It’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and the humidity has dropped in many climates. As a result, some customers have reported their lump hammers have gotten loose. Here’s how to tighten it up.
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Wedging your lump hammer’s handle is part of its regular maintenance, just like tightening the handles of your handplanes and saws when the humidity plunges. No matter how tightly we wedge the head at the factory, it will come loose at some point due to use and the weather.
We included a metal wedge with your lump hammer for this operation. If you misplaced it, the quickest solution is to buy one at a local hardware store. They are usually about 25 cents.
Re-wedging takes a few minutes and usually lasts several decades. Here’s how we do it.
Clamp the handle in a handscrew and place it on a solid surface – the floor or over the leg of a workbench is ideal. Orient the wedge so it is 90° to the wooden wedge. Tap it in with a good-sized hammer (16 oz. or so). Drive in the metal wedge until it will not go in farther. Remove the excess wedge material at the grinder or with a file. Clean up the top of the head with sandpaper. Add a little oil to the wood if you like.
You should now be set for a long time.
Source: lostartpress.com