How to Buy a Hammer

Buying a hammer is one of the most basic decisions that any do it yourself homeowner has to face. The shear variety of hammers available on the market today can make for a bewildering choice for anyone contemplating a hammer purchase. In this article we will look at all the things that you need to know in order to properly select and buy the right hammer for your job.

To begin you need to select a hammer which is made for the job that you want to do. Hammers are made for wood carpentry, masonry, upholstery, roofing, metal work, and demolition work. Lets take a look at each type, and understand the features that a specific type of hammer will offer.

The most commonly used hammer is one which is suited to wood carpentry work. This is known as the classic claw hammer. A claw hammer has a curved forked end on one head of the hammer, which is shaped like a claw. This end is used for removing nails from wood. The other end of the hammer has a smooth face, which is meant for driving nails. The face is smooth, and is called a finishing face, since if you slip with the hammer you wont damage the wood with a ragged face. The claw hammer is what most people think of when they think "hammer", and it is suited to general-purpose work.

An outgrowth from the basic claw hammer is the framing hammer. This hammer is similar to a claw hammer but usually has a straight claw as opposed to a curved claw, and is heavier than the standard claw hammer. A framing hammer is meant to be used when assembling wood framing, and is heaver for the specific reason of being able to drive nails into thick wood. While a framing hammer can do the same job as a standard claw hammer - it is not a good choice for a general-purpose hammer, as it tends to be heavy and bulky. If you are doing a lot of framing work then this is the right hammer to choose.

The next type of hammer you may encounter is a masonry or brick hammer. This hammer is designed to break apart bricks and concrete cinder blocks. The hammer has a long chisel end meant for chipping and a square face which is also meant to assist in chipping. This type of hammer is ideal if you have a brick project or if you are trying to create a cinder block retaining wall.

A roofing hammer is specially suited to doing roofing work. Most roofing hammers are magnetic, so you can put the flat faced nail on the hammer and hit the roof in one motion. In addition some roofing hammers have a hatchet face, which is meant for splitting wood roof shingles. If you are doing a lot of roofing work this hammer can be a real timesaver.

For metalwork there is the venerable ball peen hammer. While originally the ball peen hammer was designed to flatten rivet heads, in today's world where welding is common there isn't much rivet work anymore. Today the ball peen hammer has the greatest utility and application in shaping and forming metal. The rounded edge on the hammer is specially suited for bending and shaping metal.

Demolition hammers are a new class of hammers, which was pioneered by the Stanley tool company. These new hammers are basically a mix of a ripping bar, crossed with a hammer. They also have a special square claw, which is meant to hook around studs to make them easier to rip out. If you are doing a lot of demolition these types of hammers are highly recommended.

The last major classes of hammers are those that are designed for upholstery work. Upholstery hammers usually have long slender magnetic heads, which are meant for driving tacks or brads into the frame of an upholstered piece of furniture.

The heaver a hammer is, the more power it will have behind each blow. Unfortunately there is a negative to a heavier hammer. The heavier the hammer the more fatiguing it is to use on a daily basis. For general purpose work you really don't want to go over about 20oz in weight. For heavy duty framing work something around 24oz is useful.

No matter what type of hammer you select there are some features that you can look for.

Handles come in three basic types; wood, fiberglass, or steel. Wood is good for comfort but is not as durable as the others, and has an annoying tendency to come loose from the hammerhead after repeated use. Fiberglass is very durable, but some people complain that the fiberglass head is spongy and doesn't always drive the nail with maximum force. Steel is very durable, and delivers the maximum force since it is often made of one piece with the head of the hammer, but can be fatiguing to use for long stretches because of its weight and the annoying property of vibration, which is transmitted from the head to the handle. I recommend fiberglass as a nice mix of features and weight.

Some hammers offer flared rubber grips, which are designed to prevent the hammer from slipping out of your hand. The rubber grips also absorb vibration and make the hammer more comfortable for use.

Ensure that when ever you are using any hammer that you always wear eye protection and follow all the manufacturer's safety instructions. Hammers are very useful tools but used wrongly they also can be very destructive and dangerous. Never use a hammer for a purpose for which it wasn't designed. Also never use a hammer designed for use on wood to shape metal, as the head may be sufficiently soft enough to chip, which could be an eye hazard.