Hammer is one of the oldest and most important hand tools in the engineering world. Though there are one’s made of electric and pneumatic applicable on a very heavy object. Hammers of different types can be used in various fields such as woodworking, metalworking, etc.
Hammers designed as hand tools are easy to use, by simply lifting the hammer and bringing it down with a pretty force. The hardest part is making contact with the object that needs force. In woodworking, hammers are used mostly to drive nails into wood and drive chisels through the wood. Well, in this reading, we’ll explore what a hammer is, its types, diagram, and how to use it.
Let’s get started!
What is Hammer?
A hammer is a hand tool with a weighted head attached to a long handle, used for various applications such as driving nails, shaping metal, or crushing rocks. Traditional disciplines like carpentry, blacksmithing, warfare, and percussive musicianship use hammers for their strike capacity.
Hammering involves using a hammer in its strike capacity, pivoting around the shoulder and elbow, with a small wrist rotation before impact. For extreme impact, concurrent motions of the torso and knee can lower the shoulder joint, increasing the swing arc length. War hammers are often used in non-vertical planes of motion, with more energy input from legs and hips.
Whilst, in metalworking as well as mechanical engineering, various types of the hammer are used when parts need adjustment. It is mostly used when trying to drive in part into another part. In forge work (blacksmithing) hammers are used in bending or shaping operations as well as many other operations.
There are some hammers designed for chipping away rock or corrosion. Due to these hammers being made for various purposes, I have examined the different types of hammers used in our daily lives.
Names List of Different Kinds of Hammers
Below are the names of different types of hammers:
- Drywall Hammer
- Electrician Hammer
- Ball Peen Hammer
- Brick Hammer
- Claw Hammer
- Trim Hammer
- Cross and Straight Pein
- Cross Pein Pin Hammer
- Club Hammer
- Framing Hammer
- Sledgehammer
- Tack Hammer
- Joiner’s Mallet
- Soft-faced Hammers
- Scaling Hammer
- Powered Nailers Hammer
- Chasing Hammer
- Hatchet Hammer
- Rock Hammer
- Scutch Hammer
- Dead Blow Hammer
- Blacksmith Hammer
- Blocking Hammer
- Brass Hammer
- Bushing Hammer
Diagram of Hammers
Types of Hammers
Below are the various kinds of hammers and their uses:
Blacksmithing Hammer
The blacksmithing hammer is common among the forge worker known as blacksmiths. They primarily use the hammer to shape malleable, white-hot metal, making it requires a skillful person to use the hammer. It is a sledgehammer type with a slightly tapered and rounded second head. Its purpose is to shape red-hot steel by slamming it down against an anvil.
Blacksmith hammers are a multipurpose tool that combine rigid construction with careful finishing, ensuring a comfortable and efficient work environment. These hammers are essential for the hard work of blacksmiths, who rely on perfect response for their work every day, ensuring the highest-quality metal products are produced.
Claw Hammer
A claw hammer is a tool used in carpentry for driving nails into or pulling them from wood. It is primarily associated with woodworking but is also used in general applications. The claw hammer consists of a metal head and a handle, traditionally made of wood but also steel, fiberglass, or other composite materials.
The head has a poll with smooth or textured surface for driving, while the other side is formed into downward curving V-shaped claws for prying. The greater the curve of the claw(s) and longer the handle, the greater the leverage that may be applied.
There are two types of claw hammers: two-piece hammers, which are constructed from a forged steel head with a hole for fixing a handle, and single-piece forged heat-treated steel hammers, which are often equipped with polymer grips for ergonomics and reduced vibrations.
Mallet
A mallet is a tool made of rubber or wood, typically with a large head, used for exerting force on another object. It is smaller than a maul or beetle and is typically barrel-shaped. Mallets are used in various industries, such as upholstery work, and are preferred by woodworkers using chisels with plastic, metal, or wooden handles.
The mallet’s striking faces are softer than steel, making it suitable for driving tools or striking surfaces without marring them. The mallet’s size and proportions are not the materials used, but rather the overall size and proportions.
Sledgehammer
The sledgehammer is purposely designed for the demolition of a wall or driving a giant stake deep into the ground. It is made with a two-sided striking head and a wooden handle, sometimes with a pipe covered with rubber. Woodworkers found no use in this hammer like structural engineers.
Tack Hammer
Tack types of hammers are purposely designed for driving small nails to hold the part with thin layers. For example, driving in a carpet nail. It is perfect for such operations and any work that requires a deft touch. These hammers are of a thinning striking head usually magnetized to hold the small piece of nail and wooden handles.
Club Hammer
This hammer is much similar to a sledgehammer in operation, having much strength to demolish. But in club hammers, there is unlimited space for striking, and offers greater balance while using.
These types of hammers are also known as lump hammer, a heavy-duty tool with a double-faced head, is a versatile tool ideal for tight spaces. Its compact size allows for precise control, making it ideal for tasks requiring force and accuracy. A compact, lightweight tool with a short handle, making it ideal for demolition, driving chisels, and breaking small concrete slabs. Its durable hardened steel head and comfortable wood or fiberglass handle ensure comfort and safety.
Dead Blow Hammer
The dead blow type of hammer is an interesting type of hammer to use as it specialized in pounding on surfaces. It is designed to minimize recoil or damage on struck surfaces. With this, it can be used to drive chisels and moving wrenches as they loosen stuck screws.
