- Today's fun fact.
Did you know that despite the diamond
being the hardest material on the planet,
it will shatter to smithereens if hit by a hammer?
Let's test this theory out, shall we?
(groaning)
(hammer bangs)
(diamond pieces banging)
Whoops, so today's fun fact
is that even though diamonds are incredibly hard,
that just means resistance to scratching.
Toughness, on the other hand
is a completely different kettle of fish altogether.
(sighs sharply) They're all fake diamond, hey?
Who doesn't love a good fake diamond?
Yep, fake diamonds. (laughs)
I am, I don't think you'll be getting
your fake diamond back anytime soon. (laughs)
What, what do you mean we don't own any fake diamonds?
Whoops, I'm in trouble, big big trouble.
Good day, folks, I got knuckleheads here
from DIY For Knuckleheads and welcome to episode Six
of my workshop "Hacks, Tips and Tricks" video series.
Now just before we get stuck into those hammering tips
and tricks, if you wanna see more videos
just like this one, do yourself a favour,
hit that subscribe button and while you're at it,
click the notification bell.
Let's get this show on the road, shall we?
Apart from the hammer being a weapon of mass destruction,
I'd have to say that the humble old hammer
would have to be the go-to tool
for all home improvement projects.
In today's video, I'm going to show you eight ways
to get the most out of your hammer
and also show you a cool trick a little later on
that will not only impress your friends
but also has the potential
to earn you a few freebies as well.
So make sure you keep watching for that one.
(hammer bangs)
For those of you out there who don't pound in nails
for a living, driving in a nail (hammer bangs)
can be a daunting experience,
which is fair enough because hammers
and delicate fingers don't really mix.
So until you gain some confidence,
why don't you try out these quick little tips
that will ensure that your fingers
stay out of the firing line.
(hammer bangs)
The first option you can try
is just to use a regular old bobby pin
which works really well.
All you need to do is to place a nail inside the bobby pin,
close it off with your fingers and you're good to go.
(hammer bangs) (funky music)
Option two, now this method just simply uses
an old plastic lid which I've trimmed back,
and all you need to do is with the nail that you're using,
place it in a drill and drill a hole close to the edge,
which I hope you can see just there.
And then with some scissors,
cut a slit back to where that hole is.
So you'll finish up with something like that.
Don't place the hole all the way back here,
like on this one, with the slot going all the way back
like that 'cause it's not going to work.
Make sure it's close to the edge.
Now all you need to do is get your nail,
place it in the hole and then nail away.
(hammer bangs)
Once you're finished, you can pull the plastic clear,
too easy, pointy nose pliers are also a good option.
(hammer bangs)
And I've also seen some people use a closed peg.
(hammer bangs)
How easy is that?
Now this next tip is all about
(hammer bangs) removing nails.
And if you had to ask
any old ancient Egyptian pyramid builder,
the best way to lift or move something
they'd tell you it's all about leverage.
Leverage (hammer banging) is the key.
For the lever principle to work,
all you have to do is place a bit of scrap,
it doesn't matter what it is, up close to the nail
and then slide in the claw and then just simply lift,
and that comes here so easy, love it.
Now if you're doing some carpentry
like building a house frame
and you aren't too concerned about how that surface looks,
this is a great technique,
drive the claw of the hammer,
hard up against the shank of the nail,
(hammer bangs) just like that,
and then wriggle the nail from side to side
using the hammer as a pivot point.
And do it from side to side, like that,
and that pulls the nail way out beautifully.
Cool, just a quick side note,
I was going through my dad-a base
to find a dad joke for this video,
and I really struggled to find one that relates to a hammer,
but how's this?
I was going for a ride the other day, true story.
And I came across this guy,
walking a really unusual-looking dog.
And the dog had a hammer in his mouth, yeah.
So I pull over and I say to the guy,
"Hi, mate, what sort of dog's that?"
And the bloke goes, "It's a Labra-thor."
(laughing) Get it?
Labrador and Thor, Chris Hemsworth.
It's a mixture, they mix.
And that's (crickets chirping)
that's the joke (crickets chirping), together.
Now if you're doing a renovating job, keep this tip in mind.
Just remember that finish trim like architraves
and baseboards are quite expensive and are worth keeping
if you can manage to remove them from the wall in one piece.
