Getting a handle on it.....

[Hilt and Hammer Workshop]

  Attached to every hammer is a handle. Or at least that's how it's supposed to work.There are those instances when the two seperate and  become a projectile weapon,but we'll ignore that....  I am planning on doing some hammer modifications . I've read some good threads on here about modifying the hammer head portion itself, but I couldn't find a whole lot about handles specifically. If I'm missing some older trheads on this topic,please point them out to me,I'd appreciate it.

 

  Anyways,here's the deal. I bought two hammers recently (cross pien and sledge) that suit me quite nicely at the forge. Except that they have icky,yellow fiber glass handles (shudder) . I'd like to replace them with wood handles ,for the purpose of both ergonomics and asthetics.

 

  I'm familiar with the technique of replacing handles,but I was wondering if anyone here would like to share their own personal preference for hammer handles themselves, such as the following : what type of wood do you prefer?  What length of handle do you think is best and why? Should the hammer handle have a taper or remain the same thickness? There seems to be a huge variety,and  I'd like to do the best job I can with the project. I'd love to hear some opinions.

[matto]

best advice i can give is put on a wood handle and start playing with modifcations. if you find a copy of mark aspery's first book he talks about shaping your handles to fit your hand. use a rasp file and get the shape that is best fits your hand then start long and cut off till you find a length you like. remember with wood you can always take off but you can't put back on. the key is to forge with it while making mods so you can really feel how it is. remember you can always rehandle and make notes on what you did to get the handle you like so you can repeat it on other handles.

as far as woods, you can use any hard wood if you have to. but your best woods will be hard and have some flex in them. example hickory vs. ash both good hard wood but hickory is more flexable. any bow making wood will do. if you have availibility to different hardwoods great. there is just a little more work in geting to the wrough handle shape. $3 for a 14 to 16 inch replacement handle from your local hardware store is not bad till you find the handle shape you like.

[ThomasPowers]

Hickory and Osage Orange are my favorites.  The important detail is to use stock that has the grain running the full length of the handle.  

 

I usually buy seconds with cosmetic only issues; buy them whenever I can find them cheap and then store them for later use---I like to hang them from a fence staple tapped into the butt end so they hang vertically with air on all sides.  I also have a rack in the shelving made with two pieces of wire along the front and back to store them exposed to air on all sides.

 

After setting a new handle I like to stick them handle up in a shallow baking tray with a little boiled linseed oil in it to wick up the wood and cut down on humidity changes in the wood---been resetting and re-oiling a bunch of handled tools lately---thumping the handle on a stump.  Setting the wedges tight---rasping off anything that now sticks out of the top of the head and then resoaking them---my tray will handle a dozen hammers at a time!  After I see oil wick up from the top of the hammer head to the "underside" I wipe them down with a rag---keeps the head from rusting and also the handle if it needs it.

 

WARNING linseed oiled rags *CAN* *SELF IGNITE*---I "store" the used ones in my coal forge's firepot---if they burn, so what?

[Charles McDonald]

I generally make all my handles from Hickory, but sometimes I use Ash. I make sure to always use the Hickory for my hammer handles though...
I make all my handles "Matchstick" style with flat sides, but I taper them like a wedge that way the thicker end gets sucked into my hand allowing for a nice grip always ( sort of like the handles on Hofi-style hammers ). Id say generally all my hammers have about a 10" handle. For me this length works nicely when working along side the anvil; on a down swing it prevents the butt end of the handle hitting the anvil surface. The nice thing about this style handle also is that it takes a lot less work to make as opposed to an oval handle. I just buy nice chunks of hickory at the wood store and rip them on the table saw, then I taper them close with the bandsaw and rasp to fit. 

[Francis Trez Cole]

well I am the odd man out I prefer the fiberglass. For me there are many reasons I have posted many points on the subject. But most of all I like a handle that is 16" long and wood handles on the market are only rated for a 4# hammer at the most. I use a 5# hammer. one of the other points here in Florida the weather is not kind to wood. Then you used the word ergonomics wood dose not make a good ergonomic correct hammer handle. As with Blacksmiths of old as new innovations came forward they used them like the power hammer, drill press and welder. Skill and holding a hammer the right way is the best protection for the body.

[Hilt and Hammer Workshop]

 Thanks for the great replies everyone. I ended up experimenting with the handles this last weekend. i used straight grained oak,because that's what I had. It doesn't sound like it's the best type of wood for handles,but we'll see how it holds up and performs. I did a 10 inch handle on a little 2lb hammer,and a 12 inch on my 3.3 lb crosspeen, both with an oval shape,abrubtly tapering to the head. I forged out a cleaver using both of them,and the lengths seem to work out just fine. I imagine the longer handles work well with heavier hammers ,since more momentum can be created by holding the handle farther back.

[ThomasPowers]

White oak or red oak or english oak or swamp oak or...?     Some are better than others especially if they are air dried and not kiln dried.

[Hilt and Hammer Workshop]

 The wood was recyled ,so I can't be possitive,but I'm fairly certain what I was working with was air-dried Red oak.

[Nobody Special]

I've had good luck on all sorts of too with southern red oak. It takes a lot of abuse once it's dryed and hardened. I use it a lot because it's easy to get. Even the stock of that crossbow in my icon was made from a chunk of red oak firewood that had some time to season.

 

One really good hardwood I've found for handles is pecan. It's very closely related to hickory. Very hard to split, cut, and shape, but once it's done it's one of the tougher woods I know short of something like locust or mesquite. (Don't make ANYTHING from mesquite by the way, unless you can afford the extra money for the sawblades and time re-sharpening your tools. The crookedness of the grain and hardness of the wood make it nasty to work with.)

[Hilt and Hammer Workshop]

 Glad to see an affirmative post about my handle choice,so far it seems to be working very nicely. I've never even thought of pecan wood... is it difficult to find? It sounds a bit more exotic .

 

  My experience with mesquite doesn't corelate with yours. I have an exceedingly old piece of mesquite that I've been using for handles for a while now. Or perhaps it's not? It is hard,but seems to shape just fine ,with no ill effect on my tools. The grain pattern does get a bit crazy in places,but it's rather straight in general. Keep in mind this was taken from a very sizeable tree. Perhaps there are different varieties of mesquite?