An unanswered question

[Phil Pascoe]

I've posted this before, but never got an answer - why do you bend more nails with a dirty/rusty faced hammer than with a nice shiny clean one? Experience tells me this is correct.......................but why?

 

[SammyQ]

Coefficient of friction is greater in a manky old nail swatter, so contact time is greater in the impact, leading to increased transference of kinetic energy from hammer head to nail head, leads to increased thermal energy of nail head, giving increased energy for bond formation between nail and hammer, realised at work face as hammer 'sticking' to nail and 'dragging' it down as the stroke progresses, equals bent nail......or so several, overweight, ancient, shoe-makers once told me......



Sam

 

[Phil Pascoe]

......so if I put a mirror polish on my ancient Estwing, I won't bend any nails?

 

[Lons]

Coefficient of friction is greater in a manky old nail swatter, so contact time is greater in the impact, leading to increased transference of kinetic energy from hammer head to nail head, leads to increased thermal energy of nail head, giving increased energy for bond formation between nail and hammer, realised at work face as hammer 'sticking' to nail and 'dragging' it down as the stroke progresses, equals bent nail......or so several, overweight, ancient, shoe-makers once told me...... Sam

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Are they bells I hear ringing ( or just tinitus? ) :wink:

Bob

 

[Noggsy]

Sammy, that was either eloquent genius or complete horlicks, but whichever it was, I enjoyed it.

 

[lincs1963]

......so if I put a mirror polish on my ancient Estwing, I won't bend any nails?

You will definitely bend less nails. hammer face should be clean, not polished though. a good rub with 180 grit does the trick. Many framing hammers now come with a milled face to grip the nail head so certainly more than one school of thought on this!

 

[Jacob]

......so if I put a mirror polish on my ancient Estwing, I won't bend any nails?

You will definitely bend less nails. hammer face should be clean, not polished though. a good rub with 180 grit does the trick. Many framing hammers now come with a milled face to grip the nail head so certainly more than one school of thought on this!

Yes, if it's polished it needs roughing up a bit to stop it slipping on the nail head.

 

[CHJ]

Might be more to do with why the hammer was manky in the first place, was it because no one could get on with using it?

Possibly because its balance or proportions are off?

I have found that over the years I have selected my preferred 'go to' hammers for use in any form of construction, these get maintained as any other tool.

Others just got consigned to the coal shed, tractor barn, or wherever, to be used when there might be a need to belt something or of no concern if left in a field for a couple of weeks.

 

[Lons]

......so if I put a mirror polish on my ancient Estwing, I won't bend any nails?

My estwings don't get polished but I do emery the business ends occasionally. Best hammers I've ever owned btw!

I rarely bend nails nowadays, (paslode nailgun sees to that :wink: )

Bob

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm not actually thinking to polish my Estwing!

Phil.

 

[SammyQ]

"Sammy, that was either eloquent genius or complete horlicks, but whichever it was, I enjoyed it."


I'd tell you Noggsy, but then I'd have to kill you......however you do get to chose between a rusty and a clean.......


Sam


PS..."several, overweight, ancient, shoe-makers ".....= "cobblers"

 

[Lons]

I'm not actually thinking to polish my Estwing! Phil.

:lol: :lol: I sort of guessed that - but stranger things have happened :lol: :lol: