Hammer is a hand tool that consists of a weighted “head” attached to a long handle and swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This could be used to shape metal, drive nails into wood, or crush rock into pieces. Hammers are used for a variety of applications such as driving, shaping, breaking, and non-destructive striking. Carpentry, blacksmithing, warfare, and percussive musicianship are examples of traditional disciplines (as with a gong). The modern hammer head is typically made of hardened steel, and the handle that is typically made of wood, plastic, or sometimes steel. So let’s take a deep dive into the world of hammers with these amazing facts.
- The first hammers did not have handles. By around 30,000 BCE, during the middle of the Paleolithic Stone Age, stones attached to sticks with strips of leather or animal sinew were being used as hammers with handles. The addition of a handle improved user control and reduced accidents.
- Hammers are used in general carpentry, framing, nail pulling, cabinet making, furniture assembly, upholstering, finishing, riveting, bending or shaping metal, striking masonry drills and steel chisels, and other tasks. Hammers are made to serve a specific purpose.
- There are over 40 types of hammers that are used for different purposes. Some of which are Hand Hammer, Sledgehammer, Claw hammer, Club hammers, and so on.
- The Hammer handle should always be caught from its end as it saves energy and makes the hit more efficient.
- The biggest hammer in the world can be found in California, United States. The hammer is a 26-foot-tall replica of a Vaughan claw hammer (30 feet long, including concrete foundation) and is placed in front of a private business. The octagonal handle is made of solid wood and reinforced with a metal I-beam. The hammer’s head is made of 18-gauge brushed stainless steel and is 10 feet, 3 inches long.
- Weights for standard claw hammers range from 8 to 16 oz(226g to 454g). Framing hammers, which are commonly used in construction, have head weights ranging from 20 to 32 oz, a longer handle for increased power, and a rip claw. Heavier heads and longer handles deliver a more powerful blow, but they are also more difficult to control and can tire you out faster.
- A claw hammer is one of the most common and widely used types of hammers. It is used to drive or pull nails from objects and is used for light hammering tasks. It is distinguished by its flat head and the claw that bears its name. Claw hammers are frequently made of softer steel alloys.
- Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing in the United States is one of the biggest manufacturers of Hammers in the world. They produce more than 250 different kinds of hammers.
- In 1981, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the Creusot steam hammer as a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. It is a steam hammer and one of the biggest of its kind.
- Bosch has introduced the world’s most powerful electric breaker or hammer for demolition work in concrete, stone, or asphalt. The impact energy of the Bosch GSH 27 VC Professional is 69 joules, with an average material removal rate of 3.2 tons per hour.
- Cudahy, Wisconsin, is home to the world’s largest counterblow hammer! The “#85,” built by Ladish and now owned by ATI, is the world’s largest counterblow hammer.
- There are some modern-day hammers too that are unique in design as well as usage. Some of them are BA hammer, Hammelean hammer, and Unihammer.
