Posts: 3,017
Threads: 1
Joined: Aug 2009
12-12-2019, 01:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-12-2019, 01:24 PM by Bill_Houghton.)
When you say "round head," do you mean, "domed?" If so, yes: drive tacks without damaging adjacent surface, or drive tacks into carpet. Time was, every household had a tack hammer for carpet tacks.
The split face was probably magnetized originally - the split turns that side of the head into a very narrow horseshoe magnet. In my experience, they tend to lose their magnetism over the years. Tack hammers with inserted magnets are better.
Posts: 6,674
Threads: 1
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Southern California
My ex-father-in-law (now deceased) was an old school upholsterer. He bought sanitized tacks and could set and drive tacks faster and more accurately than most folks can stale with a pneumatic staple gun. He could also measure fabric out to about 36" within 1/4" by eye. I guess 40 years of experience helps.
Thanks, Curt
-----------------
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
-- Soren Kierkegaard
Posts: 2,018
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2003
Has anyone had any luck "remagnatizing" a tack hammer. I tried a few methods years ago with no success. I probably have 5-6 old tack hammers in the shop and none have a working magnet.
Posts: 5,026
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2014
Location: Santa Maria, Ca
Just need a strong magnet. Fix one pole of the magnet on one side of the split head. Wait a few minutes
and then put the opposing pole of the magnet on the other side of the head.
Mark Singleton
Bene vivendo est optimum vindictae
The Laws of Physics do not care about your Politics - Me
Posts: 2,768
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2012
Location: W. of Rainier, E. of Orcas
Gads!!!! I. Really. Am Old. Now!!! People don't know what a tack hammer is!.
If the magnet didn't work only little kids could hold the tack and tap it. That was our job when dad had upholstery or "tacking work" to do and the starter side lost grip. Start the nail. Lots of sore fingers and blood blisters. I also remember pounding longer ones through lath and laying booby traps for the neighbor kids when we played war. We were hellions.