a Great video! I subscribed your channel. Two reasons why your handle splitted. 1) Your wedge is in the wrong angle. See 4:14 your wood grain and wedge met in "X" position. that's not good. Drive your wedge in the same grain direction. it goes in better and it will not make your handle crack. 2) You didn't drive in your handle enough. When there is a slight gap between the eye of the hammer and the wood(even though you can't see) when you drive your wedge, it splits. It was painful to see the crack in such a nice handle. It was a pleasure to watch the whole process though. Two thumbs up!
Sometimes the eye itself is a slightly larger diameter on one side of the head. This will cause splitting too if the head is upside down. Great video all the same.
Hanging a hammer head is one of the most challenging procedures we go thru. Anytime you separate the grain it will split to some degree. I can tell you one thing, how the wood is dried makes a big difference in how it splits... Some handles are prone to disaster. the hammer looks great! That polished head really stands out now!!!!!! Awesome!
Thanks ScoutCrafter! I have another hammer head that needs a handle. I guess I'll try a different brand - I've seen tube-shaped metal wedges that seem like they would work better.
@@357magdad I've had this same problem replacing handles. I just can't get it right. I think the hammering action also contributes to splitting in addition to grain orientation. I say this because ScoutCrafter has a video where he uses his Dake shop press to push the metal wedge in with little to know splitting. He makes it a slick procedure with pressing the wedge versus the jarring caused via hammering it in. It's near sure this is how manufactures install these metal wedges in new tools. Regardless, you've done a great job. I would be super proud of your end product and happy to use that hammer. Congratulations!
I didn't know this channel went back 4 years. The YT algorithm had this video in my recommendations this morning. That's a nice shine. I need to replace my broken sander. Each time I clean up an old tool it reminds me of the first time I realized these were once nice and shiny new tools my grandfather or someone else had 60 to 100 years ago. It's also interesting to realize as you struggle with a diy home repair that the only wrench that saves you is an early 1900s pipewrench when everything else has failed.
I've been making videos for 8 years! I prefer using old tools rather than new ones. I feel like all of its previous owners are there helping me with every project.
Scoutcrafter mentioned in one of his videos that you should take a drill bit that is larger than the slit in the handle. drill across the slit at its base. This will stop the slit from splitting deeper when placing the wedge in the hammer head. I hope this is helpful. Love your restoration videos.
great video, though its old its still inspirational for me to attempt the same project in the near future. I see all sorts of old hammers at the flea market that could use a new handle. FYI..on another youtuber's hammer related post, they say an old farmers trick to keep the handle tight after it's been attached is to soak the head and top of the handle in anti-freeze. It will expand the wood and crystalize in the fibers to keep the head tight. I've done this with my cheap HF ball peen hammer that was getting loose.
I have one of my grandfathers ballpeen hammers that taught me new words back in the 70s. He put 3 handles on in one afternoon. The last one involved a gas welder and steel tubing. The head is still very firm and solid, but I did replace the electrical "grip" tape
To be honest I wouldn’t even put a metal wedge in at first. The wood wedge should be plenty. Leaving the handle proud of the head a little gives it more of a wedge for holding the head on. Then save the metal wedge and if in a year or two it gets loose you can use it to tighten it up. Just my two cents! Great job.
I just found your channel subscribed. I was going to tell you to check out a screwdriver I refinished in a similar fashion. Then I noticed you have one as well. I will check it out.
Great suggestion! I restored a shingle axe, put in oak shims/wedge, and steel wedge was not needed. Save the steel wedge for later if needed! Great restore video!
Awesome job on the head, can't believe how good that came out. My 2c on why the handles split, the wedge is too long for starters (more on that below) but the hickory produced commercially may be dried too dry and the grain in modern factory-produced handles isn't oriented the way it should be. Put those two together and the unsuspecting user can drive a suitable metal wedge home and this happens all too easily. I've driven in _two_ steel wedges across the wooden wedge to secure a poorly-fitted handle and not had cracks like this. In both cases the wood did split in the eye but no cracking was visible below the head because it was a claw hammer I was working on, which has that deep collar. This is a shallow head you're working on here, if everything had been the same only you were fitting a claw hammer you might have been fine. If you do need to use a metal wedge it should be sized to the hammer being worked on, say no more than 1/2 the depth of the head. On my claw hammer the wedges were maybe 5/8" long and the head was a full 2" deep. For this type of thing in future I think Brian McGuire nailed it though, just the wooden wedge with the shaft left projecting a bit above the head is likely fine. This can be sufficient on a hatchet, even on a full-size axe.
I recently made a handle for my coal hammer and for that I ensured there was no gap between the handle and the hammer eye, and I cut the gap in handle to take quite a wide wedge, so there was little actual movement, but the wedge did not break. Seems solid!
Next time cut a kerf into the top of the handle and use a wood wedge. You can stain the wood wedge a dark color and have a nice contrast between the white hickory handle and the dark stain wedge. Nice job!
