workshop tools/hammers

The most common hammer in an automotive workshop is the ball pein or engineer's hammer.

Like most hammers its head is hardened steel. A punch or a chisel can be driven with the flat face. Its name comes from the ball pein or rounded face. It’s usually used for flattening, or peining, a rivet. The hammer should always match the size of the job and it's better to use one that's too big, rather than too small.

Hitting chisels with a steel hammer is fine, but sometimes you need just to tap a component, to position it. A steel hammer might mark or damage it, especially if it's made of a softer metal like aluminum. In such cases a soft-face hammer should normally be used for the job. Some are very soft with rubber or plastic heads through to those using brass or copper.

When a large chisel needs a really strong blow, it's time to use the lump hammer. It's like a small mallet, with two square faces made of high carbon steel. It's the heaviest type of hammer that can be used one-handed.

The most common mallet in the workshop has a head made of hard rubber. It's a special purpose tool, and is often used for moving things into place where it is important not to damage the item being moved.

This is a dead blow hammer. It’s designed not to bounce back when it hits something. A rebounding hammer can be dangerous or destructive. Its head is either made of lead, or it’s hollow with lead shot inside. The lead absorbs the blow