# Newbie question - shingle's hammer / hatchet



## mos (Aug 25, 2008)

Hey,
I'm going to put new shingles on my roof for the very first time (plese don't say "hire a pro"..), and have a simple question. I decided to buy an Estwing hammer because looks fine and is made in USA. But I don't know what the difference is between hammer and hatchet...? And what are these 5 circle slots in them for and a thing in one of them..? And that little triangular notch in hatchet?


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## jeffaah (Apr 3, 2008)

The holes should be threaded and are for screws hold in a thin cutting blade. That "thing" in one hole is a guage. Your shingle hammer should have come with the 2 screws, a blade, and a threaded post. Since there is no claw, the triangular notch is for pulling nails or whatever else you use it for.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

one is geared for hanging drywall the other for roofing


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## mos (Aug 25, 2008)

thanks but I believe there is a drywall hammer for drywall..:blink:


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## mos (Aug 25, 2008)

OK, so from what I understand the black thing is a gauge, so what does it gauge? And what is such a short blade used for? I can't post a link to a picture of the hammer or hatchet (I don't have 15 posts) but you may see both of them at Estwing.com.


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## DecksEtc (Oct 27, 2004)

You obviously don't roof for a living so I wouldn't worry about buying a specialty roofing hammer for this one job.

I will do a few roofs a year (usually for friends/family, etc.) and have never found the need for a roofing hammer. And trust me, I need very little excuse to buy a new tool. 

I just got around to buying a used roofing nailer for my compressor this past fall.


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## DecksEtc (Oct 27, 2004)

mos said:


> thanks but I believe there is a drywall hammer for drywall..:blink:



FYI, with not enough posts to post pictures, being a smart arse isn't a good way to go about getting free advice.


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## jeffaah (Apr 3, 2008)

The gauge is to measure for shingle overhang at the dripedge etc. Some hammers are adjustable. I've never used it.


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## RENE MICHAUD (Jan 1, 2011)

just don't fall off the roof when you hit your finger!!


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## mos (Aug 25, 2008)

Thanks DecksEtc for the advice, you are probably right but a hammer is not an expensive thing so it may lay somewhere in my garage..


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## mos (Aug 25, 2008)

DecksEtc said:


> FYI, with not enough posts to post pictures, being a smart arse isn't a good way to go about getting free advice.


Am I a smart arse? I only corrected something that I believed was wrong. Misleading information is worse than no information.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

its pretty rare to see anyone use them around here, i can only remember seeing a drywall hatchet in use once or twice, same goes for drywall hammers


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## jmiller (May 14, 2010)

I see that you weren't trying to be a wise guy.

It looks like Estwing calls the one with the thin blade that you got ,and that I usually buy, the shinglers hammer, since you can pull nails with the blade (and cut felt etc.). The shinglers hatchets don't appear to have the blade, only the guage (thumb screw that goes in the holes). 

And yes, there is a drywall hatchet with a flat round waffle head.


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## mos (Aug 25, 2008)

Yes, who use nails for hanging drywall nowadays... I guess I'll better focus on buying a good compressor + roofing nailer rather than a hammer, just was curious about its construction...


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## DecksEtc (Oct 27, 2004)

mos said:


> Am I a smart arse? I only corrected something that I believed was wrong. Misleading information is worse than no information.


My apologies if I misunderstood your response to Kirk's post.


One question, you say your trade is carpentry and you've been a member of CT since 2008 yet you don't own a compressor? Very unusual...


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

Meh, It's not out of the ordinary for your average homeowner/diyer to lack an air compressor...............................


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

my response must have been vague, what i meant to say is that i dont see specialty hammers for this sorta thing very often unless its a stiletto for framing. most roofers or drywallers i know just carry a regular 16 or 20 oz hammer


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I don't own an air compressor either......I own 5.:laughing:


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## DecksEtc (Oct 27, 2004)

jhark123 said:


> Meh, It's not out of the ordinary for your average homeowner/diyer to lack an air compressor...............................


Nor is it unusual for homeowners/diy'ers to pass themselves off as Pros and join CT...


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## Ahayek (Jan 5, 2011)

I've been roofing for 5 years..... I've seen 1 person ever with one of those hammers....

Get a good hammer, utility blade, hook blades, measuring tape and a chalk line. 

A roofing nailer is the best though


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## bloodywill (Aug 29, 2012)

I've used an estswing hatchet since I started roofing. The hatchet is supposed to be used for splitting cedar shakes, but came in handy while laying shingles/repairing a roof. I've used it to chop tar off of chimneys, pull staples on a ripped roof, lift tabs/shingles that are stuck together while repairing, hell i've even wedged it inbetween roofing boards and put weight on it (rather than use a kicker) while ripping. I think it might even be better than a claw hammer for pulling out roofing nails. By the way, the gauge is for shingle exposure on your courses. You can hook it on the course below, and place the shingle on the hammer head and nail it after you put the shingle where it goes. I've personally never used the gauge. I just got one of the roofing hammers yesterday, because I broke my hatchet and didn't see any at the store. Didn't like the fact that it didn't have a nail puller, so I filed one into it. Still not really sure how I feel about the knife on the back though. Haven't really had a chance to try it out. 
I believe someone said something about drywallers not needing hammers cuz they screw it in now or somethin? While they may not use the hammer to nail the drywall to the studs, they still use the drywall hammer because the thing on the back that looks like an axe is actually a wedge for manuevering the drywall one way or the other before screwing it.


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