Just started doing some hammers..I've got quite a collection of body hammers and I've got a 6lb hammer like yours I bought at a flea market many years ago..I've always loved it..but it's pretty rough from all the years of work and abuse lol
Good look on hammer head. The problem that you had with the handle splitting when you drove in the wedge may be solved by drilling a hole at the bottom of wedge slot. I had seen a video about this as a solution to that problem. It worked for me. Hope it helps Magdad.
You need to make the slot deeper into the top of the handle with a handsaw. Without the deeper slot the wedges crash into the handle body and split it like an axe. Hope this helps. Your videos are great!
Wedge across the grain, not with it, makes it less likely to split and for those splits to run. As said everyone else. But. Same thing can happen with the wooden wedge, and that has to run with the grain in a perfect axe or hammer handle. A nifty trick to help stop that is to drill a hole along the bottom of the kerf, so it sort of looks like an upside keyhole. The drill bit only has to be a touch wider than the kerf, and all it does is stop all the splitting force of the wedge concentrating on the bottom of the kerf and allowing a split to form and run.
I tend to steep the handle head handle in boiled linseed over night then drive the wedge in, no splitting. The other thing is it's best to get a handle directly from a shop so you can inspect the quality of the grain and how close the grain is!
If it had been me I would have been tempted to saw the handle where I was going to put the spline first. A great restoration, it looked fantastic and a job well done. As always a great video.
Hi! There should be minimal gap between the handle and the head at the top of the head , it should be a snug fit all the way through the head before fitting the wedge . Regards Will
Your handle cracked because you didn't do this the way real youtubers do. You need to fell a tree from your 1000 acre property then hand hew it down to an insane futuristic type ergonomic shape, then edit out any parts that are not absolutly perfect, all without saying a word. Then burn your super fancey logo into the handle while filming in slow motion with a $5K camera. Thats how real youtubers acheive perfection 🤣🤣🤣. Lol...Seriously, great episode! I really think that looks sharp....great job. As for the not splitting, id put that old flathead screw back in it 🤣🤣🤣. Cheers
Thanks Joe! Your comment made my day! I have a ball peen hammer that needs a new handle. I better get to planting that hickory seedling this weekend. At least I'll have time while it grows up to save money for the $5000 camera!
My thoughts on the handle fitting are: examine the hammer head and determine if it has an up side, fit the new handle so that there is not too large of a gap to be filled when you insert the wood wedge, drill a round hole at the bottom of the manufacturer's cut for wood wedge. The larger the gap when you fit the handle the more the wood will separate and the likelihood of a split to appear, when you inserted the metal wedge it may have been too long and created too large of a split. Drilling a hole along the bottom of the cut creates a sort of hinge where the wood can open without extending the split. Great video, I enjoyed it.
Now you got to do a project that requires replacement of rivets so you can show us how that fancy looking hammer is supposed to be used! As always, excellent video. I learned a lot my friend.
one way to prevent the wood from splitting, is wen you have the handle in the hammer head cut off the excess material and drive the wood wedge in with some wood glue let it dry, wen it is fully dry put the hammer head in a bucket with water and let it sit for 24 hours and then drive the metal wedge in
Two problems with the handle installation 1. Wedge is at a wrong angle. 2. Even if wedge goes down to a different angle we should always have relief holes drilled before installing the hammer head at the end of the wedge cut to stop the wood from cracking. 😇
Magdad, I've put on many handles..because at 58 and a lifetime of practice..I still can't hit the nail on the head lol ..you know what that means!! Well I'm OK with that ! But I've seen guys cut the factory groove deeper depending on how far the head goes down on the handle..and then cut the handle to about 1/2" above the head and then use epoxy and drive the head down using the weight of the head by pounding the but end on the be
Great video(s)! Your restorations, in my humble opinion, are the best for the everyday person. A lot of people on UA-cam (ex. Hand Tool Rescue) do these elaborate restorations of tools that most people would never ever use. While it is fun to watch, it is a bit unrealistic for the average guy. The hand tools that you restore can be used daily, and someday passed down to our children or potential grandkids. So much fun to watch, and you're an inspiration to get in the garage/workshop. Now, PLEASE restore your Irwin vise and make some brass jaws for it. Great job, man.
Thanks Jeremy! I did a video about that vise. I also did a video about the magnetic wood jaws. I like to be able to switch from steel "hard" jaws to the soft wood quickly. I've seen some gunsmiths use heavy felt jaw pads - I may give that a try in the future.
Cool video, have several hammers I want to redo, but I think I’ll wait and see what folks say about your splitting problem, still, the results was beautiful!
Another great video! I thoroughly enjoy your videos and always look forward to the next one. Very informative and relaxing to watch. Keep up the good work!!
Have to admit, I was partial to the original handle at first, but I see where it was damaged. Interesting concept with the charring. I've done a light charring, light sanding and linseed oil on garden tool handles with some success. Wondering if the handle split because it was too dry? Giving it a presoak with H2O or linseed first maybe? What do I know, could be worth a try.
