How to select a hammer?

Not all hammers are the same. Choosing the right tools is not an easy task. You need a lot of knowledge, practical experience, and adequate practice to pick the right tool. A hammer is an amazing gardening tool. There are a lot of fields that hammers are useful. This is why, who we love to do DIY works should know how to choose the best hammer to do our job faster and in a proper way. So, let’s follow a proper guide on how to choose the best hammer. A hammer tool is one of the must-have tools for plumbers. It is true that the the hammer is a very basic tool, which does not incorporate any electrical or electronic components. However, there are some things to know about how to choose a hammer, because not all of them are the same.

 

Selecting A Hammer

All tool-users know hammers come with a variety of features, designs, and models. So, picking the best hammer for your work would be the decision for you.

The first consideration of anyone who knows their hammer is balance. The proper head-to-handle weight distribution is very important. When a hammer has good balance, it seems to swing itself. Good balance results in less stress on muscles and tendons, helping to eliminate common injuries associated with swinging a hammer.

Of course Hammer heads have different shapes and different weight, even they have different colors, they also have different materials. For all hammer heads exclusively tested carbon steel is used. Generally speaking, steel is a metal that contains a mixture of iron and carbon. When no other elements are included, it is referred to as plain carbon steel. Steel that has other elements such as Sulfur, Manganese, Chromium, Nickel, or similar are referred to as alloy steels. Hammer heads are available in two different quality classes,carbon steel 45# and carbon steel 55#. Both quality classes provide an exclusive quality but with carbon steel 45#/55# manufactured tools prove a higher stability and posses a lower wear, therefore a distinct increase in tool's life expectancy can be achieved.

The depth of the hardening on the striking face is also an important factor. Many times, since you cannot see hardness, it is neglected, which affects the hammers durability and makes it a potentially dangerous tool. If it’s too hard it becomes brittle and chips easily.  So the most important procedure in the manufacture of a hammer is controlling the temper or degree of hardness of the head. For one sledge hammer, stoning hammer or a claw hammer, the main is hammer striking face hardness. The heating process of a hammer is one of the critical steps. You need to be precise about the temperature you are working with for the project. The best forging temperature for steel is around 1200℃. This step aims to ensure that the hammer head is neither too hard nor too soft. It will also prevent fracturing, chipping, while also ensuring edge retention. TOOLSLADDER have two automatic heat treatment machines with high efficiency. The tools hardness result met the standard. TOOLSLADDER process is hardened firstly, and then tempering, then we could assure each head striking face hardness could pass hardness test. Generally there are two standards, one is Germany GS standard and UK BS standard. After hardening and tempering the axe head blade has a hardness of RD47-55.

According to the professionals, the hammers with a hickory handle are best, next are the fiberglass, and then solid steel hammers when it comes to tiring and painful handle vibration. It’s very important to ensure that the head-handle assembly remain secure. In a professional, top quality hammer, the head and handle should be assembled with a wooden wedge and steel wedges.

 

However, in the professional world, the usage of a hammer is dependent on the work you are carrying out, and there are also specific types of hammers to do your job effortlessly. When you use a purpose-based hammer, your job will be precise and noticeably efficient in every perspective. But many of you may wonder which hammer is the right fit for your project, like today’s world is up to the brim with hammers offering different benefits and usage. To ease your difficulty, in this article, we’re going to discuss several hammers types so that you can choose the right hammer for your project.

Sledge hammer

A sledgehammer is similar to a club hammer the major difference is it has a longer handle and heavier head. It has a large flat metal head designed for heavy and large blows. The large handle and heavy head help to gather force during a swing and apply a higher amount of force as compared to a normal nail hammer.

Another difference between a normal nail hammer and a sledgehammer is, It can distribute force over a large area whereas a normal hammer concentrates force to a particular area. It is used for masonry work, driving stakes, and breaking concrete. This is the best tool for demolition purposes.

Club hammer

This is a tiny sledgehammer. It has a short, double-sided head that looks very similar to a sledgehammer. It is also used for light demolition work, though it isn’t practical enough to be used for large projects.

While it looks and functions as a small sledgehammer, its primary purpose is to drive steel chisels and masonry heads.

