Hammers and Mallets
The original hammer was a stone held in the hand. Vase pointings show that Greek bronzesmsths were still using them in this way down fo fourth century BC, "Hammers with handles and metal heads followed the same sequence as axes. They were made of bronze, iron and finally steel and were fitted at first into a bent wooden handle and later provided with a shaft-hole or eye.
The medieval carpenter's hammer had an iron head of square section with a wedge shaped peen. This type is still widely used in Europe, but in England the striking'head was made with a circular face and was known as the ''Exeter" or "London" pattern. Modern carpenter's and engineer's hammers bring the cross peen up to the centre line of the head, with a neck on either side of the eye. This pattern was introduced early in the nineteenth century and is known as the "Warrington".
The claw hammer was used by carpenters even in Roman days and often occurs in medieval pictures; it is still the general purpose hammer for many trades. This is because most carpentry and allied crafts are mainly woodwork, built around or held together with nails and the claw is handy for pulling them out if necessary. Unfortunately this tends to loosen or strain the handle. Some types, especially those with slender handles, are fitted with straps fixed with screws or rivets, to spread the leverage. The modern solution, introduced about a century ago, was to deepen the eye to make it like an adze.
WARRINGTON PATTERN CROSS-PEEN HAMMER HEAD
MALLETS
The earliest mallets were a kind of club or cudgel, taken from a tree. The Egyptians used short lengths of hardwood shaped like a carver's or mason's mallet The Roman mallet, round in section and slightly curved, with the handle fixed in a hole in the head became the standard in Europe; the English version, with a square section head and only the top curved, dates from the Middle Ages.
Replacing a handle
1. Cut two evenly spaced slots across the new shaft, two thirds the depth of the eye. Drive the hammerhead onto the shaft.
2. Cut the shaft flush. Place the hammer in a warm even for about one hour to dry the shaft thoroughly.
3. Drive in the metal wedges, tapping them alternately to spread the shaft evenly in the head. Grind or file the wedges flush and shellac exposed wood.
Setting a nail
If working in hardwood, first drill a pilot hole to prevent splitting. Hold the hammer toward the end of the shaft where it will feel balanced and you can apply greatest force.
If the nail is small, use the cross peen to start it off. When the nail is firm and upright drive home with full strokes. If you are using a very small nail, push it through a piece of thin cardboard or stiff paper. This makes it easier to hold while setting. Pull the paper clear of the pin before driving below the surface.
On display work finish with light taps taking care not to mark the work. Drive the nails flush with a nail set. If the work does become dented immediately soak the local area with warm water. This will raise the grain and hopefully the dent with it. Sand the surface when dry.
Hold the nail on the work between thumb and fingers and lightly tap it into the wood.
Support small nails in cardboard and drive with a hammer until just above the surface.
METHODS OF NAILING
Dovetail nailing
To insure a firm fixing, angle alternative nails in different directions and drive them home in the normal way.
Clinching a nail
When a nail is long enough to pass through both halves of the work it can be bent over to clamp the fixing. Drive the nail flush with the surface, rest a heavy hammer against the head and bend the pointed end over to lie parallel with the grain with sideways blows from a second hammer. Place the work on a firm surface and drive the bent nail flush with the surface of the wood.
Blind nailing
Chisel up a sliver of wood, drive the nail below the surface with a nail set and glue back the sliver to cover the head.
Straightening a bent nail
Revolve a bent nail on a vise and straighten with light taps from a hammer.
Claw Hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 7, 10, 13. 16 and 20oz.
MATERIAL: Head: steel; Shaft: hickory, steel, fiber glass
USE; Genera! carpentry work and nail pulling
The claw hammer derives its name from the curved split peen which is used to pull nails, either when dismantling work or when replacing a bent pail. A good claw should be tapered on the underside as well as toward the eye in order to grip all sizes of nail heads.
The general purpose hammer is known as the "curved claw"' and is probably the most widely used. A "straight claw" is available for levering up boards or laps. The claw is driven between the boards which are then Severed up by the handle. This hammer is also known as a "ripping claw" or "framing hammer".
To withstand the force of levering boards or even pulling nails it is essential that the head be firmly attached to the shaft and to this end the "adze eye hammer"' was developed. The adze eye, which is almost twice as deep as that of a standard hammer, is tapered to allow the hickory shaft to be spread by wedges.
Modern steel or fiber glass shafted hammers are even stronger, the head being permanently fined to the shaft. A rubber sleeve is fitted to the shaft to provide a comfortable shock-absorbing grip. Grease from the hand can cause the rubber grip to become slippery, but this is easily remedied by lightly scrubbing the grip with a nail brush using a mild detergent solution.
