I want to go back to basics for a while with some posts about building some core skills. Starting with the hammer (because it’s fun!) and because it’s pretty easy to practice…. go grab a block of wood (or nail a few bits together….) and some nails and lets go…
The statement “anyone can hammer in a nail” is a falsehood soon discovered by those who try it for the first time. That said, I think most folks find hammering in nails very satisfying; once you get the hang of it. Hitting your thumb with a hammer, not so much… Fortunately it takes so little practice to get the hang of it, an hour tops and you’ll be an expert, I promise you.
First, to properly direct and control a hammers force, it’s essential the size of the hammer (thus force) matches the situation, i.e. small nails = small hammer, bigger nails needs, yup, you guessed it, a dirty great big hammer. Never use a large hammer lightly or a little hammer aggressively. It’s worth taking the time to go and get the right hammer, because big hammers inevitably bend small nails and little hammers are dangerously ineffective on big nails because they can bend, break or even ricochet.
It’s all about the angle of the dangle…
Oh, and don’t use any other tool as a hammer either, because you’ll struggle and might damage the workpiece (not to mention the tool). Right that’s the boring stuff out of the way, now pass me that hammer!
Start by holding the hammer at the proper place on the handle, i.e. not too close to the head of the hammer. Start in the middle somewhere and work your way to the end as you improve. Then, picture hitting the nail with the head (top part) of the hammer completely in line with the nail, as this ensures the actual face of the hammer is 90o to the nail head, i.e. hitting it squarely. Practice just touching the nail like a golfer practices his swing…
Use some cardboard to hold the nail if you’re worried about hitting your fingers…
Try keeping a hold of the nail (if you dare!) and (relatively gently) tap the nail until it’s about a quarter of its length in, then the nail will be sturdy and less likely to bend if you slightly miss-hit it; mind your fingers though…
Let go of the nail and carry on hitting it, relatively gently again until the nail is about ½ way in or more, be deliberate and accurate with your blows. Try increasing the force (if you want), to drive the nail in the last half, but slow down again just before the nail head hits the surface. Finish off the last few blows carefully to avoid unsightly ‘half-moons’ where the hammer hits the wood on the last stroke. Once the nail head is flush, or almost flush with the timbers surface, consider using a nail punch to drive the nail below the surface for mark free results.
Thrashing away like a heavy metal guitarist is going to make hitting the nail squarely virtually impossible. If you’re bending the nail each time, it usually means the hammer is hitting the nail at a slight angle (or too big a hammer!) The head must hit the nail head perfectly flat to drive it in straight.
If you very slightly miss hit a nail and it bends slightly one way, make the next blow slightly more towards the side in which the nail is leaning to send it back over the other way to straighten it.
If you’ve bent a nail, use your claw hammer to straighten up the worst of it. Here, like this…
Oops, don’t panic; it happens, even to the best of us…
…and then use a club hammer on one side and your claw hammer on the opposite side to ‘dress’ the nail straight again before continuing. Like so…
Dress the nail straight with two hammers…
If you find the hammer is skidding off the nail and you’re convinced you’re hitting it squarely… try the tradesman’s’ trick and sandpaper the striking face of the hammer to remove the polished surface before trying again.
If you’re nailing close to the end of a piece of wood, try tapping the point on a nail to flatten it. This works because the now flat top punches a hole through the timber fibres (breaking and tearing them) whereas the original point drives through them like a wedge, creating stress and pressure, often enough to split the timber, especially if you’re nailing within 25mm (1”) of the end of the workpiece.
An easy way to reduce splitting near the edge by tapping the end of the nail, flattening it…
A downside to hitting something with a hammer is that it might move and holding two workpieces securely is often difficult. It’s best to hammer the nail well into the first timber and then check your alignment before carrying on into the second timber.
Stop the stud sliding with a nail…
On 90o joints, (toe or skew nails), either hold your boot on the back side of the stud or use a temporary nail (driven in 12.5mm or ½” or so) to stop the timber moving.
If nailing something which is not sturdy, hold something heavy (a heavy hammer) on the opposite side. This acts as a counter weight and absorbs some of the force of your blows.
Right, I’ll stop there for now, I’ll cover removing nails in a future post.
Let me know how you get on!
Stay well
Ian
