School me on hammers

[babyman1737]

Yes, I was neglected as a child, and didn't have much experience using different types of hammers. We only had a basic claw hammer for nails, and worked for anything else that needed to be pounded.
With that said, I've seen many "show your hammer" threads, as well as pics of everyones toolbox with a dedicated hammer drawer.


SO, what are the designed uses of most hammers? Most of my tools are craftsman, and I would like to start purchasing more hammers. There are just way too many to choose from. Please explain: claw hammer, soft face hammer (soft, medium, hard, extra hard tips), brass tipped hammer, ball pein hammer 4oz-16oz, fiberglass dead blow hammer 1lb-3lb, 3lb hand driller hammer, engineers hammer, blacksmith hammer, tack hammer, body and fender hammer, and others.
ALSO: all of the above hammers with their variation in wood, fiberglass, and metal handle.

LASTLY: When a BFH is suggested for a task, what is your "go to" hammer? 3lb hand driller hammer? Or do you just whip out some 10lb sledge hammer?

 

[woody 73]

Wow I could tell you about even more hammers that you did not mention:
Some hammers are non-sparking hammers used in areas of not wanting any sparks to set off any leaking gas.
Sometimes you will want a soft type hammer like lead in order not to mar what you are working on.
Tack hammers as the name applies are used for putting tacks into furniture.
Ball peinhammers are used to shape metal,hence the name to pein the metal.
Wooden mallets for hitting chisels for wood workers.
carpenters hatchet is a hammer on one side and an axe on the other side.
claw hammer for taking out nails or driving nails.
rubber hammers for woodworking or in the old days putting on hubcaps.
I am sure I am forgetting at least 100 more different hammers,along with that you can find them made out of just about any material,from steel to rawhide.

If you type hammer on the computer it will give you more sites to educate you on the different models.

 

[mjozefow]

"The Hammer" is all you need to know. lol

 

[woody 73]

Try typing The hammer source they are a good source of information at:1-877-496-2537

 

[woody 73]

Mitch we don't want to scare him off...

 

[Danglerb]

Hammers are the primary tool for converting kinetic energy to movement. Energy is mass times velocity squared, so changing the mass is a dandy way to regulate the amount of energy (assuming you don't like calculating square roots).

Dead blow hammers have little or no bounce, filled with shot etc to prevent recoil. Used whenever a normal hammers bounce might be bad.

Normal hard face hammers have some bounce, but deliver a sharper impact force. Used with number stamps, slug wrenches, etc for the smack.

Different types of hammer faces modify the above, with the addition of non spark, non marring, etc.

 

[babyman1737]

So would it be safe to say that in the auto/hobby areas that most people on this site (presumable) would want are simply say a heavy mallet, rubber mallet, and smaller (maybe 1lb) metal hammer? Does anyone find uses for dead-blow, plastic face, or any other hammer mentioned for MOST generic automotive use?

 

[MrMark]

I like this for the big hammer. It is an engineer's hammer, 4 pounds. Similar to a driller but with a little longer handle and a somewhat different head. I also call it a mini sledge or hand sledge. I believe it's a Nupla made for Blue Point.

 

[Kenwc]

Hammer Schmammer...since when is a screwdriver handle not good enough...

 

[larry_g]

Wow I could tell you about even more hammers that you did not mention:

Ball peinhammers are used to shape metal,hence the name to pein the metal.


If you type hammer on the computer it will give you more sites to educate you on the different models.

I believe that a piening hammer is for setting rivit heads and other similar operations. Another point is that piening hammers are usually ment for hot work like at the forge. Metal shaping hammers are usually a bit lighter and for sheet goods. I may be wrong but this is my understanding.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Stuart in MN]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer

 

[woody 73]

Do you have a specific project that you are working on,maybe if we know more of the details other members can recommend a specific hammer.

