I picked up a ball-peen hammer head out of a "leftovers" bin at the local swap-shop, and figured while I was at it, I'd rehandle a couple others I already had. The hardware store had a selection of hickory handle and wedge kits for just a few bucks.

I've rehandled hammers before, but not always with results I liked. This time I'm going to use some epoxy, in addition to the usual wood and steel wedge.

Any reason I shouldn't do it this way?

Doc.

epoxy is ok I guess, but the handle should be at least a 1/16 to big to go in the eye, and should be started in the eye and then hit on the other end with another hammer while being held in your hand till the handle sounds solid, when you compress the wood it hold well. drive the wood wedge in the slot in the handle, cut off the excess and drive in the steel wedge at a 45 degree angle to the wood wedge in the center.

If the handle slips in the eye it is too small, and will never stay tight.

A word or three should be mentioned regarding the choice of the handle as well.

A quality handle will have tight grain that runs in the direction of the strike, especially important for long handled tools eg. shovels, axes, sledges.

It seems that the "manufacturers" of wooden handles have strayed from quality for a while...

Take a look at the handles that you find in the store and you'll see what I mean.

Henry

On hammer handles I do drive them in. But I trim the wood wedge so it will go through the eye,and start it in the grove before I install handle,sometimes I wasn't able to get it in after installation.Wedge it and set in water for a while.J

I trim handle slightly oversize and drive on like irnsrgn says but then I drive it back out and epoxy it with a good 2 part epoxy then drive it back in , wedge and let cure / havent had one that ive done come loose yet.
the epoxy takes up any minute voids that may be between the wood and the shape of the hole in the hammer head

I set all three last night, looks like they'll work fine.

On a couple, I deburred some forging flash from the hole, and made sure all of them were well degreased and clean of old handle remnants. Then I trimmed the handles to fit- more or less- and smeared them liberally with that friend of do-it-yourselfers everywhere, JB Weld.

I also smeared some inside the hole, set the head on and rapped the handle on the floor until it was seated. Then tapped the wedges in, and spent a few minutes cleaning off the excess epoxy.

This morning, I trimmed off the excess wood and filed it more or less smooth. They seem tight and strong, I think they'll work great.

Doc.

I mostly do as 'yall - as the handle goes on I trim it just enough to keep it from splintering - real tight. Then put wedges in. And I once read a book that said to soak the head in linseed oil. So I asked an old time blacksmith in the area 'bout that. He said to soak the whole handle & head for a few days in ls oil. Only been a few months so recon I'll find out one day

ksb

I'll tell what works quite well for me - plain old household GOOP. Fit the handle as best you can, then coat the wood and head with the glue. Drive the two together, fit the wedge and wipe off the excess. Try it once - I think you'll like the result.

On hammer handles I do drive them in. But I trim the wood wedge so it will go through the eye,and start it in the grove before I install handle,sometimes I wasn't able to get it in after installation.Wedge it and set in water for a while.J

NEVER set in water! The water will swell the wood crushing it against the hammer head and then it will be loose. Glue is for folks too lazt to do it right in my opinion. But linseed oil on the other hand is great. Scrape the handle to the smoothness you like and let the whole thing take a bath in linseed oil for a while(a day or so) and after using for a week or so the handle will feel very very nice. AS well as being tight in the hammer head.

A question for those of you who glue
What do you do if (when) the handle need to be replaced?

Same thing you do when you have to replace it on something that has a fiberglass handle: Saw off the handle or stub, drill two holes through the remnant in the head, pop the rest out with a drift.

In my case with these off-the-shelf handles, the part formed to go in the eye was too narrow to "fill" it. The upper portion would expand with the wedges, yes, but the lower portion really only had a good "grip" fore and aft. I think that's why my previous tries didn't work so well- that extra space gave the wood room to move and loosen.

They're now well-wedged, and any gap is completely filled with epoxy. Unless I overlooked something- which is why I asked in the first place- these should last a very long time.

Doc.

Like so many others, I only know how to do it the way I was taught. And frankly, it has always worked for me regardless of the implement.
Grandad taught me to put the handle in the oven overnight at a low heat like, warm or 250. Like when you waterproof your boots. Then when it is still warm shape or finish shaping the handle to a tight fit. Pound it down to a firm fit, wood wedge, steel wedge (nicked to a barb to prevent squeezing out) the soak two days in oil. Linseed was prefered but 30 weight works. (not XW-30) Shape the grip and off you go. Your hammer should have the face dressed periodically and so at tune up time, reoil the grip and head and your hammer will last a long time.

I deviate a bit from Grandads method and use hot ............. well that's another story.

I will attest to Junior's hammer handle installing skills (and hammer building skills for that matter). I have 6 of his hammers and havent replaced a handle yet. A couple have come loose a but my handle oil concoction (boiled linseed thinned with some turp) eventally tightened them up again. I have tried for years to have a maint program for this but never remember to do it till they get loose. This said, I haven't replaced a hammer handle ( on any of my hammers) in several years. I ain't no seamstress either. tools made to be used should be used. The glue gig sounds like a winner. If and when I replace one, I may just try it. Might be on an axe though. BTW, I use glass to trim handles to fit ( like my Dad did ). Just plain old busted pieces of window glass. Keep a sharp cutter and cut the glass as you need it. Works good on many wood projects for a scraper.

Drill out the center and knock out the slivers with a chisel. It's not hard to get the glued pieces out once the middle is gone.

I have a 3 lb hammer I "goop'd" about ten years ago. It loosened once a few years later and I redid it - has not loosened again.

I have also used two part epoxy to tighten loose handles. This has worked well for me.

After having gone through several replacement handles bout of the rack, I started by a shovel or sledge hammer handle. I have had good success since then. Recently I have been using some Ash that Picked up from my Dad but it is twisted a bit and is difficult to get a useable handle from it. I believe I'll use the rest for handled tools, should be good enough for them. Point of this is, that I am able to make the handle fit the eye very well. While I am at it I tune (experiment ) the handle as I want it. Have learned some about handles that way. It sure takes longer and the first few times I went that route was a train wreck. Belt sanders sure make life easier these days. That and I now have a pretty good draw knife.