What's new
What's new

Loose Wooden Hammer Handles

J-Head

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Location
Massachusetts
Due to the long cold dry winter we have had this year, I have noticed that all of my wood hammer handles are loose in their hammer heads due to shrinkage of the wood. I have searched online and everyone seems to say that you should soak the hammer head in boiled linseed oil to soak the wood to get it to swell. The idea is that the oil will not evaporate away like water resulting in a loose hammer head again.

I have tried soaking all of my hammers for over a week in boiled linseed oil without any noticeable change. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

Does the oil really swell the wood or does the oil just fill the voids between the handle and head, locking the hammer head in place when it dries?
 
Traditionally, hammer heads are repaired this time of year.
As you noticed, this is the time of the year when they are the loosest.

If they are fitted this time of year, the rest of the year they will always be tight.
Win/Win.
 
Doesn't always work, especially if the end grain of the shaft is sealed over with paint or varnish grease etc etc

Try cleaning the end and doing it in very hot linseed oil. .............heating the oil thins it and helps it migrate in to the wood cells.
 
There are wood and metal wedges aplenty...would this not be the most sensible plan of attack? Sort of makes a case for fiberglass and composite handles, unless you're a purest!:)

Stuart
 
I have had some success using Chair-Loc to swell the wood, along with driving wedges a little deeper. Unfortunately using any kind of oil first probably would prevent success with the Chair-Loc.
 
But driving the wedges would still work. Very typical to have a wood wedge along the long centerline, with a steel wedge cross wise to that. After driving the steel wedge a bit further, take a piece of steel bar stock or a blunt tool like a caulking iron and see if the wood wedge will go further, too.

Dennis
 
For a few years now I've been using epoxy when replacing wooden handles. I do the normal fit and wedge procedure, but I cut the handle top off so that it's recessed about 1/8" into the head, drive the wedge or wedges, and then seal around the bottom of the head/handle interface with silicone caulk. I usually build a little dam around the top hole using clay or caulk so I can overfill it with epoxy and it'll run down into any voids between the handle and head. Then mix up some 5 minute epoxy, the runnier the better, stand the hammer up, and fill the dam. Come back after it's hard and sand off whatever is left sticking out of the top of the head. Handles seem to last longer and be more weather-proof.

Jeff
 
Doesn't always work, especially if the end grain of the shaft is sealed over with paint or varnish grease etc etc

Try cleaning the end and doing it in very hot linseed oil. .............heating the oil thins it and helps it migrate in to the wood cells.

The ends of the wood handles were all untreated prior to soaking them in the oil. I thought the boiled linseed oil was thin enough at room temp but maybe I need to heat it to thin it more.

I made some wood covers for a T-slot machine once and the runners in the slots soaked up residual oil from the table and expanded so much I couldn't get the covers off the table. I think the wood was southern yellow pine, so maybe that soaks up oil better than what ever my hammer handles are made from.
 
I have had some success using Chair-Loc to swell the wood, along with driving wedges a little deeper. Unfortunately using any kind of oil first probably would prevent success with the Chair-Loc.

This is probably another case where I should have tried one before soaking them all in oil. I was certain the oil would swell the wood, now adhesive methods are probably not an option.
 
For a few years now I've been using epoxy when replacing wooden handles. I do the normal fit and wedge procedure, but I cut the handle top off so that it's recessed about 1/8" into the head, drive the wedge or wedges, and then seal around the bottom of the head/handle interface with silicone caulk. I usually build a little dam around the top hole using clay or caulk so I can overfill it with epoxy and it'll run down into any voids between the handle and head. Then mix up some 5 minute epoxy, the runnier the better, stand the hammer up, and fill the dam. Come back after it's hard and sand off whatever is left sticking out of the top of the head. Handles seem to last longer and be more weather-proof.

Jeff

That sounds like a great idea! Normally I would avoid epoxy with a wood handle in case it ever needs replacing but the clear hardware store 5 minute epoxy can be popped with relatively minor heat. I found that out the hard way many years ago when some trim fell off a knife project while shaping on a belt sander.
 
