What can you do with a hammer? Components of a hammer, types of hammers. Which hammer should you choose? Copper hammer or what an expensive tool is intended for
Hammer– the most common tool in construction, used in a wide variety of areas and directions. But the hammer is used not only in construction, it is used by people both in everyday life and households, and in the most different areas human activity.
They hammer in, level, bend, break, beat... It is impossible to list all the types of work that are performed using this tool.
Hammer
A simple tool in design, used by man since ancient times. The main property of a hammer is the ability to significantly increase the impact force and apply it accurately.
Hammer is translated into English as Hammer.
To carry out certain work, it is worth using hammers for the appropriate purpose. The right hammer affects not only the speed of work, but also the quality.
A hammer is a dangerous tool, so when working with it you must follow a number of safety rules:
- You shouldn't play with a hammer and fool around. In general, the most serious injuries occur in situations like this;
- Never work with a broken hammer or hammers whose head is not secured and may fall off;
- Never use a hammer that is chipped or cracked.
Hammer device
The design of the hammer is simple. As a rule, it includes two components: a hammer head (head) and a handle.
Also, depending on the material of the hammer handle, it can be used additional element fastenings For example, for hammers with a wooden handle, wedges are additionally used in the design of the hammer.
The main element in the design of this tool is the hammer head. It comes in a variety of shapes, types and weights. For hammers with metal heads, they are made from special tool steel by forging or die stamping. In this case, the striker part of the head is hardened in water, and the side with the nail puller is hardened in oil. This technology makes it possible during future operation to ensure the strength of the hammer head and the plasticity of the nail puller. At the end, the product is opened with a special varnish to prevent corrosion.
The part of the hammer head that directly strikes is called the striker.
The firing pin can have a variety of shapes - flat, convex or jagged.
The flat shape of the striker is intended for driving (for example, nails). Convex shape - on hammers intended for striking another instrument. With a serrated striker surface - designed to prevent slipping.
In addition, the hammer head can vary in weight.
As for the handle, it can be made of different materials: wooden, plastic and metal. The handle affects the ease of use of the hammer. It should be light in weight (relative to the head) and be of appropriate length.
Showcases construction stores show the variety of hammer handles and it is impossible to single out the most common material for handles.
Types of hammers
In terms of their diversity, purpose and application, there are very large number types of hammers. We will omit such types of hammers as kitchen, medical, shoe and the like, and will try to mention all types of hammers used in construction.
Locksmith's hammer
This is a classic hammer in shape, with a flat head on one side of the head and a wedge-shaped head on the other. The wedge-shaped side is called the spout.
This type of hammer is used almost everywhere and has the largest range of sizes in terms of weight, from 200 grams to over 1 kg.
Lightweight small hammers are used for driving small nails. They are used when installing wooden glazing beads, when working with lining (lining nails) and small-sized clamps.
Heavier hammers are used almost everywhere: in everyday life, for bending metal, driving nails, in a variety of jobs.
Due to its practicality, this is the most common type of hammer.
Roofing hammers
There are a number of types of hammers that are called and referred to as roofing hammers. However, they are not purely roofing hammers; they have more wide application and are used not only for carrying out roofing works. But there are also specific unique hammers made specifically for working with certain roofing materials.
Hammer with nail puller
This hammer can be called a roofing or carpenter's hammer.
Its uniqueness is that it has a round convex shape of the striker, and on the other side there is a nail puller. Such features of this hammer create convenience when working with nails, which is in demand in roofing and carpentry work.
Very convenient and practical when installing sheathing and bitumen shingles.
In size they are medium weights 500-600 grams.
Suitable for driving nails up to 150 mm in size.
It is worth noting that low-quality hammers of this type are very common on sale. They are cheap in price. They are light in weight and have a poor connection to the head. As a result, they break literally after the second blow or during the first attempt to pull out the nail.
But you shouldn’t overuse the nail puller even with high-quality hammers. They can also break under heavy loads. This applies to pulling out nails larger than 150 mm for ordinary construction (glossy) nails and 100 mm for razor or screw nails.
In addition to the roofing hammer, it also received popular names: sharp-toothed hammer, fang hammer, sharp-nosed hammer.
This hammer combines the functionality necessary to carry out common roofing work.
