Rehandling a hammer - General

You don't need to spend money for a new hammer everytime a handle breaks. Simply, make a new handle and save money. I'll be handling my 'beat on everything' hammer. Step 1: Acquire hammer [IMG]http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1364/imag0151co.jpg[/IMG] Step 2: Remove old handle Saw below head or drill old wedge and punch out. [IMG]http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/5383/imag0153m.jpg[/IMG] Step 3: Clean up head Make sure you clean out the eye. No wood lodged in or burrs left by the factory. [IMG]http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1705/imag0154d.jpg[/IMG] Step 4: Picking material Try to use wood with end grain parallel to hammer force. This is a store bought handle. [IMG]http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2574/imag0155n.jpg[/IMG] Wood grain isn't perfect, but this hammer will break its handle anyway from use. [IMG]http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/663/imag0156b.jpg[/IMG] Step 5: Measure handle length Add another inch from the picture. The handle should protrude through the eye about an inch. [IMG]http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9207/imag0162cc.jpg[/IMG] Step 6: Mark eye size I scraped chalk into the eye. Make sure the head is exactly straight and where you want it. [IMG]http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2641/imag0160tw.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/2992/imag0161ml.jpg[/IMG] Step 7: Cut to size Carve or rasp wood down to chalk. Keep it tapering away from the base. [IMG]http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6835/imag0164v.jpg[/IMG] Step 8: Check fit Hit opposite end of handle to drive the head down. Pull head off and rasp away where the head contacted. Head should be firm but able to move. [IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7931/imag0165mc.jpg[/IMG] Step 9: Cut slot After head fits, cut the slot for the wedge. Hacksaws would be too thin here. [IMG]http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/8728/imag0171qw.jpg[/IMG] Step 10: Make wedge Cut from hardwood, little longer than you need. [IMG]http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6044/imag0169pw.jpg[/IMG] Step 11: Shape handle Shape to whatever you feel comfortable with. Trace another handle if you need. I like mine square. [IMG]http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/6830/imag0172pk.jpg[/IMG] Step 12: Wedge Hit opposite end of handle on to a firm surface like before, to seat hamme head. Drive wedge into slot. It may not have to bottom out, it just needs to hold the head in place. [IMG]http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3522/imag0174pf.jpg[/IMG] Step 13: Clean up eye Saw the wedge/eye flush with top of hammer. My handle was already flush so I used a side to side motion with a sharp chisel for a flush cut. [IMG]http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/294/imag0175p.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/410/imag0176ug.jpg[/IMG] Step 14: Finish I melted wax and combined linsweed oil to finish and protect the bare metal. [IMG]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/imag0178y.jpg/[/IMG] Remaining linseed oil was rubbed into the wood. After a while sitting in the sun and with use it gives this finish. [IMG]http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/7452/imag0179l.jpg[/IMG] Tips: Don't use metal wedges. A good wood wedge will do the job and metal wedges make it a lot harder to remove the handle. If a wood wedged handle becomes loose, its time to re handle it. Linseed oil on the eye of the hammer will expand the wood enough to keep it tight. I have heard that windshield fluid mixed in water works too. [img_thumb]http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/1425/imag0180dm.jpg[/img_thumb]

It looks like you used pine. I just made a handle of pine and it failed miserably (wood's fault) The hammer head was still firmly attached to the top chunk that broke off. I am retrying my experiment with an oak handle. How did this hammer you made fair? I do a lot of heavy work with my framer and F.U.bar so that may be why it broke.

[QUOTE=Serj22;37980316]It looks like you used pine. I just made a handle of pine and it failed miserably (wood's fault) The hammer head was still firmly attached to the top chunk that broke off. I am retrying my experiment with an oak handle. How did this hammer you made fair? I do a lot of heavy work with my framer and F.U.bar so that may be why it broke.[/QUOTE] I'm no expert, but shouldn't one always use hardwoods (such as oak, as you mentioned) for the handles of striking tools, such as hammers, pickaxes, picks, and mattocks?

You caught me. Its actually Cedar, a softwood. I prefer and would have done it with Ash, a great handle material for anything really, but I didn't have any lying around. This hammer I've been using as my beating hammer, so its already nicked and banged up. Ash would have held up a little better, but it would be a waste to keep replacing the handle with better wood. This handle is still holding strong so far. All my smithing hammers are ash, don't transfer shock through the hands and still hold tight as ever.

Oh wow Cedar, yeah that's soft. What I have been doing for years is bending a large washer to the shape of the handle and taping it countless times to the front of the shaft right below the head. You're bound to miss sometimes (especially with carriage bolts) and they will put a beating on the handle and eventually help knock the head off. I was replacing benches and using my pine hammer as a beating mallot to break the wood in half and remove the benches. 5 or 6 hits in and the head, along with the handle fell down onto the bench. It didn't fly up like I expected, more like tore and fell. So I went for Oak this time. We'll see if it works. Originally the handle was Hickory, and I think 90% of hammers have that.

Isn't ash good for axe handles? It has a degree of impact resistance due to it's flexibility. Ash also grows relatively straight so good for longer handles. I may be wrong.

[QUOTE=Mixed Sources;37991823]Isn't ash good for axe handles? It has a degree of impact resistance due to it's flexibility. Ash also grows relatively straight so good for longer handles. I may be wrong.[/QUOTE] Dunno. I usually see cheaper Pittsburgh hammers with Ash handles, and the more expensive ones ($25 and up) usually come with Hickory. I am not sure if they are similar or one is better. I would also think that extremely hard woods, like the ones that tend to splinter easily, would probably be bad because they would chunk appart easier, but i could be wrong.

[QUOTE=Serj22;37992074]Dunno. I usually see cheaper Pittsburgh hammers with Ash handles, and the more expensive ones ($25 and up) usually come with Hickory. I am not sure if they are similar or one is better. I would also think that extremely hard woods, like the ones that tend to splinter easily, would probably be bad because they would chunk appart easier, but i could be wrong.[/QUOTE] My oak handle is a sucess so far I would think. I got a handle on it long enough to reach a second bay about 8ft above my head. (I work on a wooden coaster, so my needs are a little specialized) I can climb with it too. So far the head is staying in place. I stained the oak with a gunstock color because it reminded me of a gun hilt when I was done. Pistol crooked grip at the end for swinging hard. I like it. I used a 21oz Kobalt head with a magnetic nail starter and ground the claw about 1/2" shorter for pulling 16's. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20121013_132011.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20121013_132022.jpg[/IMG]