Hammers are very common tools that are used for a variety of purposes such as carpentry, framing, nail pulling, finishing, bending or shaping metal and more. The material is made of hard metals or alloys such as steel or cast iron. The handle of the hammer could be of different materials like wood, metal or metal with rubber grip.
There are many types of hammers, out of which 2 of them are essential for ATL labs, they are:
1. Ball Pein Hammer
This kind of hammer is generally used in metalworking. It has two heads, one is the flat one and the other is rounded, also called the ball pein part. The pein head is used in surface peening, which means to deform the surface by applying force.
2. Steel Shaft Claw Hammer
This hammer has a claw on one head which is very useful while picking out the nails that are struck into walls, metal or wood pieces.
How to use
The hammer should be held tightly with one hand on its handle, gripping the handle firmly. Then, the head part is used for putting the impact. For striking purposes, the head of the hammer should be struck upon the material that needs to be striked. It can also be used with a chisel to care for shapes by striking the chisel which is held over the material. For putting nails, The opening of the claw should be put on the nail through its neck, and then the hammer should be pulled and twisted with power to get the nail out from the surface.
Common applications
1. Strike nails to fit them on surfaces.
2. Taking out nails from the surfaces.
3. Deforming the surface through peening.
Safety measures to follow
1. Always strike normally (90°) on the surface.
2. Always wear safety goggles while using a hammer as the small chips that come out while hammering could put damage to your eyes.
3. Wear gloves if required and make sure that you don’t strike on your hand.
Some example tasks that students can try out in the ATL Lab
1. Putting the nail on a wooden board through a hammer and then taking it out.
Important Links
1. Types of hammers and their uses (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaVmEn_Bces)
YouTube Video
2. How to use a claw hammer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsmtMhmjD_g)
YouTube video
3. Use a ball pein hammer with a chisel (https://youtu.be/ObHxixy4ViQ)
YouTube Video
