Hammering nails straight

[george - dicegeorge]

Any tips on how to hammer straight?

(I'm fixing slates with copper nails but quite often they go a bit sideways and so dont line up with the holes for their heads.)

[george]

[Tim Lamb]

In message , george - dicegeorge writes

Scrub the hammer head on a bit of glass paper. Don't throttle the hammer by holding the shaft halfway up. Use a roofers hammer.

[jgh]

If they're long enough, two pairs of pliars, hold each end and bend straight. Or, insert into a vice and crush straight. Often a lot more effective than hammering as you have much greater control over the pressure.

Otherwise, hammer onto a firm disposable surface (eg a brick) with the kink in the nail upwards, so you're flattening the kink downwards.

JGH

[jgh]

After reading Tim's reply I realise I misunderstood your post: "hammering nails straight" as meaning "how do I hammer a bent nail so that is is no longer bent"?

JGH

[Nightjar]

Practice.

I would also recommend avoiding using a claw hammer, which are badly balanced for hammering. Once you have set the nail, hold the hammer at the end of the handle and swing from the elbow. That gives you more power, which means you need fewer hits, hence fewer chances of hitting it wrongly.

Colin Bignell

[The Other Mike]

A clean and shiny hammer head, use a piece of emery cloth on a flat surface.

[george - dicegeorge]

yes,once theyre bent theyre weakened and i chuck them, but when the slate is in with the nail a bit to the side I leave them there.

What technique will get more of them in unbent? maybe i'm pulling the hammer towards me as I bash them in. [g]

[Ericp]

Blunt the nail to take the dagger point off it. The point makes it follow every grain line.

[Bill Wright]

Yes, use a nice 8oz hammer.

Bill

[harryagain]

This is not usually a problem, your battens must be unusually hard.

If you have problems with nails bending, you can hold the nails with pliers to get them started. (ie in position while you hit it), this helps a lot. Hammer it in as far as you can holding with the pliers & then let go and finish it off.

Not quite sure why, whether it reduces the fear of flat thumb or if there is something in the mechanics/physics going on.

[harryagain]

Oh forgot, hold the nail right under the head for this to work. Works even for bent nails.

[Dave Liquorice]

+1

+1 Always hold end of the shaft not near the head or half way. Set the nail with a couple of gentle taps then remove fingers.

A few full blows, just raising the hammer and letting gravity do most of the work should see a nail driven into a softwood batten.

tap tap bang bang done

The done being a stroke the strength of which is gauged to finish the driving dependant on how far the nail needs to be driven. Did anyone mention practice?

[Dave Liquorice]

The only time I use pliers is for tiny short panel pins when there isn't enough length of nail to protect fingers during the setting.

The former I should imagine. If you are worried about whacking your fingers you are likely to restrict the blow and/or not hit squarely.

tap tap bang bang done

Also watch the nail. If it does go off at angle, tap it square again and a couple of gentle, square. taps to firm it up again before giving it further full blows. The chances are it won't be bent on the initial off course blow, it's the next (now non square) blow that will bend it.

[S Viemeister]

I use a piece of cardboard with a slit in it.

[michael adams]

Try starting your holes with a bradawl, through the slate and into the batten.

Just remember to keep the slotted tip of the bradawl so as to cut the grain so as to avoid splitting. So insert it perpendicular with horizontal battens.

michael adams

...

[The Other Mike]

Or if you have more than a few to do:

[S Viemeister]

Oooh, a new gadget...

[harryagain]

At least fifty years old..........

[Kipper at sea]

Two light taps with the hammer, hold the nail just under the head, then another two strikes. at the same time you strike flex your wrist not just your arm. Modern slaters hammer are crap there to heavy and not balance. 16oz claw is good enough.

[Kipper at sea]