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Discussion Forum

Loose hammer handles

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Paul Thicke

03-05-2003 17:31:49




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Does anyoue else have a problem with loose wooden hammer handles? I don't know if the wooden handles are drying out or what is causing them to shrink, but I have a number of hammers that have loose handles. Does anyone have a good solution for this? Surely someone has figured out how to tighten them up. :o)




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J.D.

03-26-2003 03:03:06




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
horse shoe nails



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CWL

03-10-2003 14:01:33




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
On the same subject I tried something out a couple of weeks ago that worked very well. I needed to replace wooden handles in a couple of hammers. I used my hydraulic press to seat the handles in the head. They went together a lot tighter than I could beat them on. As always when working with extreme pressures be careful, but I tell you it worked very good. It is actually faster as well.
CWL



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DonB

03-07-2003 07:28:32




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
Don't use the soaking in water trick. The handle will swell and will be tight, for a while. When it dries it will be looser than before because the swelling will have crushed some fibers.

For good qualith wood handles, a yearly dip in Linseed oil will keep them in good condition. To tighten good handles, it may need only a new wedge or the existing one driven in a bit farther. Go to the hardware store and get some wedges designed for that use and drive one or two in cross grain.

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G-MAN

03-07-2003 16:02:47




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 Re: Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to DonB, 03-07-2003 07:28:32  
I occassionally give mine a soak in water, but recently I apparently left one in too long, and the handle cracked. Apparently it swelled too much and the head wouldn't let it go anywhere, so the handle cracked to relieve the pressure. I just put a new handle in the 3 lb hammer today. I don't really care for fiberglass, so I haven't done that. I use my hammers pretty much every day, so I figure if I can get 6 or 8 months out of a wooden handle, it's worth the 8 or 10 bucks they cost. By the time the handle comes loose a couple of times, I give up on the water trick and just replace it. They are usually scarred up or damaged in other areas by the time they come loose.

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Jess

03-07-2003 05:20:12




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
I have had very good success using a generous amount of 2 part epoxy as someone mentioned. I try to get it to fill every void where the handle goes through the head and let it pool up a litte where the handle comes through the heAD. I have used it on axes, splitting mauls, and sledge hammers quite successfully with both wooden and composite or fiberglass handles. Hope it works for you. Prior to experiencing epoxy I always went the soaking route periodically.

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Paul (WI)

03-06-2003 20:23:54




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
Thanks to everyone for all of the good information on how to tighten up a hammer handle. There were more ideas submitted than I have hammer handles, but I will be trying some of these ideas soon.



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RayP(MI)

03-06-2003 07:21:43




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
I soak the hammer, or whatever in a can of oil, or ATF for a few days. Causes the wood to swell slightly. Get handle as tightly wedged as you can before soaking though. I usually only submerge the head of the handle, no use getting your hands greasy or the handle itself slippery!



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fox

03-06-2003 07:16:36




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
Funny you should ask. I just ten minutes ago put a new handle in my wood splitter, drove the wedge in and then coated it with linseed oil. My Grandfather tought me to do this. The end of the old handle had to be drilled out it was so tight. Thats pretty good for a splitter that was bought around 1975. It's always worked well for me.

fox



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John - NY

03-06-2003 06:43:52




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
The one method that I use, and I suppose it's been used for years, to hold metal heads securely on picks, adzes, mattocks, and the like, is to heat up the metal head with a torch and slide it down snuggly over the wooden handle. Cool it and it really stays in place. That's how they used to secure metal bands around wooden wagon wheels too.



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Farmer/Paul

03-06-2003 04:13:06




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
My father used to soak them in some linseed oil.They fit well for a long time after that.



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Ben in KY

03-06-2003 07:33:51




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 Re: Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Farmer/Paul, 03-06-2003 04:13:06  
I soak them in boiled linseed oil. Works great and the wood handle does not rot.



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DHuth2

03-05-2003 19:54:33




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
Dad use to throw them in a bucket of water....wood would swell up..... temporary fix.



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M.R.

03-05-2003 20:34:15




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 Re: Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to DHuth2, 03-05-2003 19:54:33  
Or soak the heads in auto anti-freeze, it won't dry out like the water.

PS. Be careful about pets having access to it.



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Bernie

03-05-2003 18:01:33




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
Take a short, fat wood screw and hammer it flat on the end to make a wedge. Drive it into the handle as far as possible and hacksaw off the excess.



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thurlow

03-05-2003 17:38:50




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 Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Paul Thicke, 03-05-2003 17:31:49  
Paul, what I do is to take the head off of the handle; scar both mating surfaces up a little; coat with J-B Weld and put it back together. Have never had one to get loose after doing this. Have also used 2-part epoxy, which works pretty good, though not as good as J-B Weld.



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Brian G. NY

03-06-2003 05:58:50




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 Re: Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to thurlow, 03-05-2003 17:38:50  
I,ve used body fill on axe handles; you can use the axe within a half hour of making the fix.



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Fred OH

03-11-2003 11:48:38




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 Re: Re: Re: Loose hammer handles in reply to Brian G. NY, 03-06-2003 05:58:50  
Looks like I get to bring up the rear on this topic. Soaking in water is a quick temporary fix...the fellow (M.R.) that said soak it in antifreeze is close to on the money...actually it is supposed to be soaked in glycerine (which antifreeze has in it.) The way I do it is to get a decent fit between the head and handle and use a long way wooden wedge. Then, one or even two metal wedges driven in crossways. It don't seem to get any better than this. The wooden and metal wedges are available at most hardware stores and larger flea markets. Same way for the linseed oil...which is the proper preservative for all woods that I know of. All tool men should have some on hand...because you generally have a dozen hammers around. If you don't have any loose handles...you probably don't use your hammers enough... I remember going into a store years ago and looking at a hammer that had a decal on it that read...installed with genuine Duroc...guaranteed to never loosen. It was loose as a goose. L8R....Fred OH

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