Tom Bierly

I finished the one side and decided to leave the other side alone (for now?). Here's a link to the pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bierlyeurope/sets/72157627616330372/with/6123692521

SInce I mentioned why I wanted to take the handle off, I thought I'd give an update on my project. I used my bench top belt sander (can't think of the proper name for these things right now) to start shaping the head. It has an almost square cross-section, so ground off the corners, tapering it off as it went back towards the handle. Then I started putting the dome on the end. The head was 1 3/4" square and I'm using about a 2 1/2" radius, so it won't be a full half-sphere. After I finish the first end, I'll decide what radius I should use for the other side and start grinding that.

I had thought of the idea of drilling the hole and using a screw. After reading this I gave it a try. It didn't work. I ended up using the drill to remove a lot of the wedge and then a utility knife to cut and scrape the rest out. A scrape piece of wood and a little gentle persuasion later the handle came right out. Its in great shape. Nothing was scraped off when I took it out. I'm still trying to figure out what the functional difference is between a wood and a metal wedge.

Hi this is my first post here. I'm not into Blacksmithing (yet), but I do like to pound metal. Anyway, this past weekend I picked up a 3 1/2 pound sledge at a flea market for 50¢. After running it through my de-ruster, I decided to turn it into a sinking hammer. The handle is old and has a great feel to it, so I want to keep it if possible, but it would be so much easier to grind the new shape if I can take the handle off. I searched google on how to do this, and I found this forum. I thought I had the solution. But: 1) The handle has a wooden wedge. An answer wasn't given in this thread for one of those. I've never seen one before (that I noticed). What is the advantage of a wooden wedge over a metal wedge? 2)The handle isn't very long. If I cut it off and shorten it, I'll beat my knuckles to death when I use it. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.