Claw Hammer

Claw hammers are the most commonly used hammers. It has one side flat rounded and another side curved having, a fork or V-like structure for pulling the nails. This hammer is used for pushing the pin or removing the nail.

It is primarily used for woodworking. Carpenters use this hammer majorly but, now it can be found on any workshop, home, or construction sites. This is not suitable for metalworking processes or hard hammering on metal surfaces.

The handle of this hammer is made up of wood, metal, or glass fiber that comes with or without a rubber cover. This hammer is useful as an impact tool for cutting stones and metal because its head drives the chisel more deeply into the metal being cut. This is also known as drilling or lump hammer.

Ball Pein Hammer

This hammer offers a hybrid solution for your work that has a ball-shaped head and a flat surface. The ball-shaped head is used to shape metal materials while the flat surface drives the nail inside. And this makes it ideal for metalworking, rounding edges, and pouching as well.

Rubber Hammer

A rubber hammer is an extremely helpful tool for work that requires soft blows. As the name suggests the head of the hammer is made up of rubber with a wooden handle. This hammer is commonly used in woodworking, upholstery, & sheet metal, which requires softer but firm blows. This hammer is perfect to force the plasterboard in place without harming or damaging it.

Welder’s hammer

While hammer welding itself may be an art form which is fast disappearing from the modern day world, a welder’s hammer is a very useful reminder of days gone by. This particular tool is used to remove waste material from round a weld with both a pointed tool and a chisel tool on either side of the hammerhead.

Blacksmith’s hammer

The blacksmith’s hammer has an interesting history all of its own which goes back many centuries. Effectively it is designed for multipurpose forging allowing a blacksmith to bend and chip away at extremely hot metal materials to create a specific product. This is a specialist tool and is not designed for traditional use.

Dead-blow hammer

Commonly referred to as a type of mallet the dead-blow hammer is perfect for use in relatively tight spaces. It is designed to minimise any damage on the contact area with minimal rebound also assisting where space is at a premium. Consisting of two identical hammerhead tools this type of hammer can be used for a variety of different tasks.

Engineering hammer

The engineering hammer is a hard wearing durable tool which has traditionally been used for locomotive repairs and other similar activities. It has a rounded head and a cross peen which makes it ideal for particularly difficult repairs. The term is also used to describe ball peen hammers and rounded double head hammers.

This is just a selection of the various types of hammers available today because ultimately there will be a hammer for every occasion!

Besides, there are many hammers such as, Tack Hammer, Finish Hammer, Texture Hammer, and so on to carry out specific hammering work. Apart from the types of hammers and their usage, some undeniable perspectives are worthy of consideration.

First, the handle, you can choose among wooden, fiberglass, or even steel hammer handles based on your preference. Wood handle also have different material, such as USA hickory, Germany ash, Chinese beech and etc. It varies from person to person and usage as well.

Secondly, the weight of the hammer is another crucial factor. Some prefer the lightweight version, while some depend on the heavyweight. But, again, this solely depends on users’ comfort and handling need.

Moreover, some hammers provide additional features such as non-slip grip, multi-functional heads, and so much more. These factors are variables that change based on personal preference or work.

In the end, hammers are the first and most commonly used tools in completing a home project or DIY project. Not to mention, it’s a pretty popular tool among carpenters, metal workers, and blacksmiths as well. Thereby, picking the right hammer can make your job a lot easier and more efficient.

How To Store Hammer

To ensure the long life of the hammer, it is necessary to properly care for and store it. After you use it, wipe the steel parts with kerosene specific tool for it. It is necessary to lubricate the striking face with machine oil to prevent corrosive processes.

This applies a long-term storage of equipment. Also, there is a special oil for wooden handle. If there is a leather case, it is better to store the axe in it. It is important to protect the tool from moisture. Therefore, it must be stored in dry and warm place.

Use only tightly planted implements, don’t drop the tool on the ground. If you want to make a pause during the work, you should stick the axe in wood or put it in the protective case. Do not chop metal or stone objects if the product wasn’t meant to do it.

Now when you know hammer production full process and all niceties of choosing right hammer, you can easily analyze all the points mentioned before in this article. Weigh all advantages and disadvantages and make a right choice for you!