Introduction: Make a Handle for an Antique Hammer
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About: Howdy, I am a bit of a tinker gnome. I like playing with hardware/technology along with making stuff I want out of old stuff I have or find. I should warn you that I am like Dog from "Up". There will be no…
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13 Comments
7 years ago
If you want a better fit of the head on the handle
Put the head on by hand then turn it upside down and hit the bottom of the handle with a wooden mallet. This forces the head on evenly It's not really that important with a hammer but with a axe or mall it makes a big difference. Have a great day!
8 years ago on Introduction
What a fun project. Pretty ambitious work cutting the handle out of a stump and then shaping it. It turned out looking great.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Thanks, It was a lot of fun to make as well. I am waiting for the spring storms to start around here to gather a "windfall" My hopes are to hand hew some 1"x planks and make a couple primitive stools for my kiddos.
8 years ago
Love doing this sort of thing with old hammer heads, hickory is hard to come by here but other woods are ok such as sycamore. Nice ible. Have a look for a proper old edge tool drawknife, way better than than modern thing you look to suffer with.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Yes I am definitely going to keep my eyes peeled. It is starting to be yard sale season around here and out in the country stuff like that comes about pretty often. The new Drawknife that I have can be made to be decent. But I will need to borrow a bead blast cabinet to get rid of the paint. Then properly temper the steel and sharpen. It is not bad steel just the poor finishing was covered up with red paint.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Oh I won an auction for a antique that appears to not have any chips so we shall see what I can do with a proper knife. If this fails then there is always the Mora knife I found on amazon.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
The new draw knife came into day and it only took a quick couple passes with a diamond stone for it to be razor sharp. SO MUCH BETTER.
Make sure you keep your tool sharp The cheap modern production one may wind up being turned into a Froe as it is Ok as a blade but it won't go razor sharp.
8 years ago on Introduction
I made several handles for an 8lb sledge that I found in the dirt. The first few I made out of pecan because I didn't have hickory, and I figured "pecan is in the hickory family, it ought to work." it was a mistake, way too brittle. after about 3 or 4 of those I went to the hardware store and bought a sledge handle, but I wanted a short handle, so I cut it down and shaped it to fit one hand.
I got to say, some times a little persuasion is all you need :P
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
That is awesome. A lot of my coworkers are giving me trouble saying things like Ya know they make these fiberglass handles now....
Yeah But I didnt have a block of fiberglass sitting next to my smoker. Oh and if you can find it get green wood as this well dried stuff was hard like concrete.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
From what I've read by Roy Underhill, you want the most dry seasoned wood you can get for ax handles, I'd assume it'd be the same for an hammer. green wood will shrink and loosen up on you.
Haha, one of my old camp coworkers borrowed my full handled sledge and broke the handle, he wen't out and bought a fiberglass handle to replace it. I told him to take it back to the store. It's a lot easier to rehandle with wood than it is fiberglass.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
I am sure you are correct. The block of Hickory was given to me about 2 years ago. It was twice that large but I have been whittling off some for Bar-B-Q. So yes really dry and hard.
I think my biggest problem was that my draw knife needed far more work on the edge then I thought. I have since picked up a better sharpening stone. It seems that the Lansky puck I was using is only a coarse and a medium. I have added a coarse/fine arkansas stone and a extra fine diamond hone. I went through and resharpened all the kitchen knives so I am ready to give the draw knife a go again. That and I saw a video on how to sharpen one. *crosses fingers*
8 years ago on Introduction
Love this! I wish I had an old hammer head to clean up and restore like that. It turned out so nice!
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Thanks, It is getting on yard sale season just find some old mantiques and get tinker on I am sure you can find a project. The funny thing is that looking on the bay the head is now worth $50 just by cleaning the rust off of it. LOL