It has a serrated striker that prevents slipping when hitting the nail.
The end part of the hammer head on the striker side is equipped with a groove for inserting a nail, which is convenient when it is not possible to hold the nail with your second hand:
The groove is designed to place a nail without holding it with your second hand. It has the contours of a nail and has a magnet in it that prevents the nail from falling out.
On the side of the nail puller there is a sharp nose - this is an element from a classic slate hammer.
The weight of the hammer is 500-700 grams, which is suitable for driving nails measuring 35-150 mm.
Sax
Another type of roofing hammer.
This hammer belongs to a specific type of tool and is used only for specialized work.
This hammer is designed and used specifically for installation slate roofing, and slate.
The sharp nose of the hammer serves as a punch. There is also a nail puller on the hammer. The hammer handle is rounded, which allows you to conveniently use all the functionality of the hammer.
Roofing hammer for slate roofing
A hammer designed for working with slate roofing. On one side of the hammer head there is a serrated head, and on the other there is a hatchet with a nail puller:
A hatchet with a hammer is needed to trim the edges of slate tiles, which must be done using technology to remove traces of factory processing of slate.
Slate roof hammers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Mallets
Mallets are often wooden and rubber hammers that are used in cases where damage to the surface of the material being worked must be prevented.
The range of these hammers is simply huge. The variety in size and type of material is very large.
Mallets are used when working with fragile materials, as well as in order to avoid damage to the surface of the part, product or tool in contact with the striker.
Professional wooden mallets are made from larch.
Rubber hammer is mainly used in laying paving slabs and in automotive body repair.
Straightening hammer
Also, this hammer in narrow circles of professionals is called blooper.
This is special professional tool to work with sheet metal and tin.
Laps come in different sizes and shapes. Selected for specific tasks.
Pick
The pickaxe is considered a mason's hammer.
The hammer is used to knock down the brick during laying, and with the opposite side, in the form of a spatula, the brick is hammered to the required dimensions.
The pick is also widely used for removing plaster and cleaning used bricks.
Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer is a heavy hammer. It is necessary where impact force and brute force are required.
It has the popular names Mashka and Balda.
Compared to other hammers, the sledgehammer has a larger body weight of up to 2.5 kg.
The range of work carried out with a sledgehammer is very wide. It is used during dismantling work, for driving in reinforcement, tie-down stakes or iron supports.
Amazing thing! It may seem that everyone knows about such a tool as a hammer! What do you know... Everyone has tried at least once to hammer a nail in with a hammer, or just hit something with it for fun. But not everyone knows what the hammer tool consists of, how many different types it exists and where it is used.
History and components of the hammer
The name “hammer” itself comes from the old name of a thresher, with the help of which they ground (knocked out) grain. Subsequently, objects that strike were called a hammer. At first these were huge sledgehammers, but over time they shrank and now they are what you see them now.
First, let's look at what a hammer tool is.
The main component of any hammer is, of course, its striking part. It consists of a main base, which is made from various materials such as iron, wood, rubber. In front of the base there is a striker, which delivers the main blow. At the back of the main part there is a sock, it is made in different shapes depending on the application. The side parts are called cheeks. Between them, from top to bottom, a hole was drilled for an attachment to the handle.
The handle is made of wood hard rocks and without knots. But nowadays, handles are also made of iron and various rubber alloys. It is fixed with a wedge. The wedge ensures that the hammer is securely fastened, or in other words, it simply prevents it from becoming loose and falling off. The handle itself varies in length and thickness depending on the size, weight and use of the hammer.
Let's look at some types of this wonderful tool.
Carpenter's hammer.
It is light in weight, made from various shapes (round or square), but has one common feature— its toe has the shape of a nail puller. This is the type of hammer you use most often at home for repairs. This hammer is also convenient for disassembling or breaking something! Take it wooden box and break it. At the same time, immediately pulling out the nails.
Bench hammer.
This is the most familiar type of hammer for us. It is made in different weights, the toe of the hammer is pointed, which is very convenient for straightening narrow parts. It is used both in everyday life and in the production of metalwork products. We use it to hammer a nail, beat off dried cement, drive screws (some people), and you never know what else we do to them! It can also be called a “puzzle”, because it is the most common object after an ax (according to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs).
