Hammer
A hammer is a key tool. Most people can look at a hammer and recognize just that. But there are a few different styles of hammer head and handle. The first thing are the different styles of hammer. Here we will be referring to a carpenters hammer with a claw on one side and face on the other. Other hammers include a ball-peen hammer, with a ball instead of a claw, a cross-peen, with a wide triangle perpendicular to the handle, and many more. All different crafts have hammers to meet their needs. For home improvement you'll need a carpenters hammer but an engineers hammer (basically a small sledge) can also come in handy, as well as a rubber mallet.
The Carpenters hammer has a couple different styles of claw. A rip claw and a curve claw. The rip claw is straight, and as you could guess the curved is rounded toward the handle. You will find rip claws more common on framing hammers than finish hammers. With a rip claw you lose some leverage for pulling nails, but you can wedge it in between boards and rip them apart. The curved claw is for pulling nails specifically. It is easier to get into smaller places.
Framing and finish hammers are the two classifications of carpenter's hammer. Framing carpentry is working with the raw studs and "bones" of your home. For this you can be a little more aggressive. The hammers built for this work are heavier and have longer handles. Rip claws are more appropriate for this type of work because you don't have to worry, as much, about breaking materials. A lot of these hammers have a waffle face. The waffle face is very aggressive, with a grid of sharp protrusions. This allows for less slipping when hitting nails or other materials.
Finish hammers are the exact opposite of framing hammers. They are lighter and smaller than framing hammers. As the name suggests they are mostly used for finish work. Finish work is working on anything that will be visible when the product is complete. The face of finish hammers are flat. This is to prevent increased damage of the more aggressive waffle face.
Handles for both types of hammer may vary. The most popular materials are: wood, fiberglass, and steel. Each have their advantages, but really, it's personal preference. Wood, and some fiberglass hammers handles can be replaced if broken. Steel is extremely strong, but if you do break it you can't replace the handle.
Tool Basics
The Carpenters hammer has a couple different styles of claw. A rip claw and a curve claw. The rip claw is straight, and as you could guess the curved is rounded toward the handle. You will find rip claws more common on framing hammers than finish hammers. With a rip claw you lose some leverage for pulling nails, but you can wedge it in between boards and rip them apart. The curved claw is for pulling nails specifically. It is easier to get into smaller places.
Framing and finish hammers are the two classifications of carpenter's hammer. Framing carpentry is working with the raw studs and "bones" of your home. For this you can be a little more aggressive. The hammers built for this work are heavier and have longer handles. Rip claws are more appropriate for this type of work because you don't have to worry, as much, about breaking materials. A lot of these hammers have a waffle face. The waffle face is very aggressive, with a grid of sharp protrusions. This allows for less slipping when hitting nails or other materials.
Finish hammers are the exact opposite of framing hammers. They are lighter and smaller than framing hammers. As the name suggests they are mostly used for finish work. Finish work is working on anything that will be visible when the product is complete. The face of finish hammers are flat. This is to prevent increased damage of the more aggressive waffle face.
Handles for both types of hammer may vary. The most popular materials are: wood, fiberglass, and steel. Each have their advantages, but really, it's personal preference. Wood, and some fiberglass hammers handles can be replaced if broken. Steel is extremely strong, but if you do break it you can't replace the handle.
Tool Basics
|
|
|
|