Last Updated on October 25, 2021
Hammer is one of the most common hand tool found in a toolbox for delicate to hard jobs and DIY task.The main uses of hammer is to strike something for breaking, fixing, bending, riveting purposes. The shape and size of hammer vary according to their purpose of use.
A hammer can be divided into two basic parts called head and handle joining together. The head part consists of face and back part with various shapes account for differentiating hammer types. Traditionally handle is made with wood but nowadays metals are used. Fiberglass made handle is used to reduce impact energy.
Types of Hammers
There are many types of hammer are used in different jobs. Here,13 different types of hammer with their uses are written below.
1. Claw Hammer
The name claw comes from unique shape of the back part which has been split into middle to give a claw-like shape. It is mostly used carpentry hammer all around.
The rounded striking face is used for knocking nails and claw part for pulling them out. Due to the rounded end of claw part makes easy levering. Wood, metal, and fiberglass are used to make handle.
2. Ball Pean Hammer
Well-known as engineer’s hammer. It is mostly used in metalwork. It contains a flat face and a rounded end (peen) along with other side. The peen similar to a ball thus it is called ball peen-hammer. This tool has weight from 0.12kg-1kg
The flat face is commonly used to drive punches and chisels, chipping, shaping and rounded end for giving shape of metals, setting rivets.
3. Club Hammer
This is also called lump hammer, drilling hammer. The double faced hammer is like a sledgehammer, generally having 10 inches long handle, is often used to break apart concrete, driving chisel and masonry nails to give the shape of stone.
It is mostly used in building sites by builders. The handle is 12-18 inches long with a head of weight of 2 to 6 lbs.
4. Cross Pien Pin Hammer
It is referred to as a panel pin hammer. Generally, this hammer is not used in household work. It has got a hammerhead on one side and a flat blade along with another side which is steep to the handle.
This is used for light jobs. It is designed for hammering small pin-like nails. This tool can also be used for shaping thin metal sheets, stonework, and blacksmithing.
5. Cross and Straight Pien pin Hammer
A straight pein hammer has a cuneal peen which is parallel to the handle.it is particularly used for shaping metals and riveting by the flat face. Pein is used for starting panel pins and tacks to avoid hitting the finger. It is mostly used in wood work for nailing small pins, shaping and forging hot red metals called blacksmithing.
6. Sledge Hammer
The bigger version of club hammer is called a sledgehammer. The tool contains two similar flat head with a long handle. The length of handle is 50cm-1m and the weight of head is 2.2-19.8lb.
The tool gains momentum with mild swinging as a result producing a heavy force to hit large area. This tool is mainly used to break concrete, masonry, and heavy duty jobs.
7. Jointers Mallet
This is a wooden mallet. Both handle and head are made with solid hardwood. This tool is used in light work. It is a very useful carpentry tool to drive wood chisels and joining two wooden joints together and inserting dowels.
Compared to the general metal hammer, it doesn’t make damage to wood and metal surface. Due to its large surface area, it makes less vibration and impact force during striking. Sometimes striking faces are covered with lather.
8. Soft Face Hammer
The soft face hammer having striking face made with rubber, plastic, nylon, copper and aluminum. They have different shapes and sizes. This tool often used in lightweight work.
This is used in joining of wooden piece together and to get shape of metals, plastic board, nailing of tents without damaging striking surface. Replacement of tips is easy when it deforms over time.
9. Framing Hammer
This hammer is similar to claw hammer but it has straight claw and heavier weight. The weight of framing hammer is 20-32oz where claw hammer has 10-16oz. The face is waffle like to prevent slipping off nails. It is used to pull into large nails and framing of wooden house.
10. Deadblow Hammer
This is one kind of mallet hammer. This tool is made by rubber, plastic having a specialized hollow head is filled with sand or steel shot which is responsible for dead blow when striking on a surface. It is perfect for lightweight work like metalwork or woodwork for joining.
There is no recoil vibration and reduce shock like other metal hammers.it prevents marks on striking surfaces.
11. Blacksmith Hammer
The weight of typical blacksmith hammer is 2-3 pounds. The back side of a blacksmith is like cross pin but not sharp like typical cross pin. Having heavier weight make it easier to produce force on hot metal to give shape. Blacksmith hammer is made with hard metal which can withstand at high temperature.
12. Brass Hammer
According to the name, brass mallet is made with strong alloy. Basically, this hammer is chosen for its non-magnetic, non-sparking, and non-corrosive nature. As comparative with conventional hammer, it produces relatively less reverberation as a result prevents unwanted movement. It doesn’t make mark on area being hit
13. Drywall Hammer
Like its name, drywall hammer is used in building construction during plastering or drywall. As it contains long handle and sharp head like axe, sometimes it is called drywall axe.
It is constructed with a serrated impact face so that it can be connected with nail properly and driving nail at appropriate place. It has a hatchet shaped back part for rough cutting of drywall and pulling out nails. Breaking of drywall is easy with this hammer.
Safety precaution during use of hammer
- Wear safety glass when using.
- Routinely check your hammer handle, head and joint of head and handle.
- Don’t hit two hammer with one other because hammer head can be broken down.
- Use appropriate hammer for its suitable work that will make your work easy.
- Grasp the hammer near the end of the handle.
Conclusion
Hammer is an ancient and widely used hand tool. The name of hammer depends on its structure and purpose of use. There are too many types of hammer used around in many jobs.
When we think about using the hammer, we should learn about the right hammer for right jobs. In this article, some different kind of hammers has been discussed to give idea about hammer and their versatile uses.