Hammer Tricks and Techniques

Using a hammer is a simple swing and strike action. Or is it? With practice and a lot of use I still learn new techniques and sometime get hurt from using them. As simple of a tool a hammer is, it still requires safety techniques. First and foremost you should always wear eye protection. Debris from nails and the nail itself tend to fly towards your face. Always strike a hammer with the face of the head and not the sides, or cheek. Even though a hammer head is hardened steel, it still is susceptible to damage from strikes. Hot metal and sparks occur occasionally. Always keep your eye on the target like a nail or chisel, and not on the hammer itself.

Swinging your hammer isn’t a simple up and down motion. It’s similar to shaking someone’s hand. Use the wrist. Adjust your swing and pivot to the size of nail you are driving. Swing from the wrist more for driving smaller nails and when beginning to set a nail. Use more of your elbow and forearm when driving large nails or using force to move an object. Always try to swing in a smooth arc.

Toenailing is a technique used to maneuver wood with pressure from the nail. It is also used for concealing nails on the side of wood like on a deck. Its use can help to straighten crooked studs or bent deck boards. It’s also used when space is at a minimum or you simply can’t drive a nail straight in.

For even more awkward spaces when toe nailing is not an option, you can use a pair of pliers to help hold the nail. Grip the nail with the pliers and strike to set. Gently and loosely hold the pliers to grip the nail so it slides in between the pliers. It’s a neat trick that you can use and it sure beats beating your fingers to a pulp.

Another great trick for using a hammer to reach those really high spots when your hand just cant reach to hold the nail while you set it is to put the nail into the claw. Place the point of the nail out from the claw and rest the head tightly against the handle of your hammer. Set the nail gently with an easy swing then flip your hammer around to drive it home. Some hammers come with a magnetic nail set built into the head just for such and occasion.

When prying a nail loose and you just can give it the leverage it needs, try inserting a block of wood in between the claw and the wood with the nail you are trying to pull out. It’s a good idea to use this technique if you’re using a wooden handled hammer, or if you’re prying against wood that just can’t be marred by your hammer head or claw. It’s the only way to pull a nail from trim boards.

If you simply can’t get that nail to come out with brute force, try to use the side of your claw. Insert the nail in the claw and instead of pulling back on the handle work it from side to side from one direction to the other. Work the nail up by placing the claw farther and farther down the nail shank as it comes up.