To fit a new handle, shape a straight-grained hardwood blank about 20% larger than the final size into an oval, fit its top so it needs force to seat, drive the head on by striking the other end of the handle on a hard surface, then lock it with a wedge across the eye. A tight, wedged fit is what stops the head flying off: a handle that is too loose is dangerous and one that is too tight splits.
Part of Tool Identification & Repair
Axes, hammers, shovels, rakes, picks and mattocks all use one principle, a wooden handle wedged into a metal eye, so one skill replaces the handle on all of them.
A Wedged Handle Holds Because The Wood Is Forced To Fill The Eye
The head stays on because the top of the handle has been expanded by a wedge until it grips the walls of the eye. If the wood is crooked-grained it will split, if it is too small the wedge cannot take up the gap, and if the head sits on a wobbling fit it works loose and can leave the handle at speed.
What You Need
- Straight-grained hardwood. Ash and hickory are ideal; oak, maple and beech work well. Avoid softwoods (pine, cedar, fir) for striking tools, because they absorb shock poorly and split (parent article).
- A knife, drawknife or rasp, and a saw for the slot.
- Wedges of hardwood, or metal wedges.
- Dry, seasoned wood. Green wood shrinks as it dries and loosens the head.
- A drill or chisel to remove a broken old handle stump.
- Eye protection and gloves.
Method: Remove, Shape, Fit, Seat, Wedge
Step 1: Clear the eye. Drive out or drill out the old handle stump. Do not burn it out in a fire: heating the head can ruin its temper.
Step 2: Make the blank. Split or saw a blank about 20% larger than the final handle in all dimensions (parent article). Choose a piece whose grain runs straight along its length with no knots near the head end.
Step 3: Shape. Shave with a knife, drawknife or rasp. Make the cross-section oval, not round, because an oval resists turning in the hand.
Step 4: Fit the top to the eye. Shave the top end until it will just enter the eye and need force to seat. Too loose is dangerous; too tight splits the handle.
Step 5: Cut the slot. Saw a slot down the centre of the top, along the long axis of the eye, to take the wedge.
Step 6: Seat the head. Start the handle into the eye by tapping the head on. Then invert the tool and strike the bottom of the handle on a hard surface, so the head’s inertia drives it down the handle (parent article). Check that the head is square to the handle.
Step 7: Drive the wedge. Drive a wooden or metal wedge into the slot until the top of the handle expands and locks the head. For critical tools, drive a second wedge perpendicular to the first.
Step 8: Trim and finish. Saw the handle top flush, leaving a small amount proud of the eye, and smooth the handle. Oil it to protect it.
Worked Example
Suppose the eye of a hammer head measures 4.0 cm by 2.5 cm. A blank 20% larger in each dimension is 4.0 × 1.2 = 4.8 cm by 2.5 × 1.2 = 3.0 cm. You then shave the top of the blank down from 4.8 × 3.0 until it just enters the 4.0 × 2.5 eye with force. The 20% is the starting allowance, and the actual fit is made by trial against the eye. The eye dimensions are an example; measure your own head.
Emergency Handle
If you cannot make a proper handle, lash the head to a straight stick with wire or cord in a figure-eight around head and shaft, pulled tight. It is ugly but functional (parent article). Check the lashing every few minutes of use, and do not use it for hard striking.
Common Mistakes
- Using green wood. It shrinks and the head loosens.
- Using a softwood on a striking tool. It splits or crushes.
- Skipping the wedge. The fit will work loose.
- Round cross-section. The handle turns in your hand.
- Overfitting by hammering a too-large blank into the eye. It splits the handle or the wedge cannot seat.
Safety
A head that comes off in the swing is a projectile
A badly fitted head can fly off at speed. Test the fit before use by holding the handle, hanging the tool head down and trying to twist or shake the head, then giving it a few light taps against a block, with other people clear and your eyes protected. Re-check the wedge after the first hard use and again after the first day of work. Striking metal on metal throws fragments: wear eye protection when seating and wedging.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Rust Removal & Prevention — cleaning the head before you fit it
- Combine with: Handle & Grip Evaluation — knowing when a handle needs replacing