Inserting plastic pallet steel reinforcement - GIF

Inserting plastic pallet steel reinforcement.

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Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...895#post198660
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...425#post181686
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...449#post177611
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...444#post173641
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...430#post166227
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...148#post126072

I wonder if he could possibly choke up any tighter on that hammer handle

It's two different dudes and they're both doing it stupid. Have they never seen a hammer before?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nova_robotics

It's two different dudes and they're both doing it stupid. Have they never seen a hammer before?

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Back in the early to mid 1980s When I had a couple of boat dock and marina construction projects going on, one guy working for me had a habit of choking the hammer head. You could hear him just whaling away at the nails 15 to 20 strokes per nail, even missing the nail head or bending the nails half the time.
Is something wrong with your hammer handle I asked him.
No why? he asked.
I thought it might be broken because you are holding it at the head is all. By the way you don't get paid by the number of hammer strokes you get paid by the number of decking boards laid in a day.
But Boss these ring shank nails won't go in straight.
That's because you are not driving them in you are allowing the fibers of the wood dictate where the nail goes. you bend so many nails because you don't hit them consistently square on the head because you have no control of the hammer since you can't get a proper grip at the neck, the griping part of the handle is behind the palm of your hand, this is killing your hands as well, plus by taking so many strokes to drive the nail the fibers in the wood are being torn and the nail won't have the proper holding strength. You need to learn how to tap drive set then move on to the next nail. And while you are at it you need a real hammer not that smooth head 16 once cabinet maker's hammer. Get you a 22 or 28 once framer's hammer with a serrated head it will also have a longer handle to deliver more power pert stroke. The fewer strokes you make to drive a nail the better it will hold because it will be driven through faster and not tear the fibers of the wood as much.
He must have went home that evening and practiced driving nails all night because the next day he showed up with a 22 oz. Estwing framers hammer and with no more than 3 or 4 hits he had those 3 1/2" ring nails set

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frank S

Back in the early to mid 1980s When I had a couple of boat dock and marina construction projects going on, one guy working for me had a habit of choking the hammer head. You could hear him just whaling away at the nails 15 to 20 strokes per nail, even missing the nail head or bending the nails half the time.
Is something wrong with your hammer handle I asked him.
No why? he asked.
I thought it might be broken because you are holding it at the head is all. By the way you don't get paid by the number of hammer strokes you get paid by the number of decking boards laid in a day.
But Boss these ring shank nails won't go in straight.
That's because you are not driving them in you are allowing the fibers of the wood dictate where the nail goes. you bend so many nails because you don't hit them consistently square on the head because you have no control of the hammer since you can't get a proper grip at the neck, the griping part of the handle is behind the palm of your hand, this is killing your hands as well, plus by taking so many strokes to drive the nail the fibers in the wood are being torn and the nail won't have the proper holding strength. You need to learn how to tap drive set then move on to the next nail. And while you are at it you need a real hammer not that smooth head 16 once cabinet maker's hammer. Get you a 22 or 28 once framer's hammer with a serrated head it will also have a longer handle to deliver more power pert stroke. The fewer strokes you make to drive a nail the better it will hold because it will be driven through faster and not tear the fibers of the wood as much.
He must have went home that evening and practiced driving nails all night because the next day he showed up with a 22 oz. Estwing framers hammer and with no more than 3 or 4 hits he had those 3 1/2" ring nails set

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I'm wondering now if they weren't instructed by their boss to do it that way. If you swing a hammer properly and miss the bar you'll probably dent and ding the plastic. If you hold it like a goon you'll probably just smash your hand and save the plastic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nova_robotics

I'm wondering now if they weren't instructed by their boss to do it that way. If you swing a hammer properly and miss the bar you'll probably dent and ding the plastic. If you hold it like a goon you'll probably just smash your hand and save the plastic.

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Then he should cut the handles off having that much handle sticking out behind their hands not only reduces the effectiveness of the swing but throws the hammer that much more off balance causing more damage to the user's wrist

Peck peck peck...pick up your check

The guys hammering in those rods are likely completely un-trained/non-skilled labor, and their boss likely doesn't know the proper method either. This is so common in China, which based on the workers, it likely is China.
At least they are using a hammer.... it could just as likely be a scrap chunk of steel, or even a rock!

I 100% agree with Frank's info on hammers... a good framing hammer makes all the difference, and knowing how to swing that hammer for least amount of effort with maximum efficiency. You get more work done with less effort!
That same philosophy also goes for sledge hammers.... A bigger hammer can cause much less damage while doing more work. A small hammer being used can just damage the item being hit without doing any meaningful work.... physics and potential energy!
Case in point...try hammering in a wood stake in the ground with a small hammer versus a large sledge hammer. The small hammer will splinter and break the top of the stake, and likely won't even get it fully hammered into the ground. The large sledge hammer will put that stake into the ground with just a few hits, and not damage the top of the stake.
Same applies with steel stakes.