First, let me tell you that I am a drywaller by proffesion. Anyway  I came across a $70 drywall hammer the other day at a local supply company.  

Let me describe this thing to you. It had a Titanium head, and a wood handle (couldn't tell if it was just the head, or if it had a titanium shaft inside the hadle), plus a soft grip aroud the wood handle.

I at first thought that seemed like a ridiculous price since you can get a regular hammer for $17.

The only thing that made me think about it was that I've had problems with tendonitis in my right arm (the arm I hammer with).

So I'm starting to wonder if it may be worth the extra cash. I know the Titanium is lighter, and thus would help some. But would Titanium also absorb more vibration? The reason I ask is that the vibration alone seems to aggravate my tendonitis as much as anything else.

Well, any advice appreciated.

Titanium is not "softer" than steel - it is actually a good deal harder.  This will transfer more vibration to your hand...

Try a biking glove or a shooting glove - something with padding in the hand.  A Mechanix "Impact" glove may also help, and you wouldn't have to change hammers!  I have a couple pair of Mechanix reguler gloves and I just LOVE them for most dry jobs!  You may find the gloves more of a help than swithcing hammers...

You may also want to try a thicker grip around the hammer handle, if you can find anything.  Even a good layer of vinyl dip should help!

FFZ

Titanium is not "softer" than steel - it is actually a good deal harder.  This will transfer more vibration to your hand...

Try a biking glove or a shooting glove - something with padding in the hand.  A Mechanix "Impact" glove may also help, and you wouldn't have to change hammers!  I have a couple pair of Mechanix reguler gloves and I just LOVE them for most dry jobs!  You may find the gloves more of a help than swithcing hammers...

You may also want to try a thicker grip around the hammer handle, if you can find anything.  Even a good layer of vinyl dip should help!

FFZ

Edit - the lighter weight of the Titanium head will actually INCREASE felt vibrations - becaus ethere is less weight to absorb them.  It's like a revolver, the more it weighs, the less recoil you will feel...  If the problem is caused strictly by vibration, try a 24oz hammer...

FFZ

If you use it everyday, then buy it if you want to.  You are worth it.  Besides, it's a tax writeoff, so you get back about 15%.

If you use a screwgun, you wont have the impact problem.

the wood handle will help dampen some of the vibration but you should probably look into getting a pair of those gel filled work gloves to soak up even more.  Good luck

Yep, there is the drywall screwgun. And I use it when it's worth it. See as with everything, there's a plus and a minus.

I hang footage, so the faster I can hang, the more money I make. I use the screwgun when it's faster, but many times the hammer is easier to get to (strapped on your hip). Thus faster.

I mean I don't know guys, what do you think. Would swinging a lighter hammer outway the vibration?




Edited to say, I'll have to check into the gloves. I've been around for awhile, but for some reason have never seen those. Thanks for the heads up. I wonder how hard it is to grab a sheet with glove on?

I've seen $70 framing hammer but, never a hatchet.  I told the guys down at the hardware store when they get the "really good ones" in to give me a call.  I want to be the first idiot in town with a $100 hammer.

With drywall, you have to use special drywall hammers because of the different head (making it easier on the finisher).

Screws are also handy, but agian, sometimes hammer is faster. Most people who do remodle and a little bit of drywall use screws. But for full time hangers, hammer is primary. At least around here.


I've looked around the hardware stores for slip over rubber "shock absorbers" for hammer handles, but haven't found anything. Know of a company online who makes something like that?


Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

Bike shop

i think stanely make a hammer with a large tunning fork type thing inside the shaft.

It's not weight that drives the nail in, it's *mass*, and titanium has more mass for a given weight, or something like that.  That makes the hammer lighter, but it hits harder, IIRC.  That's a Real Good Thing (tm), especially if you have to swing the sucker all day.

I can't explain it as I ain't no physicist, but I do play one on the internet.  [;D]

This it?

[url]http://grabberman.com/stiletto/drywallhammers.html[/url]

Or is it this one?

[url]http://www.contractorstools.com/stiletto.html[/url]

Also just for grins I'll add that titanium is known for strength, but does not handle shock well and which I've heard is also a reason not to use titanium firing pins. If you buy it, wear safety glasses, be careful what you hit, blah blah....

One other suggestion I might make also is try to buy old used hammers. Spend a few bucks here and there when you run across them and just try them out.. My thinking is that the older tools were made when qualtiy of materials, design and workmanship were something that mattered and problems like you are having were around and were solved by just building a quality product. Look especially for a quality hickory handle that hourglasses noticably between the head and handle. My guess is when you find a hammer like this, the handle will allow the head to vibrate without passing it all down to your hand through the handle.