Nail pulling
A claw hammer by itself can only draw a partially driven nail. Slide the claw under the head and withdraw the nail by pulling on the handle.
In rough work, pull a driven nail through the workpiece by jamming the claw on to the shaft of the nail until it bites into the metal. Lever on the handle pulling the nail right through the workpiece.
Protect the surface of the work by placing a piece of hardboard under the head of the hammer.
To withdraw a long nail, proceed in stages, using a block of wood to raise the hammer head to provide leverage.
Telephone Hammer
OTHER NAME: Pin hammer
SIZE: Head weight 3-1/2 and 4oz.
MATERIAL: Head: alloy steel; Shaft: ash, hickory
USE: To drive pins or tacks
The telephone hammer is a lightweight: hammer ideally suited for driving small pins or tacks. Cross peers or ball patterns are available.
Its name is reputed to derive from the fact that telephone linesmen use it to fix cable.
Sprig Hammer
OTHER NAME: Picture framer's hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 8oz.
MATERIAL: Head shaft: steel; Handle: hardwood
USE: To drive sprigs or brads or glazing points, for picture or window framing
The sprig hammer has a square sectioned head, one face of which will slide on the glass or picture backing to drive the retaining sprig. The shaft is set at an angle to keep the knuckles of the hand clear while the head is flat on the surface.
Cross Peen Hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 6,8,10,12, 14 and 16oz.
MATERIAL: Head: steel; Shaft: ash, hickory
USE: General carpentry work
Cross peen hammers have a tapered peen which can start nails held between the fingers.
They are used in various parts of the world under different names and in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Upholsterer's Hammer
SIZE; Head weight; 5 and 7oz:
MATERIAL: Head: sted: Shaft; hickory
USE; To drive lacks and chair nails used in upholstery
Ail upholstery hammers have a small circular face to drive tacks, which roust often be done in confined spaces without damaging the surrounding woodwork. They are either double ended or fitted with a daw for pulling tacks. Alternatively a double ended hammer may have a side claw. Hammers with a larger face are often called "tack hammers".
One or sometimes both ends of the head are usually magnetic, This allows a sack to be attracted to the sinking face and sapped in place before being driven home. The heads are either eyed to take a shaft or fitted by means of metal straps on either side of the shaft. The straps form a more positive fixing for the small head of the upholsterer's hammer.
Modern upholsterer's hammers have a shaft similar to the more common hammer. The more traditional shaft is a very elegant, balanced design with a pronounced swelling at the gripping end.
Saddler's Hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 8 to 20oz.
MATERIAL: Head: steel: Shaft: hickory
USE: To drive nails or sacks into leather work
The saddler's hammer is very similar to an upholsterer's hammer with a cross peen for starting tacks between the fingers. It sometimes has a side claw. In addition to driving tacks it is also used for shaping small leather items.
Shaping a leather loop
Mould small belt loops by holding them on a suitable stick and tapping with the saddler's hammer.
Engineer's Hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2, 1-3/4, 2, 2-1/2,and 3lbs
MATERIAL: Head: steel: Shaft: ash. hickory
USE: To drive punches and cold chisels and to form metal.
The engineer's hammer is used in the me tail workshop as a general purpose hammer in the same way that a carpenter uses a claw or cross peen hammer. Its flat face can be used to dnve cold chisels and punches while various peens are used to shape metal. Cross peen aud straight peen hammers are available but by far the most common ss the hall peen hammer. This is primarily used in conjunction with the rivet set to rivet plates of metal together.
Forming a rivet
The nvet set is a combined tool with a deep narrow hole and 2 shallow depression, which is used to form a domed rivet.
With the rivet in position place the small hole in the set over the shank and strike the end of the set with the hammer.
Seat both plates over rivet. Spread rivet shank with flat face of hammer.
Shape it into a rough dome with ball peen. Fit depression in set over rivet and strike end with hammer.
Club Hammer
OTHER NAMES: Lump hammer, hand drilling hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 2-1/2, 3 and 4lb.
MATERIAL: Head: steel; Shaft; hickory, ash
USE: Heavv dutv work
The double faced club hammer is used single handed to demolish masonry and drive steel chisels and masonry drills. It is wise to wear gloves and goggles while performing all these operations.
Using the hammer
With one hand hold the hand drill, rotating it between strokes of the club hammer.
Carver's Mallet
SIZE: Head diameter: 3-1/2 to 7in.
