All About Hammers | Ask This Old House
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2024
- In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor everything someone would need to know about the different types of hammers and how to choose one for the job.
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With an array of hammers laid out in front of them, Tom Silva walks Kevin O'Connor through the different types of hammers, what they’re typically used for, and their strengths and weaknesses. Tom even explains how to choose the best handle, when to use a smooth face over a waffled face, and a nifty built-in feature for one-handed nail setting.
Handle Materials Matter
There are three main types of hammer handles, and they include wood, steel, and fiberglass. Wood is typically the least expensive and does a decent job of absorbing shock. Steel is heavy and extremely durable but requires a thick rubber grip to minimize shock. Fiberglass absorbs shock extremely well, but it’s more expensive than wood and not as durable as steel. That said, much of choosing a hammer handle is personal preference and feel.
There Are Lots of Types of Heads
As one of the most useful tools, there are a lot of different types of hammers on the market. While typically the same basic design, they’re typically adapted to different trades. Some of these hammers might feature specific claws, cutting edges, rounded striking surfaces, and other adaptations that make them better suited for one line of work than another.
Straight vs Curved Claws
General-purpose and carpentry hammers feature claws opposite of the striking face, and they come in curved or straight variations. Curved claws are best for removing nails as they offer the most prying leverage. However, straight claws are useful for chipping away at wood, driving nails in tight spaces, or even separating boards that are nailed together.
Handle Length
When it comes to leverage and striking force, handle length is worth consideration. The longer the handle, the more leverage that the user can exert on the fastener, whether removing or driving a nail. Long-handled hammers are popular for framers, as they need to drive and remove large nails. However, the longer handles are hard to control, so shorter handles are typically best for finish work.
Smooth vs Waffled Faces
One of the most significant differences between types of hammers can be their faces. Some might feature smooth striking surfaces, while others feature a serrated or waffled pattern. The smooth face is less likely to damage finished surfaces, where waffled-faced hammers can get a better grip on nails, specifically when the hammer might be slightly out of line.
Use Good Technique
When striking a nail, it’s important to use good technique. Get a good, firm grip on the handle by wrapping the fingers and thumb around the handle toward its base. Align the shoulder, hammer, and nail, and swing with the entire arm.
Don’t hold the hammer too close to the head or lay a finger or the thumb on top of the handle. This will often lead to bent nails and damaged surfaces, or even injury.
For finish applications, drive the nail until the head is slightly above the work surface and then drive it below with a nail set.
Where to find it?
Tom Silva shows Kevin O’Connor many different types of hammers and explains what they are used for. He tells Kevin his personal favorite is the straight claw hammer as it can be used for both framing and trim work. Kevin demonstrates the framing hammer’s magnetic nail holder and Tom and Kevin demonstrate strike and removal techniques on a 2x4 and nail setting on a trim board.
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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All About Hammers | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse - Навчання та стиль
Tommy is the man!
its hammer time
That’s for Sure!
I gotta agree with u
Man that hammer that can hold a nail at the ledge for when you’re using your other hand to hold the wood is next level genius.
I agree brilliant 👏
Absolutely couldn’t agree more! Super cool
Straight claw estwing. If you start to fall/slide off a high place, turn it around and bury that sucker into your project. Great safety device.
50 yrs old & still learning from This Old House. Miss Roger! 👍
What happened to Roger?
He left the show for health reasons. ☹️
If I may leave a tip here, I recently Incorporated a jewelers hammer (really small hammer with A 1/2” diameter brass head on one side and a half inch diameter nylon head on the other)
I have used it for some delicate jobs more often than I ever realized I needed. Just wanted to throw that out there and see if it would stick.
I bought a hart hammer because of Tom. My favorite too
When I was on a framing crew it was a hatchet with a grooved head. Back in the day it would drive a 16p nail in two or three swings. Now it’s a 20oz Estwing. I watched Norm use one for years and now I’ve had mine for years.
...mmm my Estwing 20 oz I used for 35 years on the job still RULES !
Tom knows his stuff.
Tommy is a gem.
I use a 16oz smooth face straight claw hammer for trim work and general purposes. I use a 10oz smooth face straight claw cabinet hammer for all of my cabinet and furniture work. I also prefer wood handles vs. fiberglass or steel.
I'm not gifted in the construction trades/skills, but I helped build few church camp structures in my college years backed when dinosaurs roamed. My supervisor during those projects was a gifted construction worker/manager who could move about the construction site with ease and grace and just keep the project moving forward with aplomb. He would work on his knees right beside us college boys at least twice as fast as I could on my. best days, always on the left side of us, out of harms way. Except I'm left-handed and dropping my arm, holding my hammer while I fished my next nail, I smacked Don right in the noggin with my 14 ounce hammer (type of claw irrelevant). Thankfully, he at least had the cushioning of a cap though not a hard hat. I think I was moved into the kitchen where I belonged the following week.
Honestly, if you are in need of one hammer as a new homeowner, I would advise that you buy a 16 oz curved claw that is cheap. I have many hammers, including cheap and expensive types, and generally, I will just grab the closet hammer to me and won’t care about it’s features. However, if I am doing a framing project, I will always keep my stiletto 14oz framing hammer in my pouch. Fir demo I switch to an estwing or different steel shaft hammer.
Thanks for sharing.
I honestly thought you switched to German in that last sentence
@@thetributary8089 lol, I and o are right next to each other on my keyboard and I must have pressed the I instead of the o
@@thetributary8089 Stiletto hammers used titanium that’s why they’re so light but the energy released is about the same as a 20 ounce therefore you don’t screw up your elbow when you swing so many times. Check out Douglas hammers.
come on now ... never buy a Cheap hammer - you will be using it the rest of your life ! you can buy a very good hammer for $25 to $30 dollars
Great video, very informative. Thank you, gentlemen.