Great video. The wood may have split because it was too dry. You may want to brush on a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits before you start. Michael from Canada
Good job. My 2 cents worth is that the wedge is not supposed to be used to fill up gaps of empty space between the head and the handle. The handle needs to be scraped, sanded or carved to fit tightly into the head. The wedge is to lock a well-fitting handle into place so that it doesn't get loose or fly off while you use it. If the business end of the handle doesn't have some degree of moisture in the fibers, it has no flexibility when you are trying to put the wedge in and the handle is then prone to split. Some people like to soak that end of the handle in a little linseed oil prior to starting the job, and then add a few more drops every few months to keep everything tight. The Flitz finish is amazing - after watching your videos, even I bought some. P.S. There is no rule that says you can't trim down the wooden wedge they give you, if you think it is too big for the job.
Just kerf the top of the handle to accept the wedge, you can also drill a small, 1/8" hole at the bottom of the kerf, this will definitely stop a split developing. The steel wedge should be 2/3- 3/4 of the depth of the hammer head. I have re hafted a couple of dozen hammer heads and never had one split doing it this way.
Great job. Looks completely different. I've never seen a wedge put in diagonal in a hammer. It's usually at 90° or 180°. The couple of hammers I did, I believe I put them in at 90°. I don't think you'll have any problem with the hammer though. 👍👍👍👍👍
Aha! This is why John did the video about splitting hammer handles. VERY nice job on this. Originally I did not like the charred look, but in the end I think the contrast is great.👍🏻
I have found glue / epoxy is needed and looks better with just the wood wedge.. this is years of experience and using the hammers daily after the fix ...without the epoxy the wedges always seem to back out ..then when the head gets sloppy my tendency is to continue using the hammer until the head comes off again and it usually messes up the handle..that's why you see nails screws and multiple wedges.. if you use the epoxy when doing it the first time this doesn't happen.
I wasn't to sure about the wood burning, but it does look good! I'm no expert in putting handles on, but I would have blamed it on the wood myself. I did really like the s shaped wedge you took out, very unusual.
Thanks Alex! I'd seen other youtubers to the handle charing and I wanted to try it. I'm not sure it is my favorite either. I'm going to save that S wedge, I may need it!
My guess as to why it split: you didn’t shave the “fat side” of the handle down so that the length of the head of the handle could completely be inserted in the eye. Then you didn’t spend enough time banging on the bottom of the handle, it wasn’t in all the way. Hold it so the hammer is all the way upside down and hit it until it feels like you’re hitting a stone. Then no matter what you do, that handle will not split.
I couldn’t see the second handle, but the first handle had the grain orientation wrong. You want the grain of the wood to run parallel to the hammer head, not across. It’s stronger that way, and the wood tends to split along the lines in the grain.
Still a very good video! The use of the belt sander and different grades of sand paperwork on the hammer head, and the shine produced from the process, I'm sure made ScoutCrafter jump with joy.😂 The handle, it's happened to a lot of! Keep them coming.
Thanks Ben! I was pretty frustrated when I split that first handle. Someday I want to try shaping my own handle, but not until I improve the wedge technique!
The polished head looks great but I am not sure if I am a fan of the charred handle look. Is the splitting caused by the wedge going across the grain or aligned with the grain?
It was fun to try the charring, but I don't think I'll be doing that to every handle I own! LOL I tried to install the metal wedge the opposite way the second time and it still started to split the wood.
Awesome job. Ive split so many hammer handles i cant even count. Lol. Your hammer turned out beautiful brother! Im heading over to Instagram to follow u now. I might be following u already im not sure. Lol. 👍😀🇺🇸⚒
There should be a slight taper in the hammer head my have been on upsides down looked like to much gap in handle at top of hammer after you cut it off. There also was way too much handle out the top of the hammer to wedge tight make sure the saw cut in the handle is a little over half down in the head with that much handle out the top my need to cut it dipper an cut some off the excess on top before putting wood wedge in if you had to cut handle deeper the wedge should stop when it is tight cut off handle at top of hammer and put metal wedge in at a angle
Thanks for the advice! I didn't notice a taper to the eye, but there might have been. the wood wedge was about half way into the head and it did bottom out. I think the second handle with the smaller metal wedge is going to be OK.
Great video... Very educational. Only real men post videos with less than perfect results. I think 'leathertoolz' gave you two solid pieces of advise. Joe's Shop was a close second. Love your channel. Keep them coming... Michael from Canada
Your handle needs to be touching the inside of the hammer eye all around before driving the wedge, then it will tighten the wood fibers rather than spread them out along their length
@@357magdad Yes so true because I replace the one I might hammer and I used the small wedge.. But remember one thing practice makes perfect we got to laugh at it 👍
If the split is confined to the head, it will have no effect on durability and utility, in my experience. What happened to the original “S”-shaped wedge; I would have reused that one.
