Handle refurb advice on an old Plumb hatchet.

Stewart D Underwood said:
https://imgur.com/gallery/pNNlDDI

picked up this little plumb hatchet today. Like a Boy Scout hatchet. How would you refurbish the handle and lock it in place? It’s a little loose at the moment.
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You’ve got plenty of room on the shoulder to set it down further and get a good hang out of it.
Pull the wedge and sand or file it down to seat the head a good bit further down on the shoulder. I like a 4-in-hand for this job. Form your wedge to fit the eye front to back and whack the knob with a soft mallet before driving that wedge home.
Perusing the “what did you rehang today” thread will give you a lot of information.

Don’t forget to post the results.

Cheers!
 
Stewart D Underwood said:
How?
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Stewart D Underwood said:
How?
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You don't need to reach forging temperature because you're not going to change the cross section of the eye wall. You just need to straighten it out a little. Recall that it warped cold. A Map gas or even propane torch will provide enough heat to easily pound the lump back in.

Start by tying a wet rag around the bit to protect its temper. You'll also need a large pir of Channellocks or Vise grips to hold it while it's hot. And you need a hammer about 3 pounds. Can you come up with a makeshift anvil? The steel edge of a loading dock will do in a pinch. Even a heavy hardwood round would do.

Heat one side at a time. Metal moves easiest where it's hottest so the side you heat will move while the opposite side resists. 2 minutes under the torch is plenty hot. The eye wall should hammer fairly easily. Once one side is done cool it and start heating the other side. The first side, now being cold, will resist while the second side gives under the hammer.

That bulge isn't very big and should go back easily. If you close it too far than the shank of a large cold chisel will make an acceptable drift to push the eye back open. Give it a try. What do you have to lose?
 
Square_peg gave good advice.

You can also do this cold. I've done it a few times. Just lay the head on some sort of anvil type surface and alternate hitting each side with a heavy hammer. It will be slow, but it will close that eye. Just remember to take it slow. You don't have to hit it with tons of power. Let the hammer do the work. Wear eye protection in case any steel would happen to become a flying object. Just FYI, there is the possibility that you crack something doing it this way, but I have yet to have that happen to me. Either option, hot or cold, can work.
 
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