It seems that nothing is easier than hammering a nail: it requires a hammer, a nail and a wooden object. But for some reason the board splits, the nails keep bending, and your fingers hurt from hitting them. It turns out that such a simple matter at first glance is a whole science.
The first rule is that it is more convenient to hammer small nails with a hammer weighing up to 250 g, and for large and long (over 80-100 mm) nails you will need a hammer weighing 400-500 g, and the tool must be correctly “wedged” and on the handle should not dangle.
The first few blows are made lightly, but after the nail begins to enter the wood correctly, it must be driven in with precise, sharp blows. This will avoid splitting the wood, and the connection will be strong and of high quality. Tip: to prevent the board from splitting, the diameter of the nail should be less than 1/4 of its thickness. When a nail is driven into a thin board, it must first be dulled by biting off the tip with a pair of pliers.
Dry wood is much harder than wet wood, making it difficult to drive a nail into. He only bends, but does not want to enter the board. But the problem can be solved: just hold the nail with pliers. The required distance between the boards is calculated in this way: if the width of the board is 10 – 12 cm, then drive one nail into each fastening point; when the board is twice as wide, then two.
If the connection point of the structure is suspended (for example, a spring bar), then instead of a support, a massive hammer is used, which is placed under the opposite side of the bar. When a nail needs to be driven into the very edge, it is better to pre-drill holes. If this is not possible because you don’t have a drill, you can make a dent using a punch by hitting it several times.
Reliable protection against injuries caused by a hammer can be a wooden clothespin or bent wire with a diameter of 1.5 – 2 mm. To bend a nail protruding from the back of the board, you need to take a triangular file and use a hammer to bend the end into a hook shape and then drive it in completely. In this case, the end of the nail should be 1.5-2 times longer than the edge of the file.
