Old timer at the lumber yard told me my framing hammer was wrong for the job

I was grabbing some 2x4s last month and this guy maybe 70 years old points at my 16 oz straight claw and says "that's a trimmer's hammer, you're gonna kill your elbow swinging that all day for framing." He walked me over to the rack and handed me a 22 oz milled face with a curved handle. I laughed it off but after one weekend of building a shed (about 14 hours total) my arm was shot. Swapped to the heavier hammer and honestly the weight does most of the work now. Has anyone else had a tool recommendation from a stranger that actually panned out? I'm curious what other old school tips I might be missing.

2 comments

2 Comments

matthew_reed507d ago

@the_charlie hit it about those old guys knowing their stuff. The thing nobody brings up is that heavy hammer actually changes your grip and stance too. That 22 oz curve forces you to choke up a bit and swing from the shoulder instead of whipping it from the elbow. I notice way less vibration in my wrist after a full day now, not just in my elbow. The milled face also bites the nail head so you don't get that glancing slip that jars your whole arm.

the_charlie7d ago

Yeah, that stinks. I feel for you. I had the exact same thing happen a few years back with an old mechanic who saw me using the wrong size wrench on a bolt. I rolled my eyes but he was dead right. It's frustrating because you think you know what you're doing and then some random person just drops a truth bomb on you. But honestly, a good tip from a stranger who's been doing it for decades is worth more than any YouTube video. Listen to those old guys, they've earned the right to be annoying.