And if you do manage, try this.
Okay, the great news is that you've managed
to salvage that piece of trim you've wanted,
and the first thing most people do is turn it over,
see that nail and then want to get a hammer
(hammer banging)
and bang it through.
But don't do that because all that does
is when that hole has been patted and painted,
and you bash that nail through,
all it does more often than not,
is create a bigger hole there.
So try this option instead, turn it back over,
and then grab your snips or nips,
whatever you wanna call them,
grab the nail down the base,
and then just pull the nail through, just like that.
And that will prevent that hole from becoming bigger.
Driving in a nail close to the end of a piece of wood
is notorious for splitting.
So we can fix that by simply altering the head of the nail
and by using this in conjunction with pre-drilling,
you're guaranteed of a split-free future.
Try saying that fast three times,
split free future,
split free future, split free future, sprit free fre.
(hammer bangs)
I didn't say it once.
Now I've got two nails here, one's normal,
and this one here has been altered.
All I did was with my hammer, tap the end,
which took the point off.
Now the difference is
when you drive this nail in, with the pointy end,
that pierces the wood, opens up that grind
and creates a split.
With this one here, with the blunted end,
when you drive that one in,
all it does is push its way through,
therefore reducing the chances of that grain opening up
and the wood splitting.
To demonstrate the point without any pre-drilling,
we have our sharp nail and our blunt nail.
So let's drive these in, and see what happens.
(funky music)
(hammer banging)
Already you can see that it started to split.
Let's now try the blunt nail.
(funky music)
(hammer bangs)
And as you can see we are split-free, happy days.
(hammer bangs) (funky music)
Now this next one is a little unorthodox but in a pinch,
it's really handy.
Occasionally you'll be on a worksite
and you'll need a Double Two of silicone or No More Gaps
and you realise that you've left your caulking gun at home.
Never fear, the hammer gun to the rescue.
So all you need to do is to place your hammer gun
on the ground,
place the caulking gun over the handle
and then just simply push down and squeeze.
Keep pushing and bang, out she comes.
And Bob's your uncle, too easy.
(machine buzzing)
Every now and then more reciprocating Saw Jam
and the result is often a bit blade,
and a great way to straighten that is with your hammer.
Just slide the claw over the blade on the point
where it's bending, and then just bend it back.
(funky music)
And there you have it, that's not too bad, oh, I like it.
Now if you know the length of your hammer,
mine is 340 millimetres long
or one foot, one and a half inches.
It can get you out of a tight spot
if all you need is a rough measurement.
And did I mention that the hammer
makes for an amazing backscratcher. (laughing)
That is awesome.
And with that, I think it's time
to show you guys that cool little trick
you've all been waiting for, let's do it.
Now this is what you'll need to do.
Grab yourself a piece of wood and then drive in a nail.
Just make sure, for this trick
you're using a round flat head nail
and not a bullet head nail like this one here.
If you use one of these, the trick won't work.
Now, this is where I have a couple of beers or soft drink
or even a nice hot cup of tea,
you ask your mates how many nails do they think
they can balance on top.
I won't fluff around and carry on.
But basically, one will be about the most that they can do.
And this is where you make your wager
and the amazing claim that you'll be able to balance
13 of these,
(hammer banging)
on that one nail there, can it be done?
Let's find out.
(fingers banging)
Now this is where the magic happens.
All you have to do is to lay one of the nails here
flat like that and then with the other nails,
lay them across the shank, in opposite directions,
all the way to the end.
(funky music)
And now if we just place the last one on, just like that,
get those in position and now with our last nail,
just plunk it between those nails.
And now here's the trick.
We have to grab that bottom nail and lift up
and hopefully all those nails will lock in together.
There you go, just like that.
And now carefully place it on your nail.
(funky music)
And there you have it, how cool is that?
Pay up people.
(funky music)
So that's it folks,
eight ways to get the most out of your hammer.
Great tip, knackers.
(coughing)
COVID, now if you wanna see more videos
like the one you've just watched,
make sure you click on one of my playlists,
which will be popping up over there shortly.
Alright, well I hope you enjoyed and found that useful.
And if you did, a big thumbs up
would be greatly appreciated.
Okay, after all that, I think you'll need a cup of tea.
So till next time, be good, be safe.
(speaks in foreign language) Cheers