Sledge hammer handle

[czechsonofagun]

Good Morning,

I inherited this old sledge hammer and the handle was cracked and eventually broke. Now for some odd reason I was not able to find a replacement. Took the hammer to every HW store in the area and all the handles were too small for the eye of the hammer.

Yesterday I finally dug out a piece of maple, pushed it through the planer to square it up and made my own. Hand held electrical planer looks like the best tool to shape it with.

Anybody had to make his own tool handles? Also, I agree the maple is not the best wood to use for it - but it was the only one I had on hand. My wood of choice would be accacia or mountain ash.

 

[JJT]

Hickory is also a good choice.

 

[Michael_E_Tx]

I haven't made any handles, but I've modified a few. The most recent was a handle for a pickaxe. I looked all over for one to fit and couldn't find one. I bought one that was too big (to fit the eye in the pickaxe) and shaped it down by trial and error with a 4" side grinder and a 36 grit sanding disc. Took awhile to get it to fit really really snug, but worth the effort. The side grinder/sanding disc allows for very fine material removal and adjustment. I prefer ash or hickory, but rock maple is pretty good too.

Mike

 

[scott_vt]

Yesterday I finally dug out a piece of maple, pushed it through the planer to square it up and made my own. Hand held electrical planer looks like the best tool to shape it with.

A stationary belt sander works quite well also ! It comes down to getting a close fit but not going undersize ! Because then you have a piece of junk

 

[GeneD14]

I my old axe had a hickory handle that broke. I didn't have time to make one from scratch. So I went to the hardware store and they wanted as much for the handle as I could buy a whole new axe for. The same is true now for tools like shovels and rakes. You can get wooden handle ones on sale for $4.99 at Walmart & Menards.

 

[mikim]

I my old axe had a hickory handle that broke. I didn't have time to make one from scratch. So I went to the hardware store and they wanted as much for the handle as I could buy a whole new axe for. The same is true now for tools like shovels and rakes. You can get wooden handle ones on sale for $4.99 at Walmart & Menards.

yeah but sometimes you just have to get a new handle and keep the head ... I have a 16 lb sledge with a tapered end on one end that my Dad's grandfather used to quarry rock for the foundation of the barn @1880...... No telling how many handles it's had - I replaced it when Dad gave it to me and he had changed it a coupla times.... just can't seem to justify throwing that one away for a $5 one bought somewhere.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

First, Maple probably won't last very long, but it will look pretty nice while it lasts. Second, sledge handles need to be split, not sawn, and preferably from green wood, otherwise they break easily, third, use a drawknife to shape it. If it's split wood , the drawknife will yeild a pleasing shape easily.

Cliff

 

[czechsonofagun]

Yeah, I figured it will last some time - tried it with wood granade and it works to my satisfaction - not bad for hour of work.

Anyway - I would agree with everything but the green wood. Never heard of using green wood for a handle - always used seasoned wood with no or only very small nots and making sure the 'lines' are all the way along the handle - thats what you call split wood, i believe.