Safely Hammer a Nail

by Paige Russell

24K14011

Intro: Safely Hammer a Nail

This is the smartest and safest trick I've seen for protecting your digits when hammering a nail. Simply hold the nail with a wooden clothes pin! Even a seasoned hammer wielder like myself can miss, so I say, give safety the green light and go for the ouch-free gold.

STEP 1: Supplies

  • hammer
  • wooden clothes pin
  • nail

STEP 2: Placement

Clamp the nail with the clothes pin so that the tip of the nail is JUST sticking out from the side that you'll put up against the wall.

STEP 3: Ready, Aim, Magic!

Hold the pin/nail combo up against the wall where you'd like to put the nail.

Hammer in the nail, risk free!

You and your thumbnail are welcome. : )

10 Comments

holymoses 8 years ago

Or just take a piece of cardboard!

ValleyMaker 9 years ago

This idea (along with the ones of pushing the nail through a piece of card, using a twist wrap of aluminium foil etc etc) all have one big issue; they are only practical if you are placing a single nail.

If you were say... felting a roof, cladding a fence, joining a crate... then these methods will leave you frustrated and short on life by the time you eventually finish.

Easiest solution... and quickest? Pay attention to what you're doing for each use of the hammer (or any tool). You will get safer AND quicker.

chapstickelk 9 years ago

Hammers with magnetic nail starters are wonderful.

Dakota Joel98 9 years ago

I would have to disagree(partially)with Bricobart. "Real men don't car about crushed finger tips". I am a very real man but I still like my fingers. I have been hammering nails as long as I can remember and have never used a closepin. Though this would work, you don't get the full "effect" of hammering; pain builds character...sometimes. A helpful tip: if you hammer and hit your finger enough times, it ceases to hurt.(I know from experience lol)

bartworker 9 years ago

Just a tip: close the clothes pin with a clamp and drill a small hole where the two ends meet. You'll obtain a kind of 'groove' on each side that will hold the nail better.

Just in case: real men don't care about crushed finger tips...

Norode 9 years ago

More like how to safely lose your man card.

kinneil 9 years ago

iv'e used pliers for nail punching old floor boards before sanding, got sick of hitting my thumb , peg a good idea ill put 1 in my tool box for those small nails

Gilly 9 years ago

Great idea for keeping fingers the right shape and saves a whole lot of cuss words too!!!!! Thank you!