Uses For a Sledgehammer

A sledge hammer is a heavy-duty hammer used for work that requires great strength. Hand tools like a sledgehammer help workers perform manual tasks more quickly and efficiently. Sledgehammers come in handy for countless home improvement projects. Their long handles and heavy steel heads make them very powerful when used correctly.
Once you understand how to operate a sledgehammer, a sledgehammer and gravity are your best friends. Break it out and marvel at its power in these home improvement projects.

1.Demolition
Perhaps the most obvious and popular use of a sledgehammer is: tearing things down. Interior and exterior walls can be easily demolished with a sledgehammer.
Many remodeling projects require the removal of one or two interior walls. Change the layout of a house or create a floor by removing a wall (after checking the proper details, such as whether the wall is load-bearing, of course).
There are a large number of nails, boards and frames inside the interior walls. Using any smaller hammer or tool is likely to cause injury and is inefficient. For a job like this, you need brute force. Choose a sledgehammer to crack open the interior walls of your house without encountering unnecessary challenges.
Removing an exterior wall is a much tougher task, but a sledgehammer is still up to the task! A sledgehammer can easily smash through brick and concrete to get your home improvement project off to a great start. A sledgehammer can easily smash through brick and concrete to get your home improvement project off to a great start.

Bringing a sledgehammer makes it easy to smash through bricks and concrete to get a head start on your home improvement project. Fortunately, the mortar and concrete blocks between the bricks and concrete blocks break more easily than the bricks or concrete itself, so once you get the hang of targeting the weak spots, you'll have the walls crumbling in no time.

2.Wedging bolts into concrete
Most drill bits used to work in concrete are expensive and difficult to use. To install bolts, hooks or other fasteners in a hard material like concrete, use a sledgehammer.
Be sure to choose the right material for the bolt. Steel is best because it is strong enough to maintain integrity under the action of a sledgehammer.

3.Breaking down concrete
Noticed a problem with the concrete in your basement or sidewalk? The first step to fixing it is to remove the bad pour material. This is easier said than done because concrete is very heavy and strong. You have to break the concrete into smaller pieces before you can attempt to move it.
Skip the expensive demolition services and break up the floor slab yourself. It's not easy, especially with the extra level of solidity you'll encounter due to the added ground beneath the concrete. With a sledgehammer, you can break a huge concrete slab into pieces small and light enough for demolition.

4.Blacksmithing
Because sledgehammers can provide such tremendous strength, they are often used to shape metal and iron in blacksmithing work. Coupled with other shaping tools, the sledgehammer remains one of the most common tools used by blacksmiths, although there are more options and advanced techniques available today.

The sledgehammer is a widely used tool in construction work. It is always worth investing in such a tool.

A Guide To Bricklaying Tools

Bricklaying is an essential skill for a skilled mason and can bring much satisfaction if done correctly. It is important to mix the mortar correctly, choose the correct bricks or slabs, and perfect your bricklaying technique. It is also important to use the right tools.

Here's a guide to the bricklaying tools you need to get the job done perfectly.

In general, bricklaying tools can be divided into four categories: trowels, stringers, jointing tools and hammers. Each type of tool has its own important role.

1.Trowels
The trowel is the most important bricklaying tool. Bricklayers use small trowels to handle and shape mortar and to spread it between bricks. Professionals use different types and shapes of small trowels for specific bricklaying tasks, but brick trowels are probably the most basic. The traditional handle is made of hardwood, although modern small trowels are designed with softer handles to improve comfort and east in use. The blade of the spatula is made of steel - usually hardened and tempered carbon steel is used.
-Brick Trowel
The brick trowel is the largest of the small trowel family and is used for picking up and laying mortar. The two long sides of the trowel can be dead straight or have a slight curve, known as the Philadelphia pattern.

-Gauging trowel
Gauging trowels are smaller than brick trowels. They have a distinctive rounded head and are ideal for finishing large spots and general repair mortars.
-Pointing Trowel
The pointing trowel is the smallest trowel a bricklayer will use. It is designed for pointing work.

2.Masonry Hammers
A construction job may require some degree of shaping of the bricks and masonry, and some jobs require tapping the masonry into place. Since most bricks are light, tapping them into place with a small shovel is sufficient. Other types of masonry require a heavier mallet.
-Rubber mallet
Use a rubber mallet to hammer bricks, slabs or other heavy masonry materials into place. Even when heavy blows are required, the rubber tip will cause little or no damage to the surface.
-Brick hammer
Brick hammers are specifically designed for trimming bricks and masonry. A chisel-shaped hammer head opposite the square drive face is used to trim away sections of masonry.
-Scutch hammer
Scutch hammers are used to cut bricks. They have a narrow end for striking bricks and a hammer end for applying force. The narrow end can be used in conjunction with a brick comb to remove mortar or to roughen the surface so that new mortar can be applied.

3.Joint tools
Joints are a key component of masonry construction. They are not only an integral part of the wall structure, but also form part of the design, especially in the case of brick masonry. Typically, jointers are used only for new laying. Rakes are then used to remove old mortar or to make patterned joints.
-Brick jointer
Brick jointers are used for finishing brick joints. Double-ended brick joints are used when you have two different joint depths.
-Mortar Rakes
Before repointing takes place, use a mortar rake or joint raker to scrape out old mortar from the joints

4.String Lines
Cordage is an important bricklaying tool that allows bricks to be laid flat and straight. Typically, they are held in place with cord pins or cord blocks.
The flat blades of the pins are inserted into the dry mortar at the ends of the wall. A polyethylene rope (usually brightly colored) is then tied between the pins to form a guide line. (The string is usually made of nylon).

Other Useful Equipment
If doing bricklaying work, you need to have the proper safety equipment, such as gloves, eye protection and a dust mask. You may also find that brick tongs make the job of moving bricks faster and easier. Measuring tape is also essential, and tarps are great for keeping your workplace tidy and covering up the work if it rains.