Monday, February 9, 2009

Hammer Time

A friend sent this video to me.  It's called "The Hammer Guy."

I prefer to call it: 
"Something a woman would never do, 
not even for a million bazillion dollars 
or a lifetime supply of Ben & Jerry's ice cream."


Some thoughts came to mind after watching the video:
I wonder if he pounded a few before coming up with this trick.
I wonder how long it took him to build this house.
I wonder what his technique is for sawing 2 x 4s.

Hammer Guy, you're amazing. I tip my hard hat to you.

16 comments:

  1. Sounds like one of those crazy Germans;)

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  2. Spiffy! Although the finishing maneuver seems a troublesome way to manufacture a patina on that beam...

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  3. This guy is awesome.

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  4. Oh well..... we could always raise the bar.....ummmm chisels anyone?

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  5. Very entertaining, however, I think there is a reason why when as soon as the hammers start hitting the nail one doesn't get to see the entire path of the hammer from the point where it leaves the juggler's hand to the point where it hits the nail. I think the video is a fake.

    Al

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  6. Alfred, the camera does close in when the hammer starts hitting the nail but then pulls back on the last couple of hits, so I'm sure it's legit.

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  7. I am sorry to tell you the video is faked. OBI (the name on the bucket) is a german home improvement store.
    There was something about it on an (also german) TV show, you can search for "Galileo hammer" on youtube if you are interested.

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  8. Gee just like all the Super Bowl commercials! But fake or not, it doesn't matter, it is very entertaining.

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  9. On youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbMNRGMa3TA

    You can see the length that this TV show goes to to prove this video is fake. They do show two guys who can actually juggle hammers. But apparently, it's just not possible to drive a nail while tossing a hammer from beneath it; it's the handle that hits the nail.

    Alas, it's a fine bit of animation!

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  10. So there is an expose to match the fake. It took a good but human juggler, a good computer-animation 'artist', and a corporate sponsor to create this. After learning that the hammers that hit the nail were computer-generated images, they do move somewhat choppily in the clip.
    The YouTube clip about the fake juggling feat included two other things that caught my attention:

    - the German carpenter/timberframer in the tradtional black corduroy garb,

    - the carpenter hammers with uneven prongs on the claw, one formed as a spike. Never like to use those hammers, but I miss the plain square-faced hammers with the simple cross-peen that are so common on the continent.

    Al

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  11. So you're all saying the set of Stanley Juggling Hammers I bought from Lowe's are useless????

    I still have the receipt so I guess I can return them for that TightRope Chalkline I admired so.

    Gary

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  12. Gary, you make me laugh out loud. ; )

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  13. Holy crap! Why didn't he at least wear a hard hat?!?!

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