Ball Peen Hammer
These types of hammers consists of two different phases just like other types of hammer. In this situation, the first striking head is for pounding surfaces, while the other curved peen head is applied when an object is needed to be shaped. Metalworkers found great interest in this hammer as it satisfies their needs when shaping.
Drywall Hammer
Drywall hammers can be classified among woodworking hammers due to the fact that drywall can be hung on a wood frame. It is designed with a flat head to strike fasteners and the other edge is made of a hook for tearing off drywall also known as wood panelling.
Framing Hammer
A framing hammer also serves as a basic nail driver, used mostly in building house frames. It is containing a straight claw and a waffled head. These types of a hammer are usually shorter but more expensive, making it not important as there are other alternatives
Hatchet Hammer
The hatchet kind of hammer is used for knocking together two crude pieces of wood via a fastener. This hammer is totally different from all the hammers listed above. However, the traditional hatchet focus on the chopping blade.
Blocking Hammer
This type of hammer is also used by blacksmiths. The hamper contains a flat striking surface and a round surface, using the flat face to shape hot metal on an anvil. This tool brings about finesse and detailed work in forge work.
Electricians Hammer
This hammer is used specifically by electricians but lookalike with carpenter’s claw hammers. Their difference is that the claw of the electrician’s hammer is short and the hammer is insulated to prevent the worker from shock.
Cross-peen Hammer
The cross peen hammer is a versatile tool with a wedge-shaped peen perpendicular to the handle, ideal for blacksmiths and metalworkers for shaping and bending metal. Its flat face is used for striking and hammering tasks, making it suitable for various metalworking applications like forging, riveting, and bending metal rods or sheets. It’s also useful in woodworking for creating joints and detailed work.
Chasing Hammer
The chasing hammer is used on soft metals to shape them into jewelry. It is known as one the finest hammer as it consists of a tapered handle toward a bulbous end for better stroke control. One side of its head is flat suitable for bending malleable metals.
Trim Hammer
The trim hammer used in woodworking on small nails, purposely for trim. It is usually short, with a point claw on the other edge for removing bad fasteners. It is a great tool when working on a tight angle.
Shingle Hammer
Shingle hammer is used for asphalt or slate. It is designed with a small claw that helps in removing bent nails. However, most people these days use other alternatives and use a nail gun.
Piton Hammer
The piton type of hammer is used technically by rock mountain climbers to drive the life-saving stake into rock faces. It’s a life-saving hammer.
Joiner’s Mallet
It is obvious that the joiner’s mallets are used in woodworking due to the fact that its entire body is made of wood. the hammers are used to either push chisels to shape wood or to knock two parts together. It leaves no scar on the workpiece when softly hit.
Brick Hammer
Brick hammers have a variety of purposes as they can be used to cut bricks, split them, and even split apart rocks. It contains a conventional flat head and a flat blade on the other, that does most of the job.
Stone Sledgehammer
A stone sledgehammer give chances of breaking concrete or rocks with a very hard swing. It is very tough and shorter than a traditional sledgehammer, using its flat edge to break down a large portion of concrete or rock, and the angled edge is used to break it down into pieces.
Rock Hammer
The hammer is designed for a skillful person, giving the chance of knocking out an interesting part from a strata layer and doing some shaping work.
How to Use a Hammer
The use of a hammer is a crucial tool in any job, and improper use can lead to injuries. In the U.S., 120,000 injuries occur annually due to improper tool use, with 30,000 of these being hammer accidents. To avoid these injuries, follow these best practices:
1. Ensure the hammer is suitable for work, avoiding degradation like looseheads or rust.
2. Invest in safe eyewear to protect against objects flying towards you while hammering.
3. Stay focused on the task at hand, avoiding multitasking.
4. Swing the hammer with a firm grip, ensuring no person or object is endangered.
5. Start with a gentle tap and gradually increase power as the item is set in place.
These general concepts apply to any hammer, regardless of its type. By following these guidelines, you can avoid potential injuries and ensure a safe and efficient hammer use.
The use of a hammer and nail punch is crucial for ensuring the safety of the workpiece and hammerhead. Avoid hitting nails with the side of a check or hammerhead, as the metal at these points may be damaged. When assembling delicate work, use scrap wood between the workpiece and the hammer head to prevent damage.
A nail punch with a flat end fits the hammerhead, preventing damage to the workpiece. Regularly check the steel wedges holding the handle in the hammerhead to ensure tightness. Wear safety glasses when driving masonry nails or breaking up concrete.
Factor to Consider Before Choosing a Hammer
Specialized hammers are designed to meet the specific needs of various tasks, considering factors such as the material being worked on, the type of work (e.g., demolition, construction, metalworking), and the need for precision versus power. Factors such as purpose, weight, handle length, material, and face texture all influence the design of a hammer.
Material compatibility is crucial as the force and precision needed to work with different materials varies. For example, a sledgehammer is made for heavy-duty operations like cracking concrete, while a soft-faced hammer is used for delicate materials to prevent damage.
Task specificity is another factor to consider when choosing a hammer. A ball peen hammer is best for metalworking activities like riveting, while a claw hammer is best for light prying and nail driving.
Safety and ergonomics are also important factors to consider. Hammers are designed to minimize operator fatigue and boost security, with ergonomic grips and handles varying depending on the length and hardness of use.
Accuracy and precision are also important factors to consider when choosing a hammer. Technological advancements have led to the development of more effective, long-lasting, and specialized hammers to meet modern demands.