Quick Facts About Commonly Used Hammers

All Hammers Are Not Created Equally

A hammer is a hand tool that is used to strike an object or material. Hammers can be used for a number of different purposes including: driving nails into wood, metalworking, and demolition applications. With such a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles it can be difficult to choose the correct hammer for the job at hand. Read on to learn more about commonly used hammer styles and how to select the correct hammer for the job.

Ball Pein Hammers  

Ball Pein Hammers are also known as machinist’s hammers. The heads of ball pein hammers are harder then claw hammers, making them less likely to chip upon impact. These hammers are widely used in metalworking applications such as: driving punches & chisels, setting rivets, and bending & shaping metal. Ball pein hammers can come in a variety of styles: straight-pein, diagonal-pein, and cross-pein.

Brass Hammers  

Brass Hammers are used in places where you don’t want a spark from metal contact, usually the Oil & Gas Industry. Because brass hammers are made of a soft metal they do not damage the material they are contacting, but instead the damage is only done to the hammer. Brass hammers can be used to knock bearings into place and for other similar applications where a steel hammer would cause damage.

Dead Blow Hammers 

Dead Blow Hammers are specialized mallets that are designed to minimize the damage done to the struck object, as well as controlling the striking force with minimal rebound from the struck surface. Dead blow hammers commonly have a hollow head that are partially filled with steel / lead shot, or sand. This helps distribute the energy of the strike over a longer period of time. Dead blow hammers may also have a solid head made out of rubber or resilient plastic, this helps to adsorb shock and reduce rebound. Dead blow hammers are commonly used in tight spaces due to the minimal rebound, to help avoid accidental damage.

Carpenter’s Hammers  

Carpenter’s (Nailing) Hammers are used  for driving nails, removing nails, and prying apart lumber. The two most common types of Carpenter’s hammers are Framing Hammers & Claw Hammers. Framing hammers have a straight claw and are typically used for framing wooden houses. Their heavy head, long handle, and milled face allow them to quickly drive nails into lumber. Claw hammers have a more curved shape claw than framing hammers. The rounded end and long handle are used to gain leverage to help extract nails from wood.

Sledgehammers 

Sledgehammers may be categorized as a hand tools, but these tools are much larger than your typical hammer. Due to their size, sledgehammers they are used for jobs that require more force than a standard hammer. The large head and longer handle are designed to apply a large amount of force over a small area. Sledgehammers can be used to drive rebar & stakes, as well as breaking up concrete and other demolition jobs.

Hammers Available at Tanner

Tanner offers its customers a wide variety of hammers, including all the styles mentioned above. Shop for all your hammering needs here in Tanner’s Hammer Department. Don’t forget using hammers can be dangerous if the proper safety equipment is not being used, always be sure to have the proper Eye Protection and Work Gloves at all times when using hammers.