers with 16-ounce heads are the most comfortable, Hansen said.

Here are some other suggestions when buying a hammer:

Look for a hammer with a forged-steel head. Tiny particles of metal tend to chip off cast-steel heads and can go flying in all directions.

Carpenter's hammers with curved claws pull nails better than straight-claw models and help protect amateurs from sticking the claw into their head on the backswing.

Avoid hammers with waffle-iron faces. A single blow that slips off the nail and onto a thumb is sure to send you to the hospital.

If a wood, fiberglass or leather-clad hammer handle is slippery, rough it up with sandpaper before using it.