3 Types of Hammers

Hammers come in various weights and sizes, each designed to suit specific tasks. Misusing one can require extra effort or even result in damage to work surfaces or fasteners – or worse yet cause injury.

A hammer can feature any variety of head styles – plain, bell or cross faced. The straight area beneath its head is known as the poll where handles are attached.

Claw Hammer

Claw hammers are one of the most frequently used tools in household tool kits and construction sites alike. Their name derives from their double-pronged claw on the back of the hammer head which allows users to pull nails or pry apart materials.

Claw hammers are commonly used to drive nails into wooden structures and remove them, as well as breaking apart brick and other hard materials, such as splitting blocks of wood for smaller projects. But they have other uses too! They can even be used for splitting blocks of wood to facilitate smaller tasks.

Many different sizes of claw hammers exist to meet various applications and user requirements, from framing claw hammers for heavy work to lighter finishing claw hammers that usually weigh less. Handles can be constructed out of materials such as wood, fiberglass and steel while some feature milled or grooved surfaces on their faces.

Hammers with smooth faces typically come from the factory with a polished surface; however, users may alter it using an abrasive material for increased grip. These tools are typically utilized when aesthetic considerations matter or when nailing materials without regards to ridges and pockmarks are of primary concern – projects like baseboards, crown molding, door casing or wall paneling require these hammers.

Many hammers now feature curved claws to allow users to reach into tight spaces typically found during trim and finish work, including between boards or materials where nail placement could potentially cause damage by using the full claw of their hammer.

This type of hammer makes it easy to access and remove protruding or stuck nails, particularly in hard-to-reach places or when pulling nails through complex materials like hardwood or vinyl flooring. With its curved claw, this tool also makes reaching into tight spaces easier, helping you reach and pull protrusioning nails out without using too much force or force from outside sources.

When purchasing a claw hammer for yourself, be sure to find one which is lightweight enough and features an ergonomic grip. Also be sure that its balance allows you to apply pressure without straining muscles.

Ball Peen Hammer

This type of hammer is frequently utilized in metal fabrication for shaping and peening applications. Featuring a flat face at one end and an end shaped like a ball, this type of hammer is also often known as the blacksmith’s hammer as it can be found used for metalworking jobs as well. Perfect for striking chisels and punches during metal fabrication as well as shaping, expanding copper rovers, or setting rivets, its durability ensures long term use in many industrial settings.

Ball peen hammers typically feature heads fashioned from either forged steel, brass, or plastic; however, for heavy work-grade durability the best choice would be one with a head forged from high carbon or alloy steel that has been heat treated to maximize strength and resilience. In addition, handles usually made of strong shock-absorbing materials like hickory or ash provide shock absorption capabilities that allow repeated stress without deformation.

Before purchasing a hammer, always consider its weight. This factor determines how easily and quickly your hands can hold the instrument while swinging it, as well as whether its head size and shape will impact its effectiveness.

No matter if it is in your garage or on a construction site, having the appropriate hammer for any task can make all of your projects much simpler. Knowing more about different types of hammers and their application can help guide your decisions when purchasing one – before heading out to your local hardware store take a look at our buying guide so you know all of the factors to take into consideration when comparing styles – this way you’re certain of finding your ideal tool!

Mallet Hammer

Mallet hammers are tools used for striking objects with force. Additionally, they can help shape those objects. Mallets are commonly employed in woodworking industry as well as striking metal. Other common applications include shaping sheet metal and tapping ceramic tiles into place. What sets mallets apart from other hammers is their unique rounded head design which provides better surface damage control when striking surfaces that require less forceful strikes.

While hammers may appear simple enough, they’re actually highly complex pieces of machinery. Their main components are their head and handle. Their heads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; some even include claws on them! In terms of material options they come equipped with steel, tungsten and titanium options as well.

Typically, hammer heads feature an eye hole for mounting onto handles. The area directly beneath its head is known as its poll; while its neck connects it to its handle – usually made of wood, rubber or nylon; some models offer two handles while others only one.

Hammers intended for heavy work should be constructed from durable materials to ensure their long-term reliability and force application when being struck. To minimize weight, lightweight materials should be utilized when creating lighter work hammers.

While claw hammers are ideal for general pounding tasks, they’re less suitable when used for framing. Instead, for this task you should opt for a cross peen hammer instead. This type of tool features a flat striking face with a circular bell-like hemispherical peen; commonly found in toolboxes of machinists and blacksmiths alike as well as being used by welding industries to remove slag from weld spots.

There are various specialized hammers used for specific industries or tasks. For instance, rivet hammers are commonly seen in machinist toolboxes as they make delicate projects more manageable with precision strikes. A ball-peen hammer can also come in handy for loosening any stuck pieces on delicate projects.

Long-Handled Hammer

Hammers are an essential tool in most tool kits. Used for everything from driving nails to breaking hard objects, hammers serve many important purposes ranging from driving nails and driving nails into hard objects with minimal force to using special types of hammers to ensure safety and efficiency when doing these jobs.

These tools may be made from materials such as wood, Bakelite, plastic, brass, copper or aluminum and their construction may range from wood to Bakelite plastic brass copper or aluminum alloy. Size and weight considerations also need to be considered; certain hammers such as cross peen hammers are designed specifically to avoid impact marks on surfaces, while blacksmith’s hammers can also be found for metalwork tasks.

Sledge hammers are heavy, metal-faced hammers with the capacity of withstanding high impact forces, used in demolition work or driving stakes into the ground. Protective equipment should always be worn when using this hammer.

Claw hammers are another specialty type of hammer that feature two claws at the end of its head for prying or ripping things apart, with either straight or angled claws that can be straight or angled depending on your preference. Furthermore, its cheek can either be smooth or ridged and may extend further or shorter than other parts of its frame.

Framing hammers are another widely used type of hammer, featuring long handles designed for nail driving power. While they can be used for woodworking projects, they’re more often found in DIYer or general contractor tool kits. Most framing hammer handles are constructed of wood; however, steel and titanium frames offer greater longevity with less impact to hands.

A ball-peen hammer features a round peen on one side of its face instead of the traditional hammerhead, making it more suitable for metalwork applications and shaping parts with it. Furthermore, this tool can also help clear away contaminants after welding work has been completed – something sledge hammers cannot do as easily.