My old Estwing rock hammer head came loose on a trip to the Badlands

Was trying to get a sample of the Chadron Formation shale last month and the head started wobbling bad after a few solid hits. I didn't have a proper wedge, so I used a flat piece of chert I found nearby to tap the wedge back in tight. It held for the rest of the trip, but I'm looking at getting a new handle. Anyone have a good method for a permanent fix on these?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_taylor25d ago

Harper_Burns59 has a point about things never being quite right again (my old hiking boots are proof of that). I once fixed a loose axe handle with epoxy and it just made a huge mess when it finally let go. Sometimes you just have to admit when a tool has given its all.

piper_garcia2325d ago

That chert wedge trick is actually pretty smart for a field fix. For a permanent handle replacement, soaking the old one in a bucket of water to swell the wood can sometimes get you more life out of it. If you're putting on a new handle, make sure you get the right size wedge and drive it in good and tight. A little boiled linseed oil on the new wood after helps keep it from drying out and shrinking again.

harper_burns5925d ago

Soak it in water? That seems like a band-aid fix that just sets you up for the same problem later. Honestly, once that handle starts to go, it's never really right again and you're just risking it coming loose at a bad time. Might be better to just retire it and get a whole new hammer.