Probably not my best idea ever!!!

[rtrsam]

At work I've created a set of "drifts" for removing tool handles. Instead of drilling them out, I've got a chunk of steel about 6-8 inches long, ground to a size and shape just a little smaller than the handle eye (one drift for d-b axes and pulaskis, a drift for sledge hammers, a drift for s-b axes). I've also got a stand set up atop a big old chunk of wood with a steel cradle to hold the tool head (with a broken off or sawed-off handle) that has a space underneath the handle-eye part of it. Set the tool head in the cradle, put the drift over the eye and bang away with a 4 lb hand sledge. Knock the handle out in a few good swings, no drilling, no mess, no fuss. You can even recover the steel wedges from the old handle if you want.

Never tried this on an epoxied head, I think drilling might be the ticket there. Also make sure the handle's not "pinned."

 

[ngzcaz]

Well, there's no question regardless what it was, is now hard and brittle. If the color was yellowish/orange/ dull red it could have been approaching 800 to 1000 degrees. Yes you can retemper but is a 20 dollar maul worth it ? Wood might be ok but forget about hitting a wedge with it...

Still having a chunk of steel in my arm from an encounter with a maul and a wedge, I'd opt for a new one and put that one in my trophy room along with the pictures...........


Do what I did. After you get a new one and break that handle, get a piece of heavy pipe and weld it on your maul head. Haven't broken/replaced it since ( 30 years ago ) Put the threaded part at the other end and put a collar on to keep it slipping from your hands. No cost if you find a piece of scrap pipe.

opcorn:

 

[turnkey4099]

Well, there's no question regardless what it was, is now hard and brittle. If the color was yellowish/orange/ dull red it could have been approaching 800 to 1000 degrees. Yes you can retemper but is a 20 dollar maul worth it ? Wood might be ok but forget about hitting a wedge with it...

Still having a chunk of steel in my arm from an encounter with a maul and a wedge, I'd opt for a new one and put that one in my trophy room along with the pictures...........


Do what I did. After you get a new one and break that handle, get a piece of heavy pipe and weld it on your maul head. Haven't broken/replaced it since ( 30 years ago ) Put the threaded part at the other end and put a collar on to keep it slipping from your hands. No cost if you find a piece of scrap pipe.

opcorn:

No thanks. I used one of those when I was a kid. Throws the balance way out of whack, has poor feel, no shock absorbing. Replacing a wood handle occasionally is no big deal and is not a major undertaking.

Harry K

 

[ngzcaz]

To each his own.. I find the extra weight benefical to driving the maul thru the wood. Dont really want shock absorbers on a maul, I want it to keep driving thru the piece of wood. Balance is off a mite but I quickly got used to it.

All that is now a moot point since I have a splitter. But I'll take a whack at one occasionally for old times sake.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[savageactor7]

LOL... aandabooks you must have been pretty desperate to get back making production to do that. I've always done what BaldSawRunner recommended. Drill and punch it.

I got a 30 y.o. 6 pounder that I have bashed k's of times with my sledge but it requires a wooden handle...I don't think I'd be putting that in any fire. People claim now when they bash on malls, wedges etc they mushroom out or spit shrapnel ...must be something with the heat treating they're not doing today.