I am looking for tips on how to protect the wood handles on splitting axes. I seem to make plenty of mis-hits that result in the handle smashing into the round and taking a few splinters off the handle. Sometimes even with a good hit the wood splits unevenly and the handle catches one side or the other on the way through. I generally aim for the far side of the round and try to follow through more or less straight down. The next handle i buy will be fiberglass, but i would like the ones i have now to last as long as possible.
Looking for tips to protect wood handles on splitting ax
- Thread starter ramonbow
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Hard rubber handle protectors are commonly available. Just a tube-shaped thing that slides up the handle to just beneath the head. Pretty much anywhere axes/mauls are sold. Some folks have fashioned their own, in fact there was a recent thread about that here. I'll do a search or two and see if I can find it. Rick
Or buy an axe with an essentially unbreakable handle that needs no protection. But...to protect the wooden handles on axes/mauls you don't want to replace, I can't think of a simpler way than to find the hard rubber deals. Rick
This is the kind of thing I'm talking about:
(broken link removed to http://www.awesometools.com/handlesaver.asp)
This is the kind of thing I'm talking about:
(broken link removed to http://www.awesometools.com/handlesaver.asp)
-take an old apple juice tin or big soup can and cut it to fit around like a sheath and duct tape the hell outta it.
atvdave said:
Didn't work for my handles. The sledge hammer handle was beat to splinters at the top and the ax handle was starting to show problems. I bought the rubber handle savers through ace hardware
((broken link removed to http://www.acehardware.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=handle) saver&origkw=handle saver&sr=1)
'cuz they ship to the local store. The thing cost $5.00 + tax. I've had the one on the ax for some months, works like a charm.
I can't find my sledge hammer head, so I haven't replaced the handle so I don't know how that works but I s'pect about the same as the ax handle saver. Even so, I'll be buying a FG handled sledge hammer soon. But I'll hold on to the handle saver in case I find a wood handled sledge or maul at a yard sale.
Peace,
- Sequoia
Just have an extra on hand, when you see it needs replaced, put the new one on.
And without sounding too harsh, practice you aim.
Growing up, when I got tired of splitting and my dad said I had another cord to chop, a couple of mis hits and no more chopping until he bought a new handle. Then he started to keep the spare. He told me 20 years later, he knew I was doing it on purpose.
And without sounding too harsh, practice you aim.
Growing up, when I got tired of splitting and my dad said I had another cord to chop, a couple of mis hits and no more chopping until he bought a new handle. Then he started to keep the spare. He told me 20 years later, he knew I was doing it on purpose.
Hang it in the garage and use the splitter 
I have a chopper 1 with the little levers. Its 25 years old and still going with a composite handle of some sort...
I have a chopper 1 with the little levers. Its 25 years old and still going with a composite handle of some sort...Something my dad did to a nice 8 lb splitting maul was wrap it with electric fence wire from the bottom of the maul head out about 5 inches. Real tight. Then wrap it with the sh*t load of duct tape. I inherited the maul after dad passed away and have use it on about 25 cords over the last six years and it is still running strong. I retape the duct tape occassionally. I don't know what I would do if I lost that maul. Get a splitter, maybe
Bahahahaha Tony
Bahahahaha TonyGive it up and buy a plastic "unbreakable" one. You can still break it but it'll last longer than 10 wooden handles.
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