NAIL SET
→ Which weight? A 16-oz. hammer is right for most jobs. Avoid hammers with a jagged “waffle” texture on the striking face. When you miss a nail, they do ugly things to surfaces—or your thumb.
→ Style The basic household hammer is a curved claw but consider a versatile rip claw. When swung backwards it can dig holes, split wood and help break up stuff.
NAIL SET
→ Nailing Grip hammer near the end, lightly but firmly. Keeping wrist straight, let the hammer fall naturally, aided by shoulder and upper arm. Hammer the nail to within 1/8 in. of surface; countersink the head with nail set. To use a nail set, position its point over the head of the nail and strike the top with a hammer. Fill the hole with wood putty. (A nail set is a punch-shaped tool designed to sink, or set, nails beneath the surface of the wood.)
→ Pull sideways The usual way to pull a nail is to lever the claw straight up. But when a nail won’t budge, yank the handle to the side. That puts the pivot point closer to the nail for more pulling power.
→ Pull against a block A small block under the claw does two things: It protects the surface beneath it and provides more pulling power, especially after the nail is partially removed.
