Posted by Larry Hoover on June 2, 2006, at 15:20:19
In reply to Re: Handleless Hammerheads, posted by Tabitha on June 2, 2006, at 11:39:10
> I have a pick axe with a handle that come loose and won't stay attached. It was just such a nice handle, stamped "Hickory" and all, I couldn't bear to toss it out. And that pick axe, it's cast iron or something, gotta save that. So they sit there, two sturdy solid chunks of stuff with no real purpose.
All they need is a little proper care, and they can work again.
The wood has dried out, shrinking it in all three dimensions, but particularly laterally. It shrinks into a smaller cylinder.
The wood needs to swell again, but you have to do that while the handle is in the proper position. And you position the handle within the head with wedges. Maybe you also lost a wedge? The look like great big teeth, made to split the wood between the grain, but bite back sideways so they can't pull back out with the momentum of the swing.
To swell the wood, water will do, in a pinch. Set the thing up (wedge the handle in position), and stand it in a puddle or a pond. Just the head part, submerged. But better would be glycol, like as in car antifreeze. But get the kind that is for RV winterizing. Keep it away from animals. They may drink it, and die. Or, get some PEG from Home Depot.
Soak for a week, and the glycol will set the head nice and tight. It won't dry out again.
After it's soaked, get a dab of motor oil on a rag, and go over all the metal parts until they change colour. Wipe down.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:651870
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060527/msgs/651992.html