HomeWise.ie
Ireland's Home & Garden Search Engine
   


Seller Signup...

Quality Service, Seller or Tradesperson? Sign Up Now!




Home & Garden Articles


Hammer It Home!

Mon 05 Feb 2007 - 14:52

Hammer It Home!
By Alan King

Did you know that the hammer is the oldest human tool? Gosh, imagine the Neanderthal man with a hammer in hand trying to make some music by banging that beautiful hammer on those mineral-rich rocks!! Anyway, Wikipedia defines the hammer as "a tool meant to deliver blows to a target, causing it to move or deform."

Though the hammer may seem ordinary, every homeowner needs it at some time or the other. It is mainly used for driving in nails, breaking up things, and some more fun activities - remember, it is not to be used for threatening your neighbor. There are different types of hammers for different uses, and the following is their list.

Types of hammers

Claw hammer: Bangs in nails from one side, while the other side is shaped like a curved claw and is used for extracting nails.

Ripping hammer: This is like the claw hammer, except that the side that is used to extract nails, is straight. This hammer helps in ripping boards.

Finishing hammer: Used in smallish workshop jobs and also for general use, the finishing hammer features a smooth face on one side and a pick on the other.

Tack hammer: This is a lightweight hammer used to drive light stuff such as tacks and brads.

Ball Peen hammer: One of the sides of this is round or ball-shaped and this hammer is used for working on metals.

Mallet: This looks like a brute, but is made with wood and plastic chisels and normally used to strike chisels.

Sledgehammer: These are the hammers that the blokes on the World Wrestling Entertainment carry around. A sledgehammer is used for heavy work, such as breaking concrete.

Thor's hammer: There is no such hammer in the tools industry.

Working with hammers

Here are some handy tips on how to use hammers:

If you want to extract a longish nail, first place a piece of wood under the hammer's head. This ensures that the wood that is worked on, is not damaged.While hammering, wear safety goggles because you don't want wood and metal particles flying off into your eyes.Take the thinner piece of the wood and measure its thickness. Now, the nail that you must use should be double (in length) of that thickness.Drill a small hole before hammering the nail into that spot.Blunt the point of the nail before hammering it in. You can do this by tapping the nail with the hammerhead. Hammers are designed for a specific purpose and there are loads of models available on the market. At some point or other, you will feel the need of a hammer, so it will be prudent to equip yourself with a hammer kit.

For great Tool Deals check out the author's website at http://toolsseen.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_King
http://EzineArticles.com/?Hammer-It-Home!&id=443248


Looking for information on General Home Improvement, Find a supplier at HomeWise.ie

back to General Home Improvement articles
back to all home & garden articles