I might have tried to rescue the original handle. The split? Perhaps the handle didn't "fill" eye enough. I hope it's not another example of they-aren't-making-them-like-they-used-to. I bought a long handle flat shovel for my son to carry in his car during the winter. I bought it at the same industrial house I bought mine decades ago. It was an Ames, it said USA (NOT made in USA). The handle had almost NO shape to it. When I thought of a guy who had to hump that piece of crap eight hours a day, it irked me so badly, I called Ames. Oh, they sent me another one - it was exactly the same. Those people don't care because they have most users trained to accept anything. I ended up spokeshaving it into a proper profile and oiling it up before I gave it to my son.
Manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to make stuff cheaply. Some say the giant box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart) with their buying power are to blame for this. I think I saw a documentary about Stanley tools that alluded to this.
@@357magdad Sure, but an industrial supply house should be held to a higher standard. I guess I should have realized it was hopeless about three decades ago when I got a box of fasteners from McMaster-Carr and the label read, "Contents may have been made in Taiwan, Portugal, Israel, Poland, China . . . " It went on to list at least a dozen different countries.
a Great video! I subscribed your channel. Two reasons why your handle splitted.
1) Your wedge is in the wrong angle. See 4:14 your wood grain and wedge met in "X" position. that's not good. Drive your wedge in the same grain direction. it goes in better and it will not make your handle crack.
2) You didn't drive in your handle enough. When there is a slight gap between the eye of the hammer and the wood(even though you can't see) when you drive your wedge, it splits.
It was painful to see the crack in such a nice handle. It was a pleasure to watch the whole process though. Two thumbs up!
Thanks for the advice!
@@357magdad love your videos man!
Sometimes the eye itself is a slightly larger diameter on one side of the head. This will cause splitting too if the head is upside down. Great video all the same.
@@RS4393You're right it could be on upside down!
lmao
Hanging a hammer head is one of the most challenging procedures we go thru. Anytime you separate the grain it will split to some degree. I can tell you one thing, how the wood is dried makes a big difference in how it splits... Some handles are prone to disaster. the hammer looks great! That polished head really stands out now!!!!!! Awesome!
Thanks ScoutCrafter! I have another hammer head that needs a handle. I guess I'll try a different brand - I've seen tube-shaped metal wedges that seem like they would work better.
@@357magdad I've had this same problem replacing handles. I just can't get it right. I think the hammering action also contributes to splitting in addition to grain orientation. I say this because ScoutCrafter has a video where he uses his Dake shop press to push the metal wedge in with little to know splitting. He makes it a slick procedure with pressing the wedge versus the jarring caused via hammering it in. It's near sure this is how manufactures install these metal wedges in new tools. Regardless, you've done a great job. I would be super proud of your end product and happy to use that hammer. Congratulations!
@@danielgrenier3288 Thanks Daniel!
I didn't know this channel went back 4 years. The YT algorithm had this video in my recommendations this morning.
That's a nice shine. I need to replace my broken sander.
Each time I clean up an old tool it reminds me of the first time I realized these were once nice and shiny new tools my grandfather or someone else had 60 to 100 years ago. It's also interesting to realize as you struggle with a diy home repair that the only wrench that saves you is an early 1900s pipewrench when everything else has failed.
I've been making videos for 8 years! I prefer using old tools rather than new ones. I feel like all of its previous owners are there helping me with every project.
Simple project which turned out pretty good.
Thanks! I'm still working up the courage to try another re-handle!
The charred handle looks great!
Thanks! I wanted to try something different.
Scoutcrafter mentioned in one of his videos that you should take a drill bit that is larger than the slit in the handle. drill across the slit at its base. This will stop the slit from splitting deeper when placing the wedge in the hammer head. I hope this is helpful. Love your restoration videos.
Thanks for watching. The handle split when I put in the metal wedge. The split was in the opposite direction of the slit for the wood wedge.
great video, though its old its still inspirational for me to attempt the same project in the near future. I see all sorts of old hammers at the flea market that could use a new handle. FYI..on another youtuber's hammer related post, they say an old farmers trick to keep the handle tight after it's been attached is to soak the head and top of the handle in anti-freeze. It will expand the wood and crystalize in the fibers to keep the head tight. I've done this with my cheap HF ball peen hammer that was getting loose.
Thanks for watching Robert! I've heard about the anti-freeze trick, but have not tried it.
Yes! Flitz never lets you down. I 100% agree with what leathertoolz said about the cracked handle. Hammer on dude.
Thanks Cory!
Flitz it in the morning, Flitz it evening, Flitz it after supper time. Be a real honey & Flitz it all the time!
Came out nice and glad to see you included the disaster. It seems more realistic to me. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Tony! I try to avoid any "smoke and mirrors" in my videos. If the project goes really wrong, it ends up on the cutting room floor!
I have one of my grandfathers ballpeen hammers that taught me new words back in the 70s. He put 3 handles on in one afternoon. The last one involved a gas welder and steel tubing. The head is still very firm and solid, but I did replace the electrical "grip" tape
I'm gonna have another try at a hammer handle soon!
El pulido del metal quedó espectacular. Me hubiera gustado restaurar el mango viejo se veía entero.
Thanks!
