GB splitting maul help

[Hinerman]

My first time to start a thread. I got a GB splitting maul for Christmas Last time I finished splitting I noticed the metal and wooden wedge in the top of the axe handle were coming out from the eye. My question is, what do I need to do to get the wedge back into the handle/eye? Do I just hammer it back in? Do I need to soak it first? I know this is elementary but what is the best way? Thanks

 

[nathon918]

well first make sure the head is on the handle good, you can hold the handle with the head near the ground and hit the butt of the handle with a hammer and it will pull the head onto the handle, (be carefull not to split the handle where you hit it with the hammer) then pound the wood wedge in as far as it will go with a hammer, use a punch too if it keeps going in, then do the dame with the metal one...

 

[Hinerman]

well first make sure the head is on the handle good, you can hold the handle with the head near the ground and hit the butt of the handle with a hammer and it will pull the head onto the handle, (be carefull not to split the handle where you hit it with the hammer) then pound the wood wedge in as far as it will go with a hammer, use a punch too if it keeps going in, then do the dame with the metal one...

Thanks, went right back in. Pretty simple actually. I just wanted to make sure before I started hammering away. Have a good day.

 

[CTYank]

Then, after it's snugly pinned, set the head on some wet paper towels (so they are in contact with the handle & wedge) for a couple of days.

Let the surface dry some for a few days, and then apply some oil finish, varnish, whatever to seal the moisture in.

 

[woodchuck357]

Soaking shuld be used only as a last resort to get an emergency use,

the fibers will swell, holding the handle tight, but in the process cells are crushed and will be permanently smaller when the handle dries.
If the handle is dry and mounted properly steel wedges only need to be added to correct shrink caused by moisture getting in the handle later.

I fit a handle to the head, remove it, then coat all meeting(mating?) surfaces with slow cure epoxy before final mounting and wedging. The glue is more to keep wet out than holding the head and handle together.

I do keep a few metal wedges for tightening handles that loosen, I would add another steel one to your maul or pull the wooden one and replace it with a thicker one made of hard dry wood.