 

[ecotec]

my go to hammer is a ball peen (i am an electrician). i use it most of the time. but i use rubber mallets, brass hammers (on my vintage vespas. i would rather the hammer give than a 45 year old steel part.), rip hammers (with non conducting fiberglass handles), sledge hammers (for ground rods), tack hammers.

there are tons more that i do not have... i pretty much only buy tools when i need one for a job. garage journal has made we want to add to my tools, though.

 

[ecotec]

i also have a hammer and dolly set. i do not know what that hammer is called, though.

 

[jeffk14]

my go to hammer is a ball peen (i am an electrician). i use it most of the time. but i use rubber mallets, brass hammers (on my vintage vespas. i would rather the hammer give than a 45 year old steel part.), rip hammers (with non conducting fiberglass handles), sledge hammers (for ground rods), tack hammers.

there are tons more that i do not have... i pretty much only buy tools when i need one for a job. garage journal has made we want to add to my tools, though.

GJ has had the same effect on me. And I have added. Boy, have I added in the last couple of months! I'm gonna do like you though. From now on, I'm gonna buy a new tool ONLY when the need arises. I MEAN IT.

Back to the hammers, for mechanical work, you'll most likely use a few different sized ball pein hammers the most. 8, 16 & 24 oz sizes are common go-to hammers for me.

That said, I carry a smallish tool bag in my vehicle for general occurrences that may come up away from home. Since it needs to be fairly lightweight, a claw hammer is the only hammer that lives in that bag. To me, a claw hammer is a good do-all compromise in a hammer if you're only gonna have one hammer around. Especially since this same bag goes on camping trips with me too.

 

[ecotec]

is it weird that i have never owned a claw hammer?

 

[jeffk14]

is it weird that i have never owned a claw hammer?

Yes, yes it certainly is.

 

[PhilR1957]

With a good assortmant of Hammers you can fix anything...




hence my sig...

 

[woody 73]

With a good assortmant of Hammers you can fix anything...




hence my sig...

Well said

 

[1969]

I drive a 5 ton truck during potato harvest up here in the north-east for a local farmer. When anything goes wrong or brakes......... the first 3 words uttered by him or his son are: Wheres my hammer? True statement. BTW, they don't carry anything but a claw hammer. Another true statement. NOT my first choice.

 

[crewchief888]

ALSO: all of the above hammers with their variation in wood, fiberglass, and metal handle.

LASTLY: When a BFH is suggested for a task, what is your "go to" hammer? 3lb hand driller hammer? Or do you just whip out some 10lb sledge hammer?

most of my garage hammers are wood handled maybe i'm just old school
mostly ball pein and engineers heads
at work is a mixture of wood handled, and deadblow types,
16oz deadblow ball pein, 24oz wood engineer, 24oz soft dead blow, 40oz(?) soft dead blow, 8lb short wood sledge, 16lb wood sledge.

if a BFH is needed it's usually the 8lb short handle.
ive broken more sh*t with this hammer than anything else
including thumbs and fingers

 

[speed bump]

Personally I use my 3lb dead blow for everything I can followed by my 4lb drillers hammer, followed by a 16oz ball pein hammer. Other than that body hammers when needed, chipping hammer when welding, and others as I grab them.

When I refer to a BFH its something that takes two hands to swing or something bigger than 8lbs. Generally my 12 lber is the most used one.

 

[matthew]

I like a 3lb. crosspein, because it's very adaptable. The wedged end of the crosspein is useful for bending metal or concentrating blows into corners, and the flat side is useful for anywhere you'd otherwise use a similar sized club hammer. And 3lb is heavy enough for a lot of things while still being nimble enough to use with punches or chisels or to lightly tap on things.

(I like hickory handles, but that's a large part user preference)

 

[spartyon8]

I drive a 5 ton truck during potato harvest up here in the north-east for a local farmer. When anything goes wrong or brakes......... the first 3 words uttered by him or his son are: Wheres my hammer? True statement. BTW, they don't carry anything but a claw hammer. Another true statement. NOT my first choice.