To be honest I wouldn’t even put a metal wedge in at first. The wood wedge should be plenty. Leaving the handle proud of the head a little gives it more of a wedge for holding the head on. Then save the metal wedge and if in a year or two it gets loose you can use it to tighten it up. Just my two cents! Great job.
I agree Brian. It kinda felt like I didn't need the metal wedge.
I agree with Brian, also if it gets loose in a year or two just add linseed oil 😉
I just found your channel subscribed. I was going to tell you to check out a screwdriver I refinished in a similar fashion. Then I noticed you have one as well. I will check it out.
Great suggestion! I restored a shingle axe, put in oak shims/wedge, and steel wedge was not needed. Save the steel wedge for later if needed! Great restore video!
The algorithm brought me here, Magdad! Great to see Flitz in the pre-Chuck era. 😅
Now you know which came first...
Love how it turned out, has almost a medieval vibe to it with the polished steel and black handle!
Burning the handle was fun!
Nice hammer and finish. Usually I leave a little space side to side to allow space for the handle to expand when I drive in the metal wedge.
Thanks Steve!
Awesome job on the head, can't believe how good that came out.
My 2c on why the handles split, the wedge is too long for starters (more on that below) but the hickory produced commercially may be dried too dry and the grain in modern factory-produced handles isn't oriented the way it should be. Put those two together and the unsuspecting user can drive a suitable metal wedge home and this happens all too easily.
I've driven in _two_ steel wedges across the wooden wedge to secure a poorly-fitted handle and not had cracks like this. In both cases the wood did split in the eye but no cracking was visible below the head because it was a claw hammer I was working on, which has that deep collar. This is a shallow head you're working on here, if everything had been the same only you were fitting a claw hammer you might have been fine.
If you do need to use a metal wedge it should be sized to the hammer being worked on, say no more than 1/2 the depth of the head. On my claw hammer the wedges were maybe 5/8" long and the head was a full 2" deep.
For this type of thing in future I think Brian McGuire nailed it though, just the wooden wedge with the shaft left projecting a bit above the head is likely fine. This can be sufficient on a hatchet, even on a full-size axe.
Thanks for the advice!
Cool and tricky job MagDad. Somehow this popped up in the YT feed and I thought it was from 4 days ago, then I saw it was 4 years ago!
Time flies when you're havin' fun!
I recently made a handle for my coal hammer and for that I ensured there was no gap between the handle and the hammer eye, and I cut the gap in handle to take quite a wide wedge, so there was little actual movement, but the wedge did not break. Seems solid!
Thanks Max! I'm gonna have to try another handle soon!
Next time cut a kerf into the top of the handle and use a wood wedge. You can stain the wood wedge a dark color and have a nice contrast between the white hickory handle and the dark stain wedge. Nice job!
Thanks Mike!
Just started doing some hammers..I've got quite a collection of body hammers and I've got a 6lb hammer like yours I bought at a flea market many years ago..I've always loved it..but it's pretty rough from all the years of work and abuse lol
I'm trying to get up the nerve to try another re-handle.
I liked your restoration. The black charred handle looks great.👍
Thanks Rob! This was an interesting project!
Good look on hammer head. The problem that you had with the handle splitting when you drove in the wedge may be solved by drilling a hole at the bottom of wedge slot. I had seen a video about this as a solution to that problem. It worked for me. Hope it helps Magdad.
Thanks Steven! I'm working up the courage to try another one soon!
You need to make the slot deeper into the top of the handle with a handsaw. Without the deeper slot the wedges crash into the handle body and split it like an axe. Hope this helps. Your videos are great!
Thanks for the advice!
Nice clean up and a beautiful restoration on the hammer head. Handles are a dime a dozen.
Thanks Michael! I'd like to get the wedging technique down before I try to shape my own handles.
Thanks for sharing the ups and the downs of this project.
Thanks Mercoid! I like trying new things!
Wedge across the grain, not with it, makes it less likely to split and for those splits to run. As said everyone else.
But. Same thing can happen with the wooden wedge, and that has to run with the grain in a perfect axe or hammer handle. A nifty trick to help stop that is to drill a hole along the bottom of the kerf, so it sort of looks like an upside keyhole. The drill bit only has to be a touch wider than the kerf, and all it does is stop all the splitting force of the wedge concentrating on the bottom of the kerf and allowing a split to form and run.
Thanks for the tips!
I tend to steep the handle head handle in boiled linseed over night then drive the wedge in, no splitting. The other thing is it's best to get a handle directly from a shop so you can inspect the quality of the grain and how close the grain is!
Thanks for the info!
If it had been me I would have been tempted to saw the handle where I was going to put the spline first. A great restoration, it looked fantastic and a job well done. As always a great video.
Thanks Mark!
Hi! There should be minimal gap between the handle and the head at the top of the head , it should be a snug fit all the way through the head before fitting the wedge . Regards Will
Thanks Will!
Love your channel mate. It’s one of the more entertaining ones going around. Great work.
Thanks! I'm glad you like my videos!