MATERIAL: Head: beech, lignum vitae; Handle: ash
USE: To drive carver's chisels and gouges
The carver's mallet is heavy to allow the craftsman to drive the chisel with short controlled strokes, rather than heavy blows. The round head enables work from a variety of angles without changing grip on the tool.
Controlled power from the carvers mallet
Soft Faced Mallet
SIZE: Head weight: 3 to 36oz.
MATERIAL: Head: rubber, rawhide; Handle: hickory
USE: To drive or shape material which would be damaged by standard hammers or mallets
Soft faced mallets have heads made of solid rubber or rawhide glued into a coil and sometimes loaded with lead.
They are used to shape metal parts, as in automobile repair work, where conventional hammers and mallets would damage the work.
Soft Faced Hammer
SIZE: Head weight: Up to 71b.
MATERIAL: Head: cast iron, metal alloy; Handle: hickory, ash. plastic; Faces: rawhide, copper. plastic, lead, rubber, aluminum
USE: To drive or shape material which would be damaged by standard hammers
Soft faced hammers normally have a socketed head Into which soft bases are screwed. They are often fitted with a different material at each end for work on a variety of materials. Special shaped faces can be inserted for shaping work. It is not advisable to use a soft faced hammer to drive nails and it would be damaged if used to strike a sharp edge or a corner.
Veneer Hammer
SIZE: Blade width: 3 to 4iin.
MATERIAL: Wooden Head: ash or beech: Handle: ash; Metal Head: steel: Handle: ash
USE: To press down wood veneer to a glued surface
The traditional veneer hammer, often made by the craftsman himself, has a flat or slightly tapered wooden head. A groove cut in the bottom edge takes a thin steel blade. The straight shaft passes through a hole in the head and is wedged in the normal way. The metal version has a flat hammer face and a wide cross peen opposite.
Using the veneer hammer The veneer hammer is used to press a glued veneer flat on to its ground work by squeezing out excess glue and air. While maintaining pressure on the head of the hammer pull from the centre outward using a zigzag action.
Brad Driver
OTHER NAME: Pin push
SIZE: Pin capacity: 14 and 16 gauge
MATERIAL: Metal and plastic
USE: To drive small nails without a hammer
The pin or nail is held magnetically in the barrel. To drive the pin apply pressure to the handle, which automatically returns to repeat the action.
Sledge Hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 2-1/2. 3, 4, 6. 8. !0, 12, 16 and 20lb; Shaft length: 16 to 36in.
MATERIAL. Head: steel; Shaft: hickory
USE: Very heavy duty work
Sledge hammers are used to drive stakes or to split stone. They are available double faced or with ball or straight peens.
Light blows can be applied by using the weight of the head only. For heavy work swing the tool as you would a felling axe.
Brick Hammer
OTHER NAME: Bricklayer's hammer
SIZE: Head weight: 10, 18, 24oz
MATERIAL: Head: steel; Shaft: hickory, steel
USE. To drive cold chisels and trim masonry.
The brick hammer is used to strike a bolster or brick cutting chisel when splitting bricks. The curved chisel end of the hammer is used to trim the cut brick to shape.
Carpenter's Mallet
OTHER NAME: Joiner's mallet
SIZE: Head size: 2-1/2 to 7in.
MATERIAL: Beech
USE: General carpentry work
The carpenter's mallet is used where a metal hammer would either damage the work or the tool being struck. As well as driving wood cutting chisels, it is often used to tap joints together or apart. The head is tapered toward the user so that it will strike the work squarely. The eye and handle are tapered so that the action of swinging the mallet automatically tightens the head on the handle.
Staple Gun
OTHER NAME: Tacker min
SIZE: Takes 1/4 to 5/8in. staples,
MATERIAL: Various
USE: To drive staples
A staple gun drives staples for attaching a variety of materials. It is particularly useful when upholstering, as you can pull the fabric tight with one tend while operating the stapler with the other. It is also used for fitting carpets, wire netting, ceiling tiles, insulation and many other materials previously fixed by hand nailing.
The simple, hand operated gun has a magazine which is loaded with a strip of steel staples. The trigger lever is depressed, releasing a spring-loaded striker which drives one staple at a time into the material, A dial regulates the force en the striker. On the nose of some tools is a reversible fence which can be extended to set as a guide for stapling in straight lines. It can be pressed against an upright surface, or when reversed, can be hooked over an edge.
Electrically powered staple gun
Electrically powered staple guns drive heavy duty staples.
