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Module one: History and Safety
Module four: Specialist Electricians Tools
Module three: Core Electricians Tools
Module three: Core Electricians Tools
Hammers.
The Hammer Shaft
Now that we understand the variety of processes that can go into creating the hammer head it's time to look at the the hammer handle, traditionally known as the shaft.
On the face of it there doesn't seem to be much to it, but there are some important things to be aware of. We'll take each of the common shaft materials in turn and look at their different strengths and weaknesses:
OK, so why are there still wooden handled hammers in the C.K range? Well, some customers just prefer a more traditional looking tool, so it's important to know about them.
Which wood?
Ash or Hickory are the woods of choice because of their strength and resilience. Hickory tends to be slightly stronger than Ash and is generally used on heavier duty hammers such as the C.K Engineers Hammer and C.K Lump Hammer.
Storing and displaying wooden hammers
As wood is a natural material it's sensitive to the environment it's kept in. In order to avoid the hammer shaft shrinking or swelling the moisture content needs to be kept at a relatively constant 10-16%.
The main problems arise from drying out. As the shaft dries it begins to shrink away from the head and in extreme cases may even cause loosening of the joint. In order to prevent this make sure that wooden handled hammers are always stored or displayed away from heaters, hot water pipes, air conditioning units and bright lights. If at all possible it's best to keep them cold.
Wooden shaft hammer
There are many wooden handled hammers on the market, however improvements in forging and composite plastic technologies are allowing manufacturers to offer increasingly sophisticated hammers featuring anti-vibration technology and weight and comfort benefits. All of these features help reduce Repetitive Strain Injury and are an obvious benefit in terms of health and safety.
Wooden shaft hammer
There are many wooden handled hammers on the market, however improvements in forging and composite plastic technologies are allowing manufacturers to offer increasingly sophisticated hammers featuring anti-vibration technology and weight and comfort benefits. All of these features help reduce Repetitive Strain Injury and are an obvious benefit in terms of health and safety.
Overstrike
Look at the broken end of the handle. If there are large indents someone has simply missed their aim and given the shaft a full force blow just below the hammer head. This is known as overstrike and a sharp edge could destroy even a brand new shaft in this way.
Drying out
The other explanation is that the shaft has become too dry. If you look at the broken end and find that the wood has splintered this is probably the cause of the break.