Your handle cracked because you didn't do this the way real youtubers do. You need to fell a tree from your 1000 acre property then hand hew it down to an insane futuristic type ergonomic shape, then edit out any parts that are not absolutly perfect, all without saying a word. Then burn your super fancey logo into the handle while filming in slow motion with a $5K camera. Thats how real youtubers acheive perfection 🤣🤣🤣. Lol...Seriously, great episode! I really think that looks sharp....great job. As for the not splitting, id put that old flathead screw back in it 🤣🤣🤣. Cheers
Thanks Joe! Your comment made my day! I have a ball peen hammer that needs a new handle. I better get to planting that hickory seedling this weekend. At least I'll have time while it grows up to save money for the $5000 camera!
Joe, your comment made me snort. LOL
😂
My thoughts on the handle fitting are: examine the hammer head and determine if it has an up side, fit the new handle so that there is not too large of a gap to be filled when you insert the wood wedge, drill a round hole at the bottom of the manufacturer's cut for wood wedge. The larger the gap when you fit the handle the more the wood will separate and the likelihood of a split to appear, when you inserted the metal wedge it may have been too long and created too large of a split. Drilling a hole along the bottom of the cut creates a sort of hinge where the wood can open without extending the split. Great video, I enjoyed it.
Thank you for the advice!
Now you got to do a project that requires replacement of rivets so you can show us how that fancy looking hammer is supposed to be used! As always, excellent video. I learned a lot my friend.
Thanks! I have to try another hammer handle soon!
Great job! Very nice!
Thanks!
One wedge installed correctly is all the wedge needed.
Every hammer I've seen has both a wood wedge and a steel wedge.
Looks great. The wood wedge might have been enough with glue. ???
Experimenting with hanging another handle has been on my "to do" list.
Love the charred handle. - worked out great bro!
Thanks Marc! Not every project goes smoothly, but it is fun to try new things!
Good work on the hammer. Would almost hate to use it. Thanks
Oh I'm gonna use it! I want to make sure that head is gonna stay tight!
one way to prevent the wood from splitting, is wen you have the handle in the hammer head cut off the excess material and drive the wood wedge in with some wood glue let it dry, wen it is fully dry put the hammer head in a bucket with water and let it sit for 24 hours and then drive the metal wedge in
Thanks for the advice!
@@357magdad One thing I forgot, sharpen the point of the wedge and it goes in much easier.
And I like the video's
Two problems with the handle installation 1. Wedge is at a wrong angle. 2. Even if wedge goes down to a different angle we should always have relief holes drilled before installing the hammer head at the end of the wedge cut to stop the wood from cracking. 😇
Thanks for watching, and for the advice!
Magdad, I've put on many handles..because at 58 and a lifetime of practice..I still can't hit the nail on the head lol ..you know what that means!! Well I'm OK with that ! But I've seen guys cut the factory groove deeper depending on how far the head goes down on the handle..and then cut the handle to about 1/2" above the head and then use epoxy and drive the head down using the weight of the head by pounding the but end on the be
That's a good looking Hammer for sure...the Charred Handle looks Great!! Nice work and perseverance :]
Thanks D&R! I'd been wanting to try that handle charring technique.
A great restoration. I am going to learn from your handle finish (steal) and try on one of my tools. Thanks for the video.
Thanks John! I saw other youtubers do the char finish and I wanted to give it a try. It is an interesting look and the handle is more "grippy".
Great video(s)! Your restorations, in my humble opinion, are the best for the everyday person. A lot of people on UA-cam (ex. Hand Tool Rescue) do these elaborate restorations of tools that most people would never ever use. While it is fun to watch, it is a bit unrealistic for the average guy. The hand tools that you restore can be used daily, and someday passed down to our children or potential grandkids. So much fun to watch, and you're an inspiration to get in the garage/workshop. Now, PLEASE restore your Irwin vise and make some brass jaws for it. Great job, man.
Thanks Jeremy! I did a video about that vise. I also did a video about the magnetic wood jaws. I like to be able to switch from steel "hard" jaws to the soft wood quickly. I've seen some gunsmiths use heavy felt jaw pads - I may give that a try in the future.
Good for another 25+ years! I’ve got one just like it but I like the original look to it.
I’ll worry about restoring when it breaks.
Turned out awesome!
Thanks!
That looks great magdad!
Thanks Cole!
Cool video, have several hammers I want to redo, but I think I’ll wait and see what folks say about your splitting problem, still, the results was beautiful!
Thanks John! I want to do more handles too, but I'm a little gun shy now!
Very nice work on finish.
Thanks John!
Love that hammer I even liked it before you restored it 😁
Thanks Honeybre! I think it came out OK.
I've never heard of 'charring' the handle like that - never seen that here in England. Hammer looks good though. Take care 🙂
Thanks Michael!
Another great video! I thoroughly enjoy your videos and always look forward to the next one. Very informative and relaxing to watch. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks Jim! I have lots of new projects planned!