Wooden hammer.
It is also called “mallet”. Mallet has wooden base and is mainly used for woodworking and tin straightening. The softness of the material from which this hammer is made allows you to protect the part from damage, even when strong impact. In general, it is used where you need to apply it well, but not break anything.
Mallets are also made from rubber. Such mallets are produced for auto-tinsmiths; they can often be seen in the hands of city guests laying paving slabs. 
Bushhammer.
This hammer can often be found at some construction site or in a mason's garage. The toe of this hammer is made flat and sharply sharpened. This allows you to break the brick quite accurately, for example by 1/3, as evenly as possible. It can also be used to clean used bricks from mortar residues, resurface plaster, and generally chip off anything hard.
Sledgehammer.
The most interesting of all hammers. This tool has enormous weight and is often used in the forge to deliver strong and powerful blows. Often appears in cinema, mainly in detective stories and thrillers.
This was an overview of the most frequently encountered subsidiary plot hammers.
Now you can see for yourself that the hammer tool can be used in many operations and it has many different types.
It’s not for nothing that this well-known invention is more than 70 thousand years old.
Hammer tool video
Surely no one doubts that even in ancient times a person needed a device for hammering, breaking, crushing, carving. Perhaps at first there was just a stone or a stick.
Garrettswerve, GNU 1.2But soon man combined them, creating an instrument that essentially has not changed for many centuries. The materials from which the hammer is made have changed and the list of applications has expanded.
Hammer parts
The main part of a hammer is a compact mass of solid material, usually metal, that can be used to strike something without being deformed. For ease of execution of blows and for greater swing, the striking part of the hammer is mounted on a handle, which can also be made of metal, wood or plastic.
Malene Thyssen, GNU 1.2 Handle
The handle varies in length, thickness and material from which it is made. It depends on the purpose of the hammer itself and the weight of the head. The heavier the head, the longer the handle should be. Modern hammers often have handles reinforced with non-slip rubber or plastic.
Head
This is the most important part. There are strikers along the edges of the hammer head. As a rule, the strikers at opposite ends are made to have different functions, which allows you to combine two tools in one.
Monoklon, GNU 1.2 So a mechanic's hammer has two different strikers - one is smooth, the other is tapered. The carpenter's hammer has a forked protrusion-tooth, which is convenient for pulling out nails. In stone cutting, when finishing corners and edges with a chisel, it is struck with a tool similar to a hammer - a mallet made of wood and having strikers on both sides.
Sometimes, in order not to damage the part, they use hammers whose striking part is made of soft material(rubber, copper, lead).
Andreas Praefcke, CC BY-SA 3.0 Wedge
The head and handle are connected by a wedge. This is an important part of the hammer, since the quality of work, and sometimes safety, depends on the quality of the head attachment. In plumbing hammers, for example, the hole in the head through which the wedge is driven is additionally covered with a steel plate, which is also screwed to the handle with a long screw, which gives extra strength the entire structure.
Andreas Praefcke, CC BY-SA 3.0 Varieties
There are a great many types of hammers, as well as professions that require this tool.
- Carpentry
- Locksmith
- Kiyanka
- Sledgehammer
- Hammer
- Kashkarov's hammer
- Fidzel's Hammer
- Climber's Hammer
- Geologist's Hammer
And also - a tiler, a jeweler, a railway worker, a bully and even a mashka.
Guide to Russian Crafts, CC BY-SA 3.0 What crafts are hammers used in?
It would take a long time to list all the professions where the hammer tool is used. Let us mention a few and, first of all, crafts.
Construction, carpentry, stonecutter, shoemaker, chaser, bone carver. Of course that's not all.
We can say that the representatives of one of the most ancient crafts - blacksmiths - contributed most to the development of the variety of hammers, because a master blacksmith requires a whole arsenal of hammers, hammers and sledgehammers to work.
Photo gallery
Useful information
Hammer
One of the first
The hammer is one of the oldest tools used by man. Then it was necessary as a weapon of defense against enemies and attack on prey, but today it is used for a creative purpose.
Over the centuries it has only slightly improved and changed. But many varieties have appeared, which is associated with wide variety use of a hammer in various professions.
