Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, 2nd Edition

244 Illustrated Theatre Production Guide 2 ed

the cable inward and greatly reduces the amount of

fraying that occurs when making the cut. An ordinary

pair of dikes won’t do that. The 7˝ cutters are big

enough for the

1

8

″ aircraft cable used to hang most

theatre scenery. You will need something larger for

1

4

″

cable used to rig battens.

HAMMERS AND MALLETS

There are two basic categories for hammers: those used

for driving nails and all others. Nail-driving hammers

are of course the most common in a woodworking shop.

Other types include rubber mallets, sledgehammers,

wooden mallets, and ball peen hammers. This second

grouping is used for various tasks like demolition and

metalworking.

The standard nail-driving hammer has a 16-ounce

head, although they are also manufactured in lighter

and heavier weights. There is a curved claw version and

a straight claw type. The claw is the opposite side from

the portion used to pound in nails. The curved claw is

best for removing nails, as it allows the user to rock the

hammer along the claw to gain leverage and more easily

pry out the nail. A straight claw is easier to slip in

between boards and pry them apart. Either one is about

the same when it comes to driving nails.

There is a definite difference in the quality of

various hammers. The steel used in the head of the

hammer should be hard enough not to wear away or be

deformed by nails. You may have seen cheap hammers

made from very soft steel whose claws have been bent

and twisted from the force of removing nails. On the

other end of the spectrum, if a hammer is made from

steel that is too hard, it may be brittle as a result. Chips

of the hammer head itself can shatter and fly away and

are very dangerous. Some years ago, OSHA came up

with guidelines for manufacturers about grinding

some steel from the striking area of hammers to make

them less likely to chip. You can see that the edges of a

hammer are chamfered at a 45-degree angle.

The handle of a hammer is also important. It

should be sturdy and unlikely to break. Steel handles

are sturdiest, but they transmit a high degree of shock

and vibration to the elbow. Prolonged use may result in

tendonitis. Wooden or fiberglass handles are really the

best. When using a hammer, try to keep in mind that

it is intended for driving nails and not for pounding

concrete or steel beams or other such items.

Using a hammer to drive nails takes a moderate

amount of skill gained through practice. Holding the

handle near its end increases the amount of leverage and

hence force that is transmitted to the driving of the nail.

However, the same statement can be applied to the

striking of your thumb if your aim is not very good.

Your thumbs will no doubt appreciate choking up a bit

on the handle until your hand-eye coordination catches

up with your enthusiasm. In this modern age of pneu-

matic nail guns and staplers, hammers have become

somewhat outmoded, but skill with this basic tool is still

important.