You have to tighten the head before you soak it in anything, the wood will swell but it can't take up much more than it's original size. We always soaked ours in a few inches of anti-freeze right out of the radiator. "coder"
 
I've been mixing JB Weld and coating both the eye and the hammer tang, after they've been well fit. Then I wedge as usual and gently heat till the JB Weld goes kinda liquid and reset the wedges good and snug.

Machine hammers, a couple of axes and various outdoor striking tools have held up quite well. A ball pein that I use petty much every day is going on 20 years... still tight.

Epoxy comes out of a hammer eye just fine with a rotary file.

Just for the record, I'm not a fan of the various synthetic handle materials....... the tool never feels quite right to me. Axes and sledges especailly, just fell more controlable with a good hickory handle.

But if you like fiberglass handles or etc..... I can see the advantages.


Cyclototronguy
 
There are wood and metal wedges aplenty...would this not be the most sensible plan of attack? Sort of makes a case for fiberglass and composite handles, unless you're a purest!:)

Stuart

Fibre glass, composite and metal hammer, axe and splitting maul handles are the spawn of the devil.

My 1st choice is straight grained 1st quality, American Hickory (very hard to find in the UK these days), my 2nd is straight grained, high land grown, English Ash.

For tinmans, bossing and rawhide mallets etc - Malacca cane is my 1st choice (drain rod canes are good)

Screwdriver handles should be of the cabinet pattern 1st choice - European Boxwood, 2nd - English Beech.

And FFS, no varnish or paint :eek: - linseed oil is all any handle needs.
 
I use wood handles attached with epoxy thickened by fumed silica. Really clean up the steel hole and the wood handle. Sandpaper and blow gun. Put it everywhere and inside the cut for the wedge. Assemble. Add more to any voids. Allow to set in a warm or hot environment. Lasts forever.

Never liked the fiberglass plastic yellow handles.. just feels not right when hitting.

Getting the old broken handle out after your grandchildren have the hammer is easy.. sandblast out the hole in the steel head. Leave them instructions in your will.
 
Why worry about something so trivial.....


Estwing Cross Peen Hammer with Patented End Cap
Because the more weight and stiffness that you have in the handle, the more ineffective mass your body has to get moving and the more shock that you have to absorb as the head hits home but the mass in the handle continues.
Good hammers are not always brute force clubs. With experience you will soon come to appreciate a fine, well balanced hammer. They are worthy of proper maintenance.
Mike
 
Please dont talk down to me like Im an ignorant fool.:nono:

I know what a good hammer is and isnt. The smallest Estwing ball pein, the 8oz sucks exactly like you describe. :)

I suppose I was just venting about ask-holes and the extremes that people go talking about stuff.


Because the more weight and stiffness that you have in the handle, the more ineffective mass your body has to get moving and the more shock that you have to absorb as the head hits home but the mass in the handle continues.
Good hammers are not always brute force clubs. With experience you will soon come to appreciate a fine, well balanced hammer. They are worthy of proper maintenance.
Mike
 
Hi, I'm new to this forum - came across this thread when I was looking for help with a milling machine I just acquired. I'm a farrier by trade, and have had similar problems. I was told years ago to soak the heads in anti-freeze - works for a little while - but never a permanent fix for me. As has been said I think the best solution is to re-handle it. Most machine made hammers have a parallel eye, this exacerbates the problem.

Hand made hammers have the eye drifted from both sides so the resulting hole is shaped like an hour glass.

With my hand made hammers I sand the shaft to the diameter of the eye opening, drive the handle in and use both a wooden and one or two steel wedges depending on how the taper works out. With the machine made hammers I do the same thing but use copious amounts of Elmers wood glue both on the shaft and on the wooden wedge.

Hope that helps some - hammers are my life! My $15 Home Depot Ball Pein is one of my favorites and has been in service for over 10 years now - used every day she's had only one handle. It doesn't matter how big or how much it cost, if it feels right and does the job it's worth saving!
 








 
Back
Top