In the past, I've thrown an ax with a loose head, in a bucket of water before using it. It swells the handle in the head nicely, but a week later it's just as loose as ever. I pick up hammers here and there at yard sales and such, and some of them are quite loose. Also, the handles seem to be very dry and I worry that adding an extra wedge would just destroy the handle. I find myself wondering if soaking it in oil would swell the handle but not dry out so quickly like water?
How do you maintain your hammer handle/head fit, or restore older hammers?
Adding a wedge shouldn't destroy the handle. It's sometimes hard to get one driven into the handle though. I've had the best luck using a hardened masonry nail.
Jesse
Some of my blacksmithing friends soak there hammer heads in anti freeze, it will not dry out like water will, and the wood shrank back as before. I have used Brownells Acraglas , it is thin enough
to run down into tight places let set 24 hours, and no more loose hammer head. It will also soak into any cracks strengthening the wood handle. This will work on an
existing loose hammer head. At least I have had good luck with it.
Anthony
soak in a bucket of boiled linseed oil.
The oil will not evaporate. It actually hardens so after the handle swells it should lock in.
