Claw hammer: common mistakes and how to avoid them

Learn to grip, swing and strike with a claw hammer so nails go in straight and come out cleanly.

CH-01Check the hammer before you startA claw hammer has a flat striking face on one side and a curved, V-shaped claw on the other, used for pulling nails out. Check the head is tight on the handle with no wobble - a loose head can fly off mid-swing. Hold it up to eye level and check the striking face is flat and not chipped or rusty, as a damaged face will glance off nails instead of hitting them square.

CH-02Grip near the end of the handleHold the handle near the bottom end, not up near the head. Beginners almost always choke up on the handle because it feels more controlled, but this gives you a weak, short swing and you end up bashing the nail sideways. Wrap your fingers round firmly with your thumb alongside your fingers, not wrapped over the top.

CH-03Start the nail with light tapsHold the nail between your finger and thumb, close to the head, and rest the point on the wood where you want it. Tap it gently two or three times with the hammer, just enough to make it stand up on its own in the wood. Only take your fingers away once the nail is standing up by itself - this is the step beginners skip, and it costs them a bruised thumb.

10 each · Nails (for practice)

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CH-04Swing from the wrist and elbow, not the shoulderOnce the nail is standing on its own, swing the hammer using your wrist and elbow, keeping your eye on the nail head, not on the hammer. Let the weight of the hammer head do the work - you're aiming for a smooth, controlled strike, not a hard smash. The common mistake is swinging from the shoulder, which throws the hammer off line and bends the nail sideways.

CH-05Pull a bent or unwanted nail with the clawSlide the V-shaped claw under the nail head so the nail sits right in the notch. Pull back on the handle slowly and steadily - don't jerk it, as this can snap the nail or slip off. If the nail is long, slide a thin offcut of wood under the hammer head as you pull, so you're levering against the wood rather than bending the handle back too far.

CH-06Check the nail is driven in properlyA nail done right sits flush with the surface, or very slightly below it if you've deliberately sunk it, with no visible bend and no dark hammer bruise marks in the wood around it. Run your finger over the nail head - if you feel it standing proud, or the wood around it is dented and torn, you've either mis-hit it or hit it at an angle. If it's bent over, don't try to hide it - pull it with the claw and start again with a fresh nail.

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