New Stanley Sweetheart socket chisels - best way to fix handles?

[Gene Davis]

I want those little wood beauties stuck in there so things don't come apart. What to do?

[lowell holmes]

I used hairspray to fix that problem. It worked for me several years ago.

[Ray Bohn]

This has worked for me also. The best feature is that it is not permanent. I doesn't take much to solve the problem of seasonal wood shrinkage.

I used hairspray to fix that problem. It worked for me several years ago.

[Jim McGee]

You don't want the handle glued into the socket. You may run into a problem where removing the handle allows you get into a tight spot, Think butt chisel. Just don't hit the socket with anything that will bend the rim. I also vote for hair spray.

[Robert Hazelwood]

You can also probably improve the fit of the handle tenon into the socket. Rub a bit of oil inside the socket and rub all around with some pencil lead, then fit the tenon and remove. Scrape away where the oil/graphite marked the tenon, and repeat until there is a lot of contact. Its a good idea to index the handle and socket (by marking each) so they go together at the same orientation with each trial fit.

When the fit is really good it should take a bit of effort to remove the handle.

[John Kananis]

Like everyone said, hairspray - but, when you seat the handle, simply rap the handle on a hard surface while holding the chisel 'upside down' (between the handle and steel, keeping fingers away from the cutting edge). I watched someone trying to seat a handle with the steel of the chisel trapped in a vise - I cringed with every hammer-blow.

[Jim Koepke]

when you seat the handle, simply rap the handle on a hard surface while holding the chisel 'upside down' (between the handle and steel, keeping fingers away from the cutting edge).

Why not just use it on a piece of scrap and practice chopping out a dovetail or mortise?

jtk

[Gene Davis]

Been there and done that and still a little loose. No one uses hairspray here.

I'll try a little spray adhesive after seeing how the fit looks using graphite. I think part of the problem is that the part of the handles that fit into the sockets is laquered same as the handles.

[John Kananis]

Why not just use it on a piece of scrap and practice chopping out a dovetail or mortise?

jtk

Hi Jim, would work just fine; just prefer to have the handle seated in the steel before starting any work. Seems safer to me.

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Jim, would work just fine; just prefer to have the handle seated in the steel before starting any work. Seems safer to me.

Understand, mine usually get a press fit before anything else. Then the socket may be held and a few raps with a mallet to seat then a hard whack into some scrap.

Of course it only gets to the point of a press fit if the handle seats solid in the socket to my liking.

jtk