Things You'll Need:
- Ball-peen Hammers
- Curved Claw Hammers
- Drywall Hammers
- Straight Claw Hammers
- Tack Hammers
-
Step 1
Use the right hammer for the job.
-
Step 2
Grip the hammer by the handle firmly.
-
Step 3
Keep your wrist straight and use your whole forearm to lift and drop the tool.
-
Step 4
Let the hammer do most of the work, using its weight to drive the nail, rather than pounding on it with your full force.
-
Step 5
Angle nails against the grain for better holding power and stagger them to avoid splitting the wood.
-
Step 6
Protect finished wood surfaces by placing a piece of pegboard over the nail before hammering. Then use a nail set to drive the nail even with the work surface.









Comments
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Coating nails with beeswax is not such a good idea if you are using cement-coated nails. If you aren't using cement-coated nails for most jobs, you should be. Cement-coated nails are thinner than regular nails, preventing wood splits. It's ingenious! The heat from the friction of driving the nail in melts the cement, and then it re-hardens as it cools!