Have to admit, I was partial to the original handle at first, but I see where it was damaged. Interesting concept with the charring. I've done a light charring, light sanding and linseed oil on garden tool handles with some success. Wondering if the handle split because it was too dry? Giving it a presoak with H2O or linseed first maybe? What do I know, could be worth a try.
Could be the quality of the wood. It was one of the cheaper choices on Amazon. Thanks!
I think the charred handle needs flames 🔥 painted on 😎
Great video. The wood may have split because it was too dry. You may want to brush on a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits before you start.
Michael from Canada
Thanks Michael!
Good job. My 2 cents worth is that the wedge is not supposed to be used to fill up gaps of empty space between the head and the handle. The handle needs to be scraped, sanded or carved to fit tightly into the head. The wedge is to lock a well-fitting handle into place so that it doesn't get loose or fly off while you use it. If the business end of the handle doesn't have some degree of moisture in the fibers, it has no flexibility when you are trying to put the wedge in and the handle is then prone to split. Some people like to soak that end of the handle in a little linseed oil prior to starting the job, and then add a few more drops every few months to keep everything tight. The Flitz finish is amazing - after watching your videos, even I bought some.
P.S. There is no rule that says you can't trim down the wooden wedge they give you, if you think it is too big for the job.
Thanks for the advice! I hope you like the Flitz as much as I do!
Nice job polishing the hammer. But it seems like you need an assistant, or perhaps spokesmodel, for the Flitz work.
You would I get........
Great as usual. Wish I could have seen the result of the flitz test, though. Best wishes.
Awesome video!! 👍😊
Thanks! I'm working up the courage to try another handle!
Just kerf the top of the handle to accept the wedge, you can also drill a small, 1/8" hole at the bottom of the kerf, this will definitely stop a split developing. The steel wedge should be 2/3- 3/4 of the depth of the hammer head. I have re hafted a couple of dozen hammer heads and never had one split doing it this way.
Your like me Magdad I'm not afraid to ask for help. Scout crafter helped me with a old Ford thum oiler. And great video nice hammer my friend!!!
Thanks TR! We have a good group of tool enthusiasts! I got some good advice to try on the next handle!
Great job. Looks completely different. I've never seen a wedge put in diagonal in a hammer. It's usually at 90° or 180°. The couple of hammers I did, I believe I put them in at 90°. I don't think you'll have any problem with the hammer though. 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Wire. I was trying to follow the manuf directions to the letter. After watching ScoutCrafter's video, I think my second handle might be OK!
Aha! This is why John did the video about splitting hammer handles. VERY nice job on this. Originally I did not like the charred look, but in the end I think the contrast is great.👍🏻
Thanks Lee! I wanted to try the handle charring thing I'd see other youtubers do. I'm not sure it's my favorite either.
I have found glue / epoxy is needed and looks better with just the wood wedge.. this is years of experience and using the hammers daily after the fix ...without the epoxy the wedges always seem to back out ..then when the head gets sloppy my tendency is to continue using the hammer until the head comes off again and it usually messes up the handle..that's why you see nails screws and multiple wedges.. if you use the epoxy when doing it the first time this doesn't happen.
ScoutCrafter likes to install the wedge with wood glue.
I wasn't to sure about the wood burning, but it does look good! I'm no expert in putting handles on, but I would have blamed it on the wood myself. I did really like the s shaped wedge you took out, very unusual.
Thanks Alex! I'd seen other youtubers to the handle charing and I wanted to try it. I'm not sure it is my favorite either. I'm going to save that S wedge, I may need it!
My guess as to why it split: you didn’t shave the “fat side” of the handle down so that the length of the head of the handle could completely be inserted in the eye. Then you didn’t spend enough time banging on the bottom of the handle, it wasn’t in all the way. Hold it so the hammer is all the way upside down and hit it until it feels like you’re hitting a stone. Then no matter what you do, that handle will not split.
Thanks for the tips Daryl!
Hi bro 👋👋👋 very good restoration hammer 🔨 👍👍👍
Try round step wedges
Thanks for the tip Thomas!
Hammer turned out great👍🏻 Almost too good to use😀
Yeah, I went over the top as usual. This one will get used though. It will be interesting to see how the handle holds up.
I couldn’t see the second handle, but the first handle had the grain orientation wrong. You want the grain of the wood to run parallel to the hammer head, not across. It’s stronger that way, and the wood tends to split along the lines in the grain.
So the handle I bought had the grain orientation wrong?
Still a very good video! The use of the belt sander and different grades of sand paperwork on the hammer head, and the shine produced from the process, I'm sure made ScoutCrafter jump with joy.😂
The handle, it's happened to a lot of!
Keep them coming.
Thanks Pablo!
Great restoration. Great video. :)
Thanks Ben! I was pretty frustrated when I split that first handle. Someday I want to try shaping my own handle, but not until I improve the wedge technique!
I love the hammer,, handles give me troubles too. Thanks for sharing Pal!
The polished head looks great but I am not sure if I am a fan of the charred handle look. Is the splitting caused by the wedge going across the grain or aligned with the grain?
