Hammering – How to use a hammer for DIY and professional projects

The act of striking something with a hammer is referred to as hammering. But injuries can occur, if you do not know how to use hammer correctly.

Let us therefore get into the this hammering guide. 

How to Use a Hammer?

Since striking with the hammer may result in minor or severe injuries, it is important that you use it correctly. This approach includes DIY or Professional projects.hammering- nail

Before you begin to use a hammer, it is important to understand the application of the type of hammer that you intend to use. Basically, hammering applications involve driving of nail into a material. It may also involve several other applications such as dent removal, forging, and much more. The application or use of the the tool, therefore, gives way to a wide range of classes and types.

Lets us now consider some classes of hammers. 

  • Soft face type
  • Sledge type
  • Mechanical type

How to use a hammer: General Overview

Click on the video here below to see a general overview of how to use a hammer presented by –  Ace Hardware

Credited to:  Ace Hardware

 

Importance of safety and  correct techniques

Would you use a sledgehammer to drive a tack nail? Or would you try to break down a concrete wall with a tack hammer? Obviously, you would not complete the task correctly, and you risk injuring yourself or someone else in the process.

Hammering is a process that too many DIY project workers take for granted. They do not always observe proper hammering safety, nor do they use the proper techniques or wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Hammering nail

This type of behavior may result in eye injury, finger injury, or, in some cases, back trauma for sledgehammer users. As a result, it is critical that you use the proper hammer designed for the specific application. This action is required to avoid the types of injuries that may occur as a result of improper tool use.

Practical tips on how to use a Hammer

  • Try to observe general safety at all times when hammering
  • Try to avoid completing heavy hammering projects without wearing PPE
  • Do not use a hammer with a loose head that may fly off.
  • Take the necessary precautions to avoid getting injured by flying material chips.
  • Avoid using a hammer with a broken or loose handle, which can cause injury.
  • Before using hammers, inspect them and replace any broken or loose handles.

Types and  Applications of hammers

The following table shows the types of hammers and how you should use them in various applications. Failure to use a hammer that was designed for a particular application may result in personal injury as was mentioned earlier.

Hammers Examples Examples Application
Ball-peen hammers

These hammers may be used in applications for metal work such as driving cold chisels, shaping off edges of metal and metal fasteners such as rivets.
Sledge hammers

These hammers may be used in applications such as demolitions of concrete slabs, brick walls, etc
Framing hammers

These hammers are used mostly in carpentry applications such framing wooden houses hence its name.
Soft face hammers

These hammers are designed to apply a driving force without marring the surface of the material. Soft face hammers are able to bend and shape materials without developing any surface damage to the work.
Tack hammers

These lightweight hammers are suited for applications such as tacking small nails or tacks to secure upholstery fabric unto furniture frames.  They are mostly designed with two faces, of which one face is magnetized to assist in the placement of tacks
Claw hammers

These hammers are primarily designed applications such as drive nails into materials and the removal nails.

 Recommendations: Best Hammers to use by categories

These are some of the best hammers from the categories discussed in this article on how to use a hammer. You may want to seriously consider buying any of them to safely complete a particular hammering application, as mentioned previously.