I love these segments
Still find it nice that at one point Kevin was once a guest on Ask This Old House...now he's been the host for years and is a quality host too.
Let's talk about hammer innovations such as titanium, side pullers, aluminum, saw nut wrench built into the bottom...
I love this channel, even though I’m a total amateur
Luv you guys & gals ! I have gotten so much priceless info & ideas through out the years .THANKYOU.👍
great video, you guys nailed it
I’ve got a couple Stiletto titanium hammers. I love wooden handles.
Great vid
My dad taught me how to swing a hammer when I was a kid. Tommy repeating the technique brings back memories!
I've carryed a vaugh for years, Tommy's right it's gotta be right.
For concrete forms and demo I carry a 28oz bostitch. Interior/ exterior work I carry a 16 oz dewalt. And a 8# sledge in the gang box incase something really needs moving
You always gotta have a little persuaded around.
Missed out on the titanium handle and heads, those are great. Especially the Martinez M1.
Can we see a "all about sand paper" please. Thanks
Love hammahs!
Do you have a video about Tom's miter saw station? I watched an episode where it looked like the stop block was moved by a mechanism to set the length of the cut. I just caught a glimpse of it but really interested in his set up.
Nothing beats a piece of wood in your hands. I love my 20 ounce hammer, my friend who smashed his thumb with it while doing some flooring hated it.
Thou hast forgotten mighty Mjolnir
Love tommy
24 oz DeWalt framing hammer and 16 oz DeWalt finishing hammer is what I finally settled on after years of trying all kinds of other hammers.
Tommy and norm forgot More than most guys know. Very versatile and talented
Look up Martinez Titanium hammer (for carpentry), pretty sweet.
I worked with a tin-knocker who started out as a house framer many decades before. When he would drive 3" long nails into wood, he'd hit once to set it and then the second hit would drive it all the way in flush. He called me "Woody Woodpecker" when I did it. LoL.
What about the amazing wooden handled rig axe? The most balanced framing hammer ever.
: )
Silva's hammer looks like an old Hart 16 oz.
Hammer time!!!!!
The Hammer for when your husband steps out of line!!!! .....LOL 😆 😝 😂 🤣 ...Hahahahaha
Yep, there's my hammer red curved claw fiberglass handle right in the center.
Any suggestions for a general hammer for around the house stuff?
I think someone already mentioned it: Inexpensive, wood handle, curved claw, 14-16 ounce. If you do enough things you could also get a cheap "tack hammer" that has maybe a 6 ounce head and is very narrow. They are good for small finish nails, picture frames, and hobby projects. They are available with a magnetic head so you don't smash your fingers.
Hammer Time … epic
Stilleto for me.
Nobody ever talks about the neck (the thin part before the face) of a hammer.
Why does it exist?
We talk about the claws, the dept and with of them. We talk about the hath (handle)... the grip, vibration, leverage, ect... when we start getting into the Martinez M1 and the Stilettos guys get real technical ... but why does a hammer have a neck? Nobody talks about that.
You forgot the most important hammer...MC Hammer 🎤🕺🏿
Please Hammer, don't hurt em cause Tommy's too legit to quit. 😂🤣
Stop , hammer time , can't touch this ! 🔨😁
Tommy always has great advice but I don’t agree on the swing. If you use you wrist you can hammer all day without tiring out your arm. Use your arm to swing and you get fatigued quickly.
going to hate that arthritis though...
You'll also have carpal tunnel issues by 35.
@@tonythetiger9839 I think that is inevitable in half of us. Some make it worse using their fists as hammers all day.
@@gregkump3639 only difference in the two swings is instead of the whole arm only your forearm down is swinging. Your still getting the same impacts through your hand/wrist in both. Carpal tunnel should be the same for both.
I had a feeling someone was gonna say "Hammer time"
hammer time!
I love hammers. I don't know why. 🙂
it's hammer time 🤣
Hammer time
$35 in scrap lumber was used for this demo 😛
Wonder which hammer is the best „bang“😏 for the buck😅
It's hammer- time 🤣
What about price, guys? Muy importante!
Totally missed the weights and material differences. Titanium, steel, magnesium. Swing weights etc. a lot missing for a basic tool.
Also forgot to mention a bunch of different hammer types, dead blow, engineers, cross pein….
Almost all videos on this channel are bad for leaving out certain details
I lost my favorite hammer once, I was just crushed.
Always buy two at a time.
To bad not a word about the importance of safety glasses. One miss hit good bye to an eye.
This was the case for a man's brother shared at work.
ooooh groan
I'm so confused
Got da hamma on da ruff
Only came to read the hilarious comments on how Tommy knows absolutely nothing about hammers.
Everything is a hammer. Unless it’s a screwdriver, then it’s a chisel.
Every tool has a hammer end.
Obviously you don’t know what your talking about. Combo square? Pocket rule? (Just to name a few)
@@johnlebzelter4208 obviously you missed the joke.
a string level (line level) does not have a hammer end... and neither does a piece of string or rope.
@@johnlebzelter4208 no sense of humor.
@@rupe53 in desperate times.......................
Shaky set lol 2:17
Tommy's poor glasses!
mc hammer
Just completely skips over the drywall hammer, arguably the most unique and less known hammer out of that grouping.
Also cue the Stiletto snobs coming out of the woodworks.
Glossed over the tack hammer.... 👎🏻👎🏼👎👎🏽👎🏾👎🏿