Hammers are simple, striking tools for hammering a nail into many surfaces, such as wood, concrete, and masonry. Several tricks of the trade, like where to hold the hammer and the nail and how to apply force, will help you hit the nail squarely on the head. These helpful pointers prevent bends to the nail and avoid splitting the wood.
Here are essential tips for how to hammer a nail into various materials.
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Choose the Right Hammer
There are many types of hammers. Claw hammers are designed for striking hardened nails and wood, not stone or concrete, and should not be used to drive steel masonry chisels or other metal objects. Specialty hammers include:
- Curved claw hammer: The 16-ounce curved claw hammer is a decent choice for all-around versatility and is found in most homes. The 13-ounce is a smaller, lighter claw hammer that is easier to control. When hammering in tight spaces, use a smaller hammer with a U-shaped head. The top of the "U" is a straight edge, enabling the hammer head to be flush with the wall.
- Ripping claw framing hammer: The 20 to 30-ounce framing hammer is often used to drive concrete nails. Pro carpenters or very experienced DIYers who do a lot of rough carpentry work or demolition jobs use this hammer. Framing hammers look similar to standard claw hammers, but the claws are straighter, the handle is longer, and the head is considerably heavier.
- Tack hammer: This tool usually has two striking surfaces at either end of the head; it is used for driving small brads and tacks, such as carpet tacks. Some tack hammers have a magnetic head that can hold tiny tacks by the head to make them easier to drive.
- Ball peen hammer: This hammer has one flat-faced head and one rounded head; the specially hardened steel is designed for metalwork.
- Mason hammer: This hammer has a striking face on one side and a chisel-shaped cutting pick on the other. It is available in many sizes and designed to score and split bricks or break small pieces off rocks.
- Mallet: made of wood or rubber; designed to strike wood without leaving damaging marks.
- Drywall hammer: This tool has a small axe face on one side of the head, which can be used to knock holes in drywall. The other side of the hammer has a flat face for driving drywall nails.
- Cub hammer or sledgehammer: These are different sizes of the same basic hammer design—heavy-headed tools used for demolition or masonry work.
- 02 of 08
Wear Eye Protection
Because it is not a power tool, most people don't realize how important it is to wear eye protection while hammering nails. Bits or whole nails, pieces of concrete or wood, or even hammer parts can fly toward your face. A pair of lightweight, inexpensive eye protectors is essential; never hammer without it.
- 03 of 08
Hold the Hammer at End of the Handle
Grab the hammer near the end of its handle. Get used to the feel. Swing it loosely in your hand. A well-made hammer will have an excellent balance and a little sweep or widened section at the end of the handle to help you hold on. Do not "choke up" on or grab a hammer by its neck.
- 04 of 08
Handle the Nail Closer to the Head
A common mistake when starting a nail is holding it down near the bottom against the wood. If you miss the head of the nail (and this will happen), the hammerhead will likely crush your fingers against the wood. By holding the nail near the top, you have a bit of leeway and are less likely to bruise or break fingers when mishaps occur.
If you have tiny nails, a trick for preventing hand injury is to hold the nail with needlenose pliers or a wooden clothespin or stick the nail through a piece of cardboard and position it exactly over the spot you intend to strike.
Continue to 5 of 8 below - 05 of 08
Prevent Nail Bends by Controlling Swing
Here's the proper procedure to hammer a nail without bending it:
- Hold the nail near the top, just under the head, with the sharp tip positioned where you want to drive the nail. Hold the nail perfectly perpendicular to the nailing surface.
- Place the hammerhead centered on the head of the nail.
- Draw back the hammer with elbow motion and a slight backward wrist bend.
- Watch the head of the nail (not the hammer) as you swing forward with an accelerating motion. Just as you contact the nail head, there should be a slight forward snap of the wrist. The blow should not be violent, just a gradually accelerating swing.
Once you get the hang of nailing, you'll find that using a few smooth, well-placed blows is far more successful. Most of the force applied should come from elbow and shoulder action, with the energy coming from the momentum of the hammer's head.
Do not ferociously try to pound a nail with great force, such as excessive muscular wrist bending when hammering. This action leads to inaccuracy and a lot of wrist stress over time.
- 06 of 08
Blunt the Tip of Your Nail
If you find that your nails are splitting the wood (most commonly with narrow pieces of hardwood lumber), try blunting the tip of the nail before driving it. Here's how:
- Turn the nail upside down with the head resting on a hard surface and the tip facing up.
- Lightly tap the nail tip with your hammer to slightly blunt it.
Wood splits because the fibers are bent and deformed as the nail forces its way between them. A blunt nail tip tends to sever the wood fibers rather than bend them, so the nail is less likely to split the wood. It's not more challenging to drive, but this method slightly reduces the nail's holding power, as it can't be gripped as tightly if the wood fibers are severed.
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Drill Pilot Holes
Another method of avoiding splitting and making driving nails easier in dense hardwoods is to drill a pilot hole in the wood, using a slightly smaller diameter than the shank of the nails you are using.
Like blunting the tip of the nail, drilling pilot holes will slightly reduce the holding power of the nails, but it is a good technique when installing trim moldings or other work that doesn't require maximum holding power.
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Make the Last Blow Count
If you examine the face of a hammer, you'll notice that the striking head has a slightly rounded, convex shape. This profile is designed so that you can drive the head of the nail head flush or just slightly below the wood's surface on the hammer's final blow.
If you correctly time your hammer strikes, the last blow will drive the nail head slightly below the surface of the material you're nailing into. The shape of the hammer's head will slightly countersink the nail but will not mar the wood surface. When done correctly, there is no need to follow up and countersink the nail heads with a nail set tool.
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How do I keep nails straight when hammering?
Keep nails straight by holding them near the top, just under the head, and perpendicular to the surface. Use pliers or a clothespin if it's too hard to hold the nail.
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What is the safest way to hold a nail while hammering?
The safest way to prevent injury to your fingers is to use a wooden clothespin.
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Why are sharp nails easier to hammer?
Sharper nails have less surface area that resists the force or pressure of the hammer strike, making it easier to push into the surface.