TOOLS : Driving Home a Point About Specialization

The tool we know as the hammer was first developed about 7000 BC during the neolithic period (the Stone Age). During this time, man first lashed a sharpened stone to a branch, and the hammer was born. The ax was, too.

Today, the hammer has evolved into a large family of specialized striking tools. They are made from varied materials, including steel, wood, brass, fiberglass, leather, rubber and plastics.

Despite the variety of hammers, many homeowners own just one or two models. It is common to have several different sizes or styles of screwdrivers and pliers for specific tasks, but the same should hold true for hammers.

The typical do-it-yourself person should own at least five hammers: a 16-ounce, curved-claw hammer for driving nails; a 22-ounce rip hammer for construction and remodeling; a 12-ounce curved-claw hammer for finishing carpentry; a cabinetmaker’s hammer, and a ball peen hammer.

The hammer is one of the most used and abused of all hand tools. A few basic guidelines make any striking tool safer to use:

* Select a hammer for its intended use and use it only for those purposes.

* Always wear safety goggles.

* Never use a hammer with a loose or damaged handle--replace it immediately.

* Never strike one hammer with another.

* Discard a tool if its striking face is chipped, dented or mushroomed. Don’t strike with the the hammer’s side or head.

Fortunately, high-quality hammers are not expensive.

Here are some of the types of hammers:

* A rip hammer is used for rough carpentry, with a straight claw to pry boards apart and an almost unbreakable fiberglass handle with rubber grip. Plan to remodel? You need one.

* A cabinetmaker’s or Warrington hammer has a tapered cross-peen to start small nails or brads without hitting your fingers. These hammers have 3 1/2-to-16-ounce forged-steel heads on ash handles.

* The ball peen hammer originally was used to mushroom rivet heads with its round peen and to strike cold chisels or punches with its flat face. Sizes range from eight to 32 ounces.

* A plastic mallet is used to strike blows without damaging the work’s surface. It’s useful for assembling furniture and setting dowel pins.

* The seven-ounce tack hammer with magnetized head holds ferrous tacks for driving.

* A brass-head hammer, in all sizes, is used to avoid marring metalwork and mechanical parts when driving pins.

* Dead-blow hammers have hollow urethane plastic heads partly filled with lead shot. They will not mar metalwork pieces and do not rebound. Five sizes range from eight ounces to 14 pounds.