For a potato farmer, or most farmers, a claw hammer is priceless. Not only can you beat **** with it but you can dig in the ground with the claw. i have used a claw hammer to help me with hay bundles as well.

 

[scottmlew]

Does anyone find uses for dead-blow, plastic face, or any other hammer mentioned for MOST generic automotive use?

I think a dead blow is very handy, and is quite often my go-to hammer...

 

[BlindViper]

My "big" hammer is named Frank Sr. He is a 8lb sledge head on a 18" handle. My go to hammer is a 2lb drilling hammer, if I cant find this hammer the garage becomes spotless very quickly.

 

[blue dog]

There is no other tool as good at flattening a finger as a hammer is. We have all done at one time or an other.

 

[oldgoat]

I have several hammers and duplicates of them since I have two garages. Kids kind of wonder why I have the different kinds, but after a while they kind of see why one is better than another for different work. Actually I don't even use a sledge very often. Think I'm more afraid of hitting the wrong thing, like my fingers, than I am of finding a different way to accomplish what I need to do.

 

[rsanter]

dont forget the most specific type hammer out there....the precision knockrometer
used mostly by engineers and machinists

bob

 

[bmxr4life87]

I have a 16 and 36 oz fiberglass ballpein hammer at the shop plus my 3lb deadblow mallet (hf) and my 4 lb baby sledge from sears in the garden center then the shop has 10lb sledge and that pretty well takes care of me I have a. Snap on deadblow Ballpein but I like the old school more I guess I feel like I have more control

 

[Cummins_Powered]

My most used hammer, love the thing, and made in the USA to boot.

 

[ZRX61]

There is no other tool as good at flattening a finger as a hammer is.

Run a finger through an English Wheel sometime....

You'l only do it once......

 

[cashishift]

My most used hammer, love the thing, and made in the USA to boot.

i have a Estwing framing hammer.. love it.

USA made = win.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I keep a 3 foot handled 8 or 9 pounder around for the occasion destruction job - splitting a damaged cast iron pump case open in order to save internals, or seperating seized blower wheels/ shafts (add a bunch of heat, too).
In the tool box I just keep a moderate array of ball peins - 12, 16, 24 and 48 oz.'ers.... and a decent sized plastic faced dead-blow for sensitive work (like tapping new bearings into porition on a new shaft).

I'm always a little wary of a guy that has too many hammers in his tool box. Many duplicates usually means that's his favorite / first used tool.....look out....

 

[jetz]

I just bought a 16 oz Cman made in USA ball peen hammer. This is to replace my Canadian Cman POS offshore made hammer. The head on the offshore was getting loose, and I wanted something with more weight.

Does anyone know if this American Cman hammer's head gets loose, would I be able to get a wedge to drive on, or would they just replace the hammer?

 

[ZRX61]

Yanno, the 2nd post in this thread should have read "Ok, put your hand right there on the bench..."

 

[WSMC633]

Once I bought a SO dead blow Ball peen I got addicted. I loved it, so I bought a few more ball peens, soft face, steel face, brass, etc. Of course I also have a few of their regular dead blows as well. Basically replaced all of my hammers with new SO's. They're not cheap, but I really like them.

Construction work gets the claw hammer, It's a fiberglass Stanley I bought probably 10 years ago. All the shop work I use the ball peens, soft face, brass, or deab blows depending on the task at hand, and whether surface marking is an issue.
I also have a decent selection of metal forming mallets and body hammers, however I wouldn't invest in them unless that kind of work is of particular interest to you.

My best advice would be to invest in quality hammers and not cheap out. We grabbed a set of the HF specials to have some extra hammers around the shop. I grabbed it one day since it was the closet thing to me. Took a good swing, the head goes flying across the shop, missing a freshly painted tank by a foot or so. Took the whole set and threw them in the trash.