Paragraph 21. In driving nails or brads, the hammer handle should be grasped in about the position indicated in Figure 37. A mistake frequently made is that -of holding the hammer handle too close to the head of the hammer. With this sort of hold it is impossible to strike an accurate blow. Another error is in taking hold of the handle too close to the end. This also makes it impossible to be accurate. The position shown in the cut is the most desirable for ordinary work; you should cultivate the habit of holding a hammer handle in about this position. Notice that the handle is held just high enough that when the nail is driven level with the wood, the hammer handle will stand almost level. If you hold the hammer handle too high or too low the face of the hammer will not strike the nail head squarely and will either bend the nail or slip off the head and bruise the wood. The position for the left hand shows how the material should be held in place until the nails fasten it. In nailing any sort of fine work you should exercise great care not to miss the nail nor to strike it after it is driven level with the wood.

11 - Voc.

Figure 37.