Fig. 157 illustrates a carpenter's plain faced hammer. Fig. 158 illustrates a carpenter's bell faced hammer. The plain faced hammers are used on ordinary work and are better for the use of beginners. The face of the bell faced hammer is rounded and is much more difficult to use except when one is constantly in practice with it.

Hammers are made in many styles and sizes. The number two, weighing thirteen ounces, is a good size for boys. The correct position for using in the ordinary work of driving nails is shown in Fig. 25. There are times when the handle should be grasped quite near the head.

Although the face of the hammer is of hardened steel, yet it may be injured by striking the ends of files or other very hard bits of metal. The most common injury is to the claws by wedging nails between them so tightly that the thin sharp edges of the claws are injured. The ends of the claws may be broken. Sometimes a block is used under the hammer head as shown in Fig. 29. Probably the most needless and foolish injury to hammers is done by striking them on the side of the head instead of on the face in ordinary hammering. There are times when the side of the hammer may be used, but it should not be, when the face can be used.

Fig. 157. Plain Faced Hammer.

Fig. 158. Bell Faced Hammer.

Should you wish to work in metals do not use your carpenter's hammer, but rather use a hammer similar to those shown in Figs. 159 and 160. These hammers have the weight of metal distributed in a different manner and will give a very different effect to the blow.

If you will carefully watch the effect of the blows given by different hammers and the same hammer held or used in different ways, you will learn why one hammer can be made to drive a nail which another hammer will bend over and why one person can drive a nail into a piece of hard wood while others can not. These are matters of very much importance which can be learned only by careful study, experiment, and observation.

Fig. 160. Machinists Hammer.

Fig. 159. Riveting Hammer.