It is simple and was invented to increase the force of a person’s blow by an order of magnitude and to apply this force to one point.
Symbol
The hammer(s) are one of the oldest emblems of craft. For the first time, the image of a hammer is found as an emblem on the territory of the Roman Empire in the tombstone of a blacksmith (441).
The hammer has long been associated with blue-collar jobs. No wonder it was chosen along with the sickle for the coat of arms of the Soviet state. Crossed hammers are depicted on the railway workers' sign.
In ancient times, the Hammer was the main attribute of many gods of craft, thunderstorms and war.
For the Japanese god of prosperity, Daikoku, the hammer, as a tool associated with gold mining, is a symbol of wealth.
The hammer is also a symbol of justice.
In connection with the development of large-scale machine industry, the hammer emblem from the second half of the 19th century century has become universal symbol industrial proletariat. Already in 1864, the Hanoverian section of the First International chose the emblem in the form of two crossed hammers.
In 1940, the British, fearing a possible German land invasion and their multiple superiority in tanks, searched for everything possible ways resist them.
One of the instructions recommended that the militia use a hammer or an ax to fight tanks.
The fighter had to choose an elevated position, for example, a tree or the second floor of a building, and wait there for the enemy vehicle, and then jump onto it and start hitting the tower with a hammer. And when the head of a surprised German appears from there, throw a grenade inside the tank.
Even in zero gravity
It turns out that they have now come up with a hammer, even for work in zero gravity, that does not bounce off when hit. Its hollow firing pin is filled with heavy metal shot.
Masha
A huge and very heavy hammer is called a sledgehammer. It sometimes weighs more than 10 kg. This sledgehammer was nicknamed “Mashka”. This is due to the fact that the force of the blow depends not so much on muscle strength, but on well-coordinated work.
When working with such a heavy tool, it is important to swing smoothly. So they called her Masha.
Balda
A hammer, indispensable at construction sites, when working on personal plot. It performs the same functions as a mallet or sledgehammer. Using a bulldozer, you can drive stones and small piles into the ground. The tool can also be used to trim solid stone masonry.
The handle of the bulldozer has longer length and is made of durable wood.
The head, or striking part of the instrument, is massive, wide, made of metal and may have caps made of rubber or soft plastic.
How to use
You need to hold the hammer by the end of the handle firmly, but without squeezing too much, otherwise your hand will quickly get tired. Afterwards, the hand rises up, the handle takes a horizontal position and quickly lowers. This way, the striker should hit the nail head exactly, and not the fingers. And remember, a nail is driven in two stages: first, you need to lightly bait it, and only then hit it. The main thing is to remove your fingers in time.
The hammer has three components - head, handle and connecting unit. The main part of the hammer is the head. It is made from tool steel. The firing pin is hardened in water, and the nail puller is hardened in oil. This makes it possible to provide the striker with strength, and the nail puller with plasticity. The hammer head must be made by forging or die stamping. To avoid corrosion of the metal of the head, it is coated with a special varnish. The hammer head has different shapes- flat, jagged and convex. A hammer has a convex shape, which is designed to strike another locksmith's tool. The flat-shaped striker has a hammer that is used to drive nails. The serrated surface of the striker prevents it from sliding on the nail. In addition, the hammer head can have different weights. Almost every craftsman has hammers with heads of different weights. From the hammer handle The ease of use of the tool depends. The handle can be made of wood, fiberglass or steel. The most popular are wooden hammer handles. Raw materials for production wooden handle The wood can be birch, beech, maple, oak, ash or American walnut (hickory). The grain of the wood from which the handle is made should be directed perpendicular to the head. If the handle breaks, injury to the worker is avoided. The steel handle should be oval in cross-section and hollow inside. The oval shape of the hammer handle gives it greater strength and reliability. The top is covered with rubber. Preference should be given to a hammer, the steel handle of which was covered with heated rubber. After cooling, this rubber fits tightly steel handle hammer. Sometimes voids are deliberately left between the metal handle and the rubber, which play the role of shock absorbers in the case when strong blows are made with a hammer. Fiberglass handles, just like steel ones, are covered with rubber. This material is convenient because it does not dry out or swell from moisture, like wood. The hammer head is secured to the handle with wedges having different shape. The most reliable fastening is considered to be when the wedge is located diagonally at the widest point. In hammers intended for professionals, the head is attached to the handle using a ring-shaped wedge. This method of fastening can withstand heavy loads. In some cases, the hammer handle is pressed into the head. This mount is one of the most reliable. The junction of the head and handle must be filled epoxy glue. This improves the quality of fastening of the handle and head of the hammer. Some hammer models have a steel plate that should prevent moisture from getting into the handle. It is screwed to the handle with a screw.
