wood handles?

[old-9]

I have a few wood handle hammers, it seems like they all loosen up over time. Just soak in water and back to good. Is there a sealer that can be applied to keep the moisture in the wood? Any tricks out there? thanks joe

 

[Moonlite37]

Soaking is a temporary fix. Get extremely dry and wedge securely then paint or apply linseed oil to the and of the grain. I have heard that soaking in antifreeze works but only tried it a couple times and the handles were already tight and I had not been having troubles. If they get really dry just drive in the wedge a bit more. My dad was bad about leaving tools outdoors and his handles were always loose. I like wood handles on hammers better than the cushion grip. fiberglass, or metal with leather laminates. P,S, I make my own handles.

 

[TimV]

As Moonlite37 noted, you should NOT soak your handles in water--it's a temporary "solution" at best, and over time will result in an even worse problem as the handle deteriorates. I'm linking a section of the USFS manual on ax handles, but everything is equally applicable to hammers. Basically, you have to re-wedge your handle (and DON'T just drive in a nail--that's the lazy man's way and will also make things worse over time as it will split the wood!) or re-hang another one if you want it to be done right. There is a product out there called Swel-lock that's supposed to swell the wood fibers (Amazon carries it, among many other places), but I have not used it personally and can't vouch for its effectiveness, though it's been around a long time--it's not some new "miracle in a bottle". I've made many, many handles over the years, and re-hung many heads, be they ax, hammer, or other tools, as I enjoy bring old, well-constructed tools back to life, and a good tool is worth doing the repair correctly--you'll be happy you did, and so will anyone in the vicinity of where it's being used!
Hanging an ax handle

 

[Andy Martin]

Excellent link, but it looks like it has been removed. I make my own handles, the old fashioned way, hickory off the farm and a shaving horse and drawknife. Made this one for a brass hammer the other day. Soaking in water causes the wood fibers to swell and crush each other. The crushed fibers do not spring back so when the wood dries back to local humidity the handle will be looser than before. I only use wood wedges, but I make my handles green so when they dry in the hammer I rewedge them a time or two.

 

[Randy Shoe]

I soak all my handles in Oil. I save old black from oil changes from time to time. The oil lasts ten times longer than soaking in water.

 

[Handyman]

Do not use water, soak them in undiluted antifreeze. It doesn't evaporate like water does.

 

[Richard G.]

I knew an older fellow and his wife years ago. He told me when he and her were on a date in his old Model T, they would drive through the creek a few times to swell the spokes to keep them from rattling.
I agree with the oil idea and the antifreeze.
Richard in NW SC

 

[John,PA]

I would be show'n the mallet head to be WOUND LEATHER. Yours looks like SOLID BRASS that is about strike a wooden pin, fer some reasons!

John,PA

 

[Stephen Newell]

You can soak the handles from time to time or drive a steel wedge in the handle and be done with it.

 

[TimV]

Assuming your post was meant to be a reply to Andy Martin's, not mine, I believe what you're seeing is the end of one of the legs on his shave horse. I'm sure he wasn't using the brass hammer to hit it, he's just posing his newly-made hammer handle on the shave horse he used to make it. His technique is the same as mine, but instead of a shave horse, I use a smaller version (sometimes called a "shave pony") that attaches to my bench, as that way I can remove it when I'm not using it and it takes up less floor space than a full-sized shave horse.

 

[rd 2N in mo]

Look wood drys out. Period. You need to do like the woodsmith does.
Install the head on the wood shaft then insert a wood shim with
good wood glue and drive it home like a tenon then be done with it.

That's always worked for me

 

[Gundoctor]

Here is a link to "House Handle Company" of Missouri. They have more handles than I have ever seen. What they cost from them I would never make one again.

https://www.househandle.com/index.html

 

[John,PA]

THANKS, Tim

I was used to driving PEGS into hewed timber. When I was done with the peg, I simply to the "PEG" to another peaceful room. The "Peg" held my "NITECAP." SANTA

John,PA

 

[wilson ind]

Still have my great grandfathers axes.They all have had several new handles and a few new ax heads. Before he passed years ago family members said two of the best ones were in the tool kit with the original steel legged Essex Tri Directional .This model was designed before the invention of the wheel.This I know to be true as my old friend and personal lawyer Old John T country lawyer notarized great grandfathers statement.

 

[Andy Martin]

(quoted from post at 08:45:16 12/10/15) Assuming your post was meant to be a reply to Andy Martin's, not mine, I believe what you're seeing is the end of one of the legs on his shave horse. I'm sure he wasn't using the brass hammer to hit it, he's just posing his newly-made hammer handle on the shave horse he used to make it. His technique is the same as mine, but instead of a shave horse, I use a smaller version (sometimes called a "shave pony") that attaches to my bench, as that way I can remove it when I'm not using it and it takes up less floor space than a full-sized shave horse.

Right on, my shaving horse is about 25 years old and is usually in the way, so it stays on a porch in front of my shop. The little brass hammer head came from the estate of an old friend. I decided to make a new handle when the old one broke through dry rot. I don't use a rawhide hammer to drive wooden wedges, I use a steel hammer to drive it in quickly. My only rawhide hammer gets used on the mill drawbar and vise handle to limit the shock loads on them. I'm left handed and do lots of things backwards.

 

[Andy Martin]

So here is why I make handles. I like using something I made, and I discovered many years ago if I make a narrow shank on a hammer handle, it doesn't sting your hand. You can't buy a hatchet handle like this one:

I think this is the first handle I made, about 20 years ago.

This is about taking a narrow handle to the limit. I use this hammer in my shop pretty regularly. I used a piece of hickory with a know in it and the handle split next to the knot but it has been serviceable for many years. And you can hit a steel beam as hard as you like and it will not sting your hand.

And no, I don't hit the mill table with it