March 13, 2007

How to Use a Hammer

Don’t laugh. We’re always surprised when we see what people do when they swing hammers. Even many carpenters hold the hammer in the wrong place or swing it the wrong way. If you use a hammer a lot, doing it incorrectly can put a big strain on your body, slow down your work, and with dents all over the coffee table you just made, it can cause a lot of frustration. We found a few articles on the subject; here, here, and here. But, essentially, they all say the same things:

Hold the hammer in middle of the grip. Don’t choke up on the head.
Swing from the elbow, not the wrist. This is probably the most important part.
When the hammer connects with the nail, make sure that the face of the hammer is parallel with the head of the nail. If it’s not, you’re going to end up straightening a lot of nails.
Let the weight of the hammer do the majority of the work.

If you're still having trouble with these concepts, check out Ed the Handyman.