Hammer Restoration

[Philip Davies]

Hope you have many happy, productive hours with your hammer.
I winced to see you holding the handle with your hand while sawing, though.
While it’s not unusual for me to remove stock with a saw, you must bear in mind that most hammers (claws usually excepted), have tapered eyes, so the stub also needs to be tapered. You want a snug, but not an over-tight, fit. You can remove material using a spokeshave, or half round rasp, or a flap disc. I always mark the hammer and the handle when trying the fit, so they fit they same way for the next trial. Lampblack in the socket shows high spots. The first wedge is inserted in a saw cut oriented in the swing direction. You need wood that’s not too soft and not too hard. I like to use walnut. But why did you use a nail? If your handle breaks, the nail will make it difficult to punch out the remainder. No, you want a proper steel wedge, 2 for that size. You can flatten mild steel cold, but it’s better to use commercial ones.
If the fit is too tight, the wood may crumb when you try to insert the handle. This has happened to me more than once!