Selecting and Keeping a Good Framing Hammer
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios

Defined Tag: Framing Hammer.

The framing hammer is probably what most of us think of when we think of a hammer. It has a metal head, with a claw for pulling out nails, joined to either a wooden or a metal handle. If the handle is metal, it usually has a rubber grip, so the hammer doesn't go sailing out of your hands. If your hammer is so old that it no longer has a rubber grip, you might want to consider buying a replacement grip or replacing the hammer, as the slick metal handle is more dangerous when you're working.

Weight is important to consider when you're looking at purchasing a new framing hammer. Both wooden handles and metal ones come in a variety of different weights, and it's well worth your time to hold them in your hands, get a feel for the different weights, before you make your decision. A heavier hammer is going to have more 'oomph' to it; it makes pounding in a few nails much, much easier. But after a couple of hours of hefting that extra weight, you're going to get very tired, indeed. If you're using a lighter framing hammer, you'll have to put more effort into each blow. If you're only hammering in the occasional nail, a heavier hammer is definitely a better bet. But if you're going to be nailing for a few hours straight, the lighter hammer may be a better choice, since that other hammer is going to feel pretty heavy after a while.

Of course, your own strength comes into play, as well as your comfort level with a framing hammer; if you're just going to be putting a few nails into the wall to hold pictures, and you're afraid you'll damage the wall if you miss, then go with a lighter hammer, where there's less risk of damaging finished wall if you miss your nail. As always, form follows function; your framing hammer must be the right hammer for the jobs you want it to do, not for some other job that you never have a need of.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, Amazon, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.