# Do you know anyone who "repairs" things by hitting them withe wrong end of a hammer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981 "2005-03-17T14:44:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/1 "2005-03-17T14:44:29Z")
I was just looking at webcomics and in[Digital War](http://www.digitalwar.co.uk/d/20020913.html), our heroes are on the hunt of the elusive British Telecom representative. They know they have noiw found one because: Yes, he’s definitely from British Telecom, he’s hitting the exchange box with a large hammer. Now, I have had similar encounters with repair people in my own life, but I can not seem to recall them right now, so the comic strip will have to do. Does anyone else recall similar incidents from their own lives? ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/2 "2005-03-17T14:48:31Z")
For Apple Powerbooks, one of the instructions in the _manual_ is to drop the laptop on a hard surface. I’ve done this a few times with varying results. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/3 "2005-03-17T14:55:36Z")
It’s called “percussive maintenance” and sometimes it works. I’ve found it to be at least temporarily effective with monitors with bad flyback transformers that give off the high-pitched whine. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/4 "2005-03-17T15:00:46Z")
I have a friend who swears that there is nothing so technologically advanced that it cannot be repaired with the suitable application of brute force and ignorance. In oter words, if all else fails, hit it with a hammer. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/5 "2005-03-17T15:12:46Z")
Ledbetter’s Correlary: Don’t force it - get a bigger hammer. (named after a guy I worked with who was fond of the saying) Actually, folks hit things with the “wrong” end of the hammer all the time, if it’s a ball peen hammer . . . . ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/6 "2005-03-17T15:15:49Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > For Apple Powerbooks, one of the instructions in the _manual_ is to drop the laptop on a hard surface. I’ve done this a few times with varying results. Yes. But that is using the _right_ end of a hammer, not the wrong end. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/7 "2005-03-17T16:23:59Z")
This may not count as “repairing”, but once, while camping, my friends and I found ourselves in need of firewood. We had no hatchet, so we cut down a tree using the claw end of a hammer. Took a while, but it worked. That hammer was the most useful tool ever. We drove tent pegs with it, cut down a tree with it, cooked with it (used the claw to pull hot pans out of the fire)… ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/8 "2005-03-17T16:31:08Z")
Wait… Using the wrong end of a hammer towards a usefull goal? [My head a splode.](http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/The_Cheat%27s_Head_Exploding) ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/9 "2005-03-17T16:58:20Z")
Well, our butthead neighbor uses his steel tape measure as a hammer to bang on his circular saw as a means of subtle adjustment - does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Rock\_n\_Roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Rock\_n\_Roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock_n_Roach)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/10 "2005-03-17T17:24:00Z")
> [@pugluvr](#): > > Well, our butthead neighbor uses his steel tape measure as a hammer to bang on his circular saw as a means of subtle adjustment - does that count? There have been times I found myself using the wrong end of a screwdriver as a hammer - does that mean I’m a butthead? ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/11 "2005-03-17T22:06:09Z")
Didn’t Dr. Who, at least the Tom Baker version, use a sharp blow frequently to fix “Earth technology”? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/12 "2005-03-17T23:42:28Z")
One of my newest “rules of life” is: Sooner or later, it comes down to a hammer. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/13 "2005-03-17T23:49:08Z")
This worked quite well for me when I had the conundrum of how to hang some things in my dorm. The solution, of course, was get some nails and a hammer. Bang, done. I do not, however, think that this method will help me cover up the highly illegal nail holes in my walls come the end of the year. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/14 "2005-03-17T23:56:19Z")
This didn’t involve a hammer, but the tech support guy at my old office used to “fix” the computers by repeatedly smacking the side of the monitor. It became known as the Harold fix. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/15 "2005-03-18T00:06:29Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Didn’t Dr. Who, at least the Tom Baker version, use a sharp blow frequently to fix “Earth technology”? Yes, but then again, he sometimes used that technech on the TARDIS console, and he is smarter than me, so he knows best. > [@NinjaChick](#): > > I do not, however, think that this method will help me cover up the highly illegal nail holes in my walls come the end of the year. Yes, but toothpaste of the right color, smothed over the holes, and left to dry will. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/16 "2005-03-18T01:05:59Z")
How is she supposed to find magnolia toothpaste? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/17 "2005-03-18T05:53:52Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Didn’t Dr. Who, at least the Tom Baker version, use a sharp blow frequently to fix “Earth technology”? That’s the only way to get the microwave where I work to start. 1. Put food in, close door. 2. Set timer, push ‘start’ button. 3. Hi Opal! 4. Hit microvave with fist, then it starts. Every time. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/18 "2005-03-18T14:04:13Z")
BFH baby. I solve all sorts of problems with a Big Fucking Hammer. To fill a tool box, or odd drawer you need; WD-40, duct tape, a hammer and a screwdriver. Everything else is nice, but not essential. _-Mr. Goob’s workshop has approx. 20 to 30 hammers and mallets_ ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/19 "2005-03-18T14:27:44Z")
> [@Mr. Goob](#): > > To fill a tool box, or odd drawer you need; WD-40, duct tape, a hammer and a screwdriver. Everything else is nice, but not essential. Let me guess: 1. If it’s supposed to move, but it doesn’t, use the WD-40. 2. If it’s not supposed to move, but it does, use the duct tape. 3. If it sticks up, and it shouldn’t, use the hammer or screwdriver as appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981/20 "2005-03-18T15:01:28Z")
> [@Mr. Goob](#): > > _-Mr. Goob’s workshop has approx. 20 to 30 hammers and mallets_ Well you’ve got your framing hammer, your two pound drilling hammer, your 8 ounce ball pein, your 16 ounce ball pein, your rock hammer, your mason’s hammer, your five pound sledge, your MC Hammer, your [armored hammer](http://www.bigpiggig.com/pigs/pig_detail.php?id=328) , your circuit breakers (Cuttler Hammer 😃 )…etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-anyone-who-repairs-things-by-hitting-them-withe-wrong-end-of-a-hammer/294981.md?page=2)