The Ultimate Hammer (Hammer + Screwdriver, Bottle Opener, Nail Holder, and Ruler)

by M3G

25K30452

Intro: The Ultimate Hammer (Hammer + Screwdriver, Bottle Opener, Nail Holder, and Ruler)

I recently stumbled upon this instructable, and it got me thinking; what else could be done to improve the humble hammer? I had some ideas in the back of my mind, and when I saw the Hand Tools Only Contest I decided to stop procrastinating and get to work. After all, what better entry for a contest about hand tools than a hand tool itself? My updated hammer has a screwdriver with interchangeable bits, a ruler for rough measurements, a magnet for holding nails and screws, and a bottle opener for when the job is done. I've used it a couple times, and I find myself using all the features; I assembled an entire IKEA bookcase using only this hammer. If anyone can think of any other additions to the hammer let me know!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the Hand Tools Only Contest!

STEP 1: What You Need:

- Drill

- Hacksaw

- An old hammer

- Tape measure

- Epoxy

- A Sharpie

- Strong magnet

- A nail with a large head

- A magnetic bit holder

STEP 2: The Bottle Opener

- Drill a hole the diameter of the nail in roughly the same position as in the first image (about 5/8" from the bottom of the head of the hammer). Drill about halfway through the hammer.

- Insert the nail into the hole and measure the depth of the hole. Add 3/8" to the depth. That is how long you want the nail to be. Cut off any excess from the pointy end.

- Insert the nail into the hole. Check to make sure the head sticks out roughly 3/8". If it does, epoxy it in place.

STEP 3: The Screwdriver

- The magnetic bit holder is basically a tube with a magnet about 1/2" down the tube on one end, and the bit you insert into the drill at the other. Use the hacksaw to make a cut about 1/4" below the magnet between the magnet and the bit. Keep the section with the magnet.

- Drill a hole about 1/4" shorter than the section of the bit holder you kept using a drill bit the same diameter as the bit holder. The hole should be about 1/2" deep. Make sure the hole is in the center of the bottom of the handle.

- Insert the section of the bit holder you kept into the hole. You may need to epoxy it in place.

STEP 4: The Nail Holder

- Epoxy the magnet onto the side of the head of the hammer.

STEP 5: The Ruler

- I put two strips of masking tape on the handle of the hammer, each strip perpendicular to the base of the handle. Then I drew a straight line with the sharpie between the two strips of tape every inch, and a smaller line down from the top strip to mark each half inch.

- I applied some clear varnish to the handle to protect the lines of the ruler.

50 Comments

M3G 9 years ago

That's awesome, thanks for showing me!

DIY-Guy 9 years ago

Additionally you have room for a bubble level (make sure one side of the handle is flat so you can lay it down to check level), keychain type flashlight or laser pointer drilled into the handle, telescoping magnetic retriever, reflective and glow in the dark tape for safety and ease of location in the dark (or if you drop it), and custom finger grips drilled into the handle to exactly fit your hand as done by Norm Abrams from "This Old House."
Did I leave anything out? Wrap the handle with string and keep a plumb-bob with it? Folding knife handle attachments in the handle also?

M3G 9 years ago

Great ideas! I considered adding a utility knife but couldn't think of a comfortable way to do it.

fercarbar 9 years ago

Congratulations on your invention. If you whant an other aplication simply drill several holes in the wood (for example every cm) and insert a nail in the first hole and a pencil in the desire mesure and draw a perfect circle)

It's just a sugestion ;-)

M3G 9 years ago

That's a great idea!

feeorin 9 years ago

I really like this concept, we are building a house right now and I've been trying to keep gifts practical this year. this is perfect...if we had better reception where were building then I would have added a micro GPS so we could find it. Many hours lost to tools being misplaced! lol.

M3G 9 years ago

Haha I know exactly what you mean, the moment you need a tool it seems to disappear!

buck2217 9 years ago

And wait for the hate!!! lol

buck2217 9 years ago

drill a hole and set in a USB flash drive--it then becomes a high tech project!!

M3G 9 years ago

I like the way you think!

avocadostains 9 years ago

A little confused about the nail guide. Does the magnet make the whole head magnetic?

M3G 9 years ago

It isn't a nail guide, just a way to hold spare nails while you're working. Sorry for any confusion!

avocadostains 9 years ago

Oh okay. i wonder though if you put a strong enough magnet on the head if you could magnetize the whole thing. I only have use of one hand so I have a heck of a time hammering nails.

M3G 9 years ago

You could try one of these: http://m.homedepot.com/p/Husky-22-oz-California-Hickory-Hammer-LHW180710B1DN1/202065952

LucasD3 9 years ago

This is a great idea and I will modify my hammer accordingly. I move a lot and the moving companies are always equipped with hammers that have magnetic nail starters. It makes things look super easy. For some reason their hammers always have one claw broke off halfway. Also, they never know where to find a hammer like theirs but only that it was provided for them.

avocadostains 9 years ago

Wowsers you just blew my freaking mind. The world does love me after all. Thank you!

cudy789 9 years ago

Magnets can be demagnetized when they are hit with a strong force, or with extreme heat. Even though new kinds of magnets have made their way to the market claiming they are shock 'resistant', hitting it many times with a hammer and expecting it to last even a year of use is out of the question. Also a lot of friction is generated when you hit a hammer against something (try hitting two hammers together with a piece of paper in the middle), and between the heat and the force, I wouldn't try it.

avocadostains 9 years ago

Yea I've heard that about magnets. Makes me wonder about those 'Permanent Magnet' generators.

More Comments