- Remove the old haft. If the stump comes out in one piece use it as a visual guide to the shaping of the new haft.
- Check the socket of the tool head for dents, and also the edges of the rivet holes which are frequently bent inwards. These should be hammered out whilst supporting the tool socket from the inside with a solid round section bar held in a vice.
- Select a haft of the correct length by matching it with the old haft or with a new or correctly repaired tool of the same type. Ready-tapered spade and other hafts are often supplied too long, and a new taper will have to be made. If the length is suitable, check whether the taper fits the socket. The haft must be oversize at the ‘fat’ end of the socket, or an exact fit. Don’t try to save work by selecting a smaller haft that will fit loosely at this end of the socket, as it will soon snap.
- Clamp the haft in a vice, using a jig as necessary and carefully shave off excess wood. Rotate frequently and check for fit. The haft must penetrate to the far end of the socket. This can be checked by measuring the depth of the socket, marking this measurement on the haft and then making sure the haft penetrates as far as this mark.
- Hafts of spades and forks require special care, as the sockets are often tapered, and you must check that the D or T grip handle is parallel with the blade of the tool.
- When you are quite certain that the fit is correct, apply linseed oil to the part of the haft which is to be fitted into the socket. Don’t oil the whole haft yet, or it will be slippery and difficult to handle. Then proceed to riveting. Select a rivet of the right diameter for the pre-drilled holes in the socket. Checking the alignment of the blade to the handle, fit the head to the shaft and knock it home with a woodworking mallet.
Clamp the tool head in the vice, and drill accurately through the rivet holes into the haft, using a drill the same thickness as the rivet. Take great care to line up the drill with the holes; if in doubt drill halfway through, reverse the tool head and drill the rest of the way from the other side, so that the two holes meet in the centre of the shaft. This method also avoids splitting the wood at the exit point of the drill hole.
Some people prefer to scribe round the inside of the rivet holes with a pencil, and then remove the haft from the head before drilling. This is because the flutes of the drill otherwise tend to catch on the metal. In this case, apply linseed oil to the haft head after drilling.
- Fit the rivet. Cut off surplus with a hacksaw, leaving about 3mm protruding. If the rivet is not a tight fit in the tool head, leave rather more rivet protruding. Remove tool head from vice.
- Support the head of the rivet against an anvil or other solid metal block. Then using a ball pein hammer, form the end of the rivet by carefully hammering to mushroom it out. Take your time, as many gentle blows form a neater head than a few very forceful ones. Rough rivets make a tool uncomfortable to use.
Common errors are:
- Rivet is not tight. More hammering needed.
- Lopsided rivet head. To prevent this, work carefully all around the rivet head.
- Rivet head is too big. This is due to too much metal being left after the end of the rivet was cut off.
- Check the finished rivet for smoothness at both ends and file if necessary, but beware of filing into the metal of the tool head.
- Check the smoothness of the haft and use sandpaper if necessary to rub down. Mark or paint if desired. Treat with linseed oil and leave to dry.
