Hammer Testing

Re: Hammer Testing

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I have heard of this also. All I know is that some hammers feel better in my hand. Another thing I take into account when picking a hammer is how much strain it puts on my wrist.I worked with a contractor who used nothing but a 16 oz. rocket hammer for everything. I bought one and discovered what the deal was. The handle is light.All the weight is in the head. The balance of a hammer is a matter of preference.(the rocket user would spin his hammer like a six-gun and drop it back in the holster)In my work I use a hammer all day long.Right now my main hammer is a 16 oz. stanley curved claw with a graphite handle.

You can't go wrong with an estwing.They are by far the best quality hammer out there.They're just too rough on my wrists.---Jack

Re: Hammer Testing

paul womack

>They are by far the best quality hammer out there.They're just too rough on my wrists.

That's just silly. I'd have thought one of the defining qualities of "the best quality hammer" would be design and ergonmics so it didn't hurt your wrists.

BugBear

Re: Douglas

TMStock

>Douglas - too expensive by half, but how else to get the vibration damping of wood without all the nonsense with wedges, etc. Does not balance (rip claws), but does drive nails without killing your wrist.

Re: Hammer Testing

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I agree with you.I assume it has something to do with the way I use it.Estwings are very popular among framers around here and for a framer,the hammer is a very vital tool.

I do have a leather handled straight claw that I use ocasionally for finish. But when I have to swing it all day I go back to a lightweight.

I'll bet if you posted this thread on a carpentry forum you'd get alot of heated discussion on this topic.

BTW,estwing hammers are unconditionally guaranteed.---Jack

Gotta disargree here...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>"You can't go wrong with an estwing.They are by far the best quality hammer out there."

Ever try picking up a Hart hammer? No contest IMHO.

Re: Gotta disargree here...

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I've never heard of that brand. Maybe it's a weast coast thing?--Jack

Re: Hammer Testing

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>The Breaktime forum on the Fine Homebuilding site regularly has discussions of hammers. I realized in reading it that some carpenters have hammer collections in the same way that some of us here (certainly not ME, oh no, not me) have plane collections - always buying a new one, ever seeking the perfect one.

Re: Hammer Testing

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I have a nice maydole and a mint shapleigh hardware .Also a very old bellhead that's undated and a little beat up.---Jack

Gotta get out more,CJ

Bob Hackett

>I`ve seen `em up here,and agree with the assessment.I used Estwings before but have switched over(`wings will bend thru the narrow shank when pulling stubborn nail using the side pull technique).

For the absolute coolness in hammers it`s got to be a "Death Stick".Black graphite handle with a skull&crossbones on it,nice weight back California framer`s head design.Almost as sweet as a Hart but looks much more intimidating.I first saw one when Dr Death(my gothic son)walked up and handed it to me at the borg.He didn`t say anything but was grinning from ear to ear,big praise from him.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Gotta disargree here... *LINK*

Andy Lincoln,in Dearborn,MI

>try this.


Hart Trim Hammer

Re: Gotta get out more,CJ

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I've seen the death sticks. I got one of those hats.I like the logo. Definitely a framers tool.Before those came out all the locals had estwing 28 oz wafflehead finger smashers. I guess I'm out of the loop.Haven't hung out with framers for a few years.---Jack

Re: Gotta disargree here...

TMStock

>Naw...Woodcraft sold them, to include the Woodie and pseudo-Woodie after Coonran walked with his patents. Pretty much a standard tool at Lowes before the QC and finish declined. Net impact was to force other companies to improve their products, though, so not all bad.

I heard Dead-On Tools bought Hart, or maybe the other way around - anyway, he's supposed to be making new tools somewhere.

I like my old Hart framer, but I like the inverted traction face of the Douglas better - does not wear out when banging away on lags or carraige bolts, etc.

Re: Hammer Testing

David Miller from Iowa

>I appreciate the hammer talk (I have probably 50+) but I still would be interested in comments on the Estwing "Weight Forward" - yea or nay?

Regards, David

Here is the picture

Dan Donaldson

>You have to link to the actual picture and not the web page it is shown on. If the url does not end in jpg or gif, it will not work to show pictures.;-)

Re: Hammer Testing

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Sorry I took it so far off topic on you.MY point was I think you should try the hammer yourself.It's mostly a matter of prefence. Also The point of the Estwing talk was that they make a quality tool.--Jack

Go for it!

Bob Hackett

>If you already have 50,one more ain`t gonna make any difference.Let us all know how it works out after you test drive it for about a week.;^)

50 hammers,WOW.And I thought blacksmiths had it bad.

Mainely,Bob-50 huh?you don`t mean 50 of the same hammer do ya?Man,that`s alot of hammers.Did your dad own a hardware store?How many buckets does it take to store `em all?We`re talkin` carpenter type hammers,right?Is that an estimate or a dead-on,for real count?Man,you`ve got it bad!

Re: Go for it!

David Miller from Iowa

>Good point. Back in the 70s when I was poor, a $2 hammer head at a flea market was a real splurge. I usually made deerfoot handles out of baseball bats on the shaving horse (really! ignore those violins playing). In fact, I was a hammer nut for at least 10 years before I became a hand plane nut. I can now afford a $30 hammer and will stop yammering about it, pick one up and report back.

Re: Gotta disargree here...

Scott Burr Ben Lomond,CA

>Here's mine: Top the beast a 28oz finger smashin' devil. Can't say I pick him up much any more, besides I'm out of the framing biz... and I don't like waffels any more either too sweet for me;). Below, my all time favorite swinger a 21oz. sweetie.

Framers & Hammers

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>Jack,

I have been down here for over 27 years, where the walls of typical houses are concrete block. I had thought that Up North, where more traditional stick framed homes are built, that these days power nailers were exclusively used. I guess that is not so?

Re: hammer weights

paul womack

>...Estwing 28 oz..

I bought a carpenter friend a s/h English claw hammer. He normally used a 24 Oz Estwing, and it was making his arm and wrist ache when doing overhead nailing.

I bought him a hammer with "20 Oz" labelled on the head.

But when we tried the scales, it turned out the English 20 Oz weighed MORE than Estwing.

In fact the Estwing hammer weighed 24 Oz. Whereas the English hammer head weighed 20 Oz.

Typical English understatement don'tcha' know...

I eventually cure his wrist ache by buying another English claw, with the head labelled 16 Oz.

Both the English hammers had nice hickory handles, of course.

BugBear

Re: Hammer Testing

paul womack

>Estwing "Weight Forward"

Heh. If that's the "right answer", every other hammer Estwing have ever sold was clearly "wrong".

Bit like those washing powder advert that say "no other powder has ever been able to remove this stain".

"What?", you say, "not even your powder that you said was so great only last year".

BugBear

Re: Hammer Testing

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>If the ad actually says "no other powder has ever been able to remove this stain" and doesn't say "this powder removes this stain," you can't complain about truth in advertising when you use the powder and this stain doesn't get removed.

Pam

Re: Framers & Hammers

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>California has been prominent in the use of air nailers for years, but whenever I pass a construction site, I can hear at least one hammer going - guess there's times when it's not worth dragging out the air hose. Plus, an air nailer isn't good for driving something into position, a practice sometimes necessary when nailing off warped wood.

Re: Framers & Hammers

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I think air nailers are very widely used up here now but I'm not positive. Back when I stopped framing (10-12 years?)most locals used a big hammer.I don't do any new construction. Strictly old homes,repairs,remodels etc..Jack