A sledgehammer is a tool that consists of a large, flat head attached to a lever (or handle). The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area. This is in contrast to other types of hammer, which concentrate force in a relatively small area. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 578 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... A hand tool is a device for doing a particular job that does not use a motor, but is powered solely by the person using it. ... For other uses, see Wedge (disambiguation). ... A reproduction of a spiked war hammer A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat, the design of which resembles the hammer. ... Look up maul in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word sledgehammer may refer to: Sledgehammer, the tool. ... A modern hammer is directly descended from ancient hand tools A tool or device is a piece of equipment which typically provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task, or provides an ability that is not naturally available to the user of a tool. ... For the Portuguese town and parish, see Lever, Portugal. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... For other uses, see Impulse (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mallet (disambiguation). ... A claw hammer For other uses, see Hammer (disambiguation). ...

A sledgehammer.

This is a picture of a sledgehammer taken by Simon Arlott on August 19, 2004. ... This is a picture of a sledgehammer taken by Simon Arlott on August 19, 2004. ...

Uses

The handle is over half a meter long and, typically, is a full meter long^{[citation needed]}; the head masses at least one kilogram and, typically is three kilograms. Sledgehammers usually require two hands and a swinging motion involving the entire torso; in contrast, smaller hammers used for driving in nails are held by a single hand and only one arm is swung. The combination of a long swinging range and heavy head increases the momentum preceding the resulting impact. The human torso Torso is an anatomical term for the greater part of the human body without the head and limbs. ... A claw hammer For other uses, see Hammer (disambiguation). ... This article is about the object used in construction. ... This article is about momentum in physics. ...

Sledgehammers are used in construction work especially for breaking through drywall or masonry walls. Sledgehammers are also used when one needs to apply a lot of force to dislodge a stuck object (often on farms or in oilfield work). They are also used for driving fencing posts into the ground. WWE wrestler Triple H is known to severely injure and kill his victims in the ring with this weapon. For other uses, see Construction (disambiguation). ... For the musical group Drywall, see Drywall (musical project) Example of drywall with joint compound, the common interior building material. ... This article refers to the building structure component; for the fraternal organization, see Freemasonry. ... A brick wall A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. ... For other uses, see Farm (disambiguation). ... Drilling rig in a small oil field Near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 An oil field is an area with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum (oil) from below ground. ...

Sledgehammers are also used in driving in railroad spikes. When the two ends of the Union Pacific railroad were joined at Promontory, Utah, Leland Stanford hammered the Golden Spike into a tie with a silver hammer. (It is not known whether this is the inspiration for Maxwell's Silver Hammer in the eponymous Beatles song.) The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... Promontory is a location in Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at 41°3707N, 112°3251W, with an elevation of 1494 meters (4902 feet) above sea level. ... Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824 – June 21, 1893) was an American tycoon, politician and founder of Stanford University. ... Ex-Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. ... Maxwells Silver Hammer is a song by The Beatles, from the Abbey Road album, with Paul McCartney singing lead. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ...

In the United States, 10- and 20-pound sledgehammers are common. A 20-pound sledgehammer can break an unreinforced 8-inch concrete wall. ^{[citation needed]}

External links

• The Sledgehammer: How It Works, a humorous essay by Steve Martin

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