Types of hammers
It would seem, what problems might arise when choosing a hammer? But modern manufacturers They produce so many models that an inexperienced person’s eyes may run wild at the sight of this variety. Which model should you choose? Check out a few tips to make choosing a hammer easier. The hammer is one of the oldest tools invented by people. The only thing older can be a stick that was used to dig holes. At first, stones were used to crush something. Then, someone thought of tying the stone to a stick. Working has become much more convenient. Currently most often used plumber's and carpenter's hammers. A mechanic's hammer has different strikers. On one side the firing pin is flat, and on the other it is narrow and pointed. A narrow hammer makes it easier to drive nails with a small head or in places where a wide hammer simply cannot reach. A carpenter's hammer has a wide head on one side, and a narrow forked head on the other side. With this striker you can easily pull it out hammered nail. The bifurcation angle can be of two types: Californian, with a large angle, and European, with a small angle. There is also a hammer for stone work - this pick. Such a hammer is necessary for a mason to change the dimensions of bricks, cinder blocks and other building materials. The striker on one side of such a hammer is a regular wide one, and on the other it is flat. Sometimes, for ease of use, a ruler is applied to the handles of such hammers. U plasterers- your own type of hammer. The strikers of such a hammer are flat on both sides. This hammer is easy to remove old plaster from the walls. Sledgehammer- This is a hammer whose head has a large mass. They are used when a large impact force is needed. Kiyanka- a hammer with a head made of rubber or wood. With such a hammer you can apply gentle blows to the surface of the material, or to another tool. From the rich assortment of hammers we can highlight roofing hammers, welding work, and for working with glass.Hammers are divided into types depending on the tasks that can be performed with their help.
Such a tool as a hammer is familiar to every person who has at least once been faced with the task of hammering something. This is perhaps the only type of instrument that has retained its original shape since ancient times.
The hammer consists of three main parts: the handle, the striker and the butt plate. Depending on the type of hammer, the shape of the striker or butt plate changes, the handle changes only in size.
Useful information:
The most common types of hammers are:
Locksmith's hammer
It is the most popular of all the variety of hammers. Such a hammer has a flat head of a square or less often round shape and a butt plate that gradually tapers towards the end. The striker is convenient for hammering nails and carrying out other percussion work. The butt plate is designed for breaking various materials and objects. The weight of a plumber's hammer can be from 100 grams to 2 kilograms.
Kiyanka
A hammer that is light in weight and relatively large size. Light weight is achieved due to the fact that the firing pin and butt plate (they have the same shape for the mallet) are made of dense rubber, or less often of wood. The mallet is intended for carpentry or roofing work. It is used to knock out parts, hammer in wedges, and adjust sheets of iron. Thanks to the material from which the working part of the mallet is made, it does not damage the surface of the objects being processed and therefore can be used for delicate work (with furniture, tiles, installation of various structures).
Sledgehammer
It is a massive hammer weighing from 800 grams to 12 kilograms on a durable handle. Sledgehammers weighing over 2 kilograms are equipped with a long handle that provides greater impact energy. Sledgehammers are used for work where “brute” force is needed (when destroying walls, hammering in crutches and staples, for crushing large stones).
Pick hammer
Mason's hammer (also called a pick-hammer or simply a pick). This hammer is used when working with brick, tile or decorative stone. Thanks to the design of the working part (the butt plate of the pick is made flat and pointed), such a pick is convenient for breaking off pieces of the processed material of the required size.
Roofing hammer
This hammer has a peak-shaped butt plate in the form of a fang, or in the form of a small hatchet. This hammer is convenient for working with one hand, which is important for people who work high above the ground. It makes it easy to make holes in roofing material(for fastenings), trim the rafters and sheathing.
