Farming Ahead September 2012 No. 248 www.kondiningroup.com.au28

1 Sourcing replacement handles can sometimes be a little difficult, but most major hardware retailers will at least carry some of the more common handles such as axe, block splitter and sledgehammer.

But some others are a little more difficult, such as long handles for shovels and large hammer handles. Sometimes handles can be purchased from field day sellers. Smaller handles can often be whittled down from larger broken handles, such as making a tomahawk handle from a broken axe handle.

2 When selecting a handle, check the grain for consistency, straightness and lack of knots or other flaws.

The grain should run parallel to the handle for its entire length and not run off the edge. Poor grain will mean a weak handle and lead to premature breakage. Hickory or ash are traditional choices for handle timber, but spotted gum is a popular Australian timber. Never select a handle which has been varnished or finished in any way, as it will likely lead to blisters during use.

I f you are anything like me, there is a serious time lapse between handle broken and handle replaced, and

invariably the replacement is the purchase of complete new axe or hammer.

Let's face it, in the end that's the quicker, and easier, option.

And with the low cost of some hand tools, the price of a new handle can be the same as a completely new budget-brand tool.

However, the quality of an older axe or hammer head is usually far superior to anything which can be purchased today, and replacement handles can often

exceed the quality of that supplied with newer tools.

And if, like me, you get attached to your tools, there really is no other option.

So, if you have a few spare hours to spend in the workshop on a rainy day, and want to buck the trend towards the throw-away society, gather up all your decapitated tools and settle in for a handle-a-thon.

ContaCt ▶ Josh Giumelli josh.giumelli@kondinin.com.au

Tool handles invariably break at the worst possible moment, right in the middle of a job. Kondinin Group engineer Josh Giumelli says the axe or sledgehammer head is usually thrown in a corner of the workshop, complete with the stub of the broken handle, to be fixed at a later date

Phot

o: B

en W

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| Workshop GettinG a handle on rePairs

New handles for favourite tools

www.kondiningroup.com.au No. 248 September 2012 Farming Ahead 29

GettinG a handle on rePairs Workshop |

4 The next requirement is some tools to shape the end of the handle to fit the head.

There are several choices. My favourite is my grandfather’s vintage drawknife, which is razor sharp and capable of removing a lot of wood quickly.

6 You will also need a selection of wood files and rasps to do the final shaping of the handle. If the handle

is a close fit to the head, then a good file and rasp is likely all that is needed to shape it into a good fit. Even coarse sandpaper can be used to help final finishing.

3 You will also need a supply of alloy or timber wedges of different sizes. The large ones are for axes, the

smaller ones are for hammers and mallets. Note the large wedges can be easily cut down with a hacksaw to custom-fit them to other tools such as sledgehammers.

5 Another option is a spokeshave, which is like a small wood plane held with both hands. It will

remove wood a little more slowly than the drawknife, but is a bit more accurate to use.

7 The first step is to remove the remnants of the old handle from the head, which can be rather tedious.

The best way is to drill a series of holes from the front side of the head towards the back, either side of the wedge. Some people mistakenly believe burning the old handle out is the best method for removal, but in all likelihood you will damage the temper of the cutting edge.

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8 Next, drive out the old handle using a hammer and large pin punch as shown. The handle will probably

disintegrate, but that will help get it out.

Farming Ahead September 2012 No. 248 www.kondiningroup.com.au30

| Workshop GettinG a handle on rePairs

16 If the head gets stuck before it reaches the final position, remove the handle and shave down the

high spots. The best way to get the handle out is to put one foot on the head and wobble the handle from side to side while pulling upwards.

10 Lightly clamp the axe head in a vice and test-fit the handle. It is likely it will be reasonably larger than the

hole it needs to fit into. Note the basic areas of the handle that will need shaping.

13 Trial fit the axe head on the handle frequently. Wriggle it back and forward to leave witness marks on

the high spots. Take care if your axe head is sharp.

17 The handle is fully seated when the head is driven on as far as it will go, and the end of the handle

is flush with the head or sitting proud of it. A large amount of handle protruding from the head can be cut off, but a few millimetres of protrusion won’t matter.

11 Clamp the handle in the vice on its side as shown. I find an old leather welding glove works a treat as it

grips the handle well but doesn’t leave vice marks on the handle.

14 The head will leave tell-tale marks on the high areas, giving you a guide to areas that require

more removal. It is far better to remove a small amount of wood and repeat the trial fit many times, rather than remove too much wood by accident.

9 With the handle removed from the head, clean out any rust or other debris from the hole with

a rat tail file. You should be able to recognise which side of the head the handle enters from, as the blade should sweep back further on the side adjacent to the handle.

12 Start shaping the handle, making sure you remove an equal amount off both sides. Make sure you

remove material for the entire width of the axe head.

15 When the fit appears close, drive the head onto the handle by tapping the handle down onto

a hard surface as shown. Never strike the head with a hammer. Several strong taps on the floor should see the head driven onto the handle fully. Any small spots that are still too high will tend to be shaved off by the axe head.

www.kondiningroup.com.au No. 248 September 2012 Farming Ahead 31

GettinG a handle on rePairs Workshop |

19 Cut a timber wedge out of hardwood, with the grain running along the wedge, not across

it. Give the wedge a good coating of weatherproof PVA glue.

22 Repeat with a second wedge about a third’s distance from the bottom edge of the handle.

25 Finally, sand any rough spots on the handle and tidy any areas where stickers where attached.

20 Drive the wedge in firmly with a mallet or hammer, making sure the handle is not also being

driven out of the head.

23 Finally, drive the wedges a few millimetres below the surface with a hammer and pin punch.

The handle is now perfectly secure in the head, with the wooden and steel wedges providing pressure in different directions.

18 Next, we need to secure the handle in the head. The simplest method is to drive a large alloy

wedge into the split in the handle as shown above. This is quick and easy, but for a better job, I use a timber wedge with two smaller steel wedges.

26 Coat the handle in boiled linseed oil, which will preserve the timber, and dry quickly. Don’t use

regular linseed oil, which will remain oily and slippery for some time.

21 Now drive a small wedge, such as used for a hammer handle, into the axe handle across the timber

wedge as shown. It should be positioned roughly one third from the top of the handle.

24 Just as you need to seal the ends of timber to stop shrinkage and cracking, you need to seal the

end of the axe handle with a sealant such as Bondcrete, otherwise, moisture will travel out of the capillaries at the end of the handle, and the shrinkage will loosen the head. An old trick for tightening a loose handle is to soak the head in a bucket of water, but it will dry out as well if left unsealed. Another trick is to soak the head in glycerine, which is readily absorbed by the wood cells, which expand and tighten the handle in the head.