It was fun to try the charring, but I don't think I'll be doing that to every handle I own! LOL I tried to install the metal wedge the opposite way the second time and it still started to split the wood.
excellent work
Terrific look it's beautiful
Thanks John! I think the charred wood looks good with the polished metal!
The unusually shaped original wedge may have been more suitable than the one that came with the handle.
I agree. I'm gonna save that thing!
Love the hammer head not keen on the charred handle
Thanks David! I'm not sold on the charred handle either.
Very nice. What rust protection is used on that pretty steel?
Thanks Mr. Ed! I coated it with Johnson's Paste wax.
Lovely finish on the head..... Did the Flitz have a noticeable effect after the wheel polish?
Thanks Armando! I think the Flitz improved the finish, but the again I'm a biased Flitz-aholic! LOL
عمل جيد تستحق الايك
Thank You!
I knew you weren't going to stop at 120 grit. :-D Was just waiting for the Flitz and was not disappointed.
Thanks David! I even had to give it the Flitz after the buffing wheel!
I love it
Thanks!
Awesome job. Ive split so many hammer handles i cant even count. Lol. Your hammer turned out beautiful brother! Im heading over to Instagram to follow u now. I might be following u already im not sure. Lol. 👍😀🇺🇸⚒
Thanks! I've got you subbed and followed too now!
There should be a slight taper in the hammer head my have been on upsides down looked like to much gap in handle at top of hammer after you cut it off. There also was way too much handle out the top of the hammer to wedge tight make sure the saw cut in the handle is a little over half down in the head with that much handle out the top my need to cut it dipper an cut some off the excess on top before putting wood wedge in if you had to cut handle deeper the wedge should stop when it is tight cut off handle at top of hammer and put metal wedge in at a angle
Thanks for the advice! I didn't notice a taper to the eye, but there might have been. the wood wedge was about half way into the head and it did bottom out. I think the second handle with the smaller metal wedge is going to be OK.
Do not use metal wedge in setting a handle its for repairing later
Great video... Very educational. Only real men post videos with less than perfect results. I think 'leathertoolz' gave you two solid pieces of advise. Joe's Shop was a close second. Love your channel. Keep them coming...
Michael from Canada
Thanks Michael! Joe's comment was great!
Very, very cool!
Your handle needs to be touching the inside of the hammer eye all around before driving the wedge, then it will tighten the wood fibers rather than spread them out along their length
Thanks for watching, and thanks for the advice!
@@357magdad no problem, I just recently found you channel and love the content. Gave you a follow on Instagram too 👍🏼
The wood cracked because you have put the wedge with the grain you should do it against the grain that's how i did and it's better . Thanks.🔨
Definitely cool.
Thanks!
Wow I have one of those but not that pretty . great little hammer . Just think it was too big like you said..
Thanks Reynaldo. I think I should have used the original small metal wedge!
@@357magdad
Yes so true because I replace the one I might hammer and I used the small wedge..
But remember one thing practice makes perfect we got to laugh at it 👍
If the split is confined to the head, it will have no effect on durability and utility, in my experience. What happened to the original “S”-shaped wedge; I would have reused that one.
We'll see how she holds up! I saves the "S" shaped wedge just in case!
I think the first handle split because it’s half heart wood and half sap wood. It’s kind of crappy handles you got.
I did buy the cheapest ones Amazon had.
I might have tried to rescue the original handle. The split? Perhaps the handle didn't "fill" eye enough. I hope it's not another example of they-aren't-making-them-like-they-used-to. I bought a long handle flat shovel for my son to carry in his car during the winter. I bought it at the same industrial house I bought mine decades ago. It was an Ames, it said USA (NOT made in USA).
The handle had almost NO shape to it. When I thought of a guy who had to hump that piece of crap eight hours a day, it irked me so badly, I called Ames. Oh, they sent me another one - it was exactly the same. Those people don't care because they have most users trained to accept anything. I ended up spokeshaving it into a proper profile and oiling it up before I gave it to my son.
Manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to make stuff cheaply. Some say the giant box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart) with their buying power are to blame for this. I think I saw a documentary about Stanley tools that alluded to this.
@@357magdad Sure, but an industrial supply house should be held to a higher standard. I guess I should have realized it was hopeless about three decades ago when I got a box of fasteners from McMaster-Carr and the label read, "Contents may have been made in Taiwan, Portugal, Israel, Poland, China . . . " It went on to list at least a dozen different countries.
Drill a hole along the bottom of the factory cut
The handle spit perpendicular to the factory cut.
Try drilling two holes the end of piece your putting in . good job though.
Could òld wood handles be more reliable? I dunno...🇨🇦
I wasn't up to the challenge of carving my own handle.
I absolutely detest hand-sanding. It just goes on and on and on.
I find hand sanding relaxing.
@@357magdad I knew you would say that. lol
Great video, but I think you are using too thick of a wedge to tighten the head. Not an expert, but my opinion.
Thanks for watching Mike! I used the wedge that came with the new handle, but it could have been the wrong one.