Tools
You should have, and know how to use, the tools listed here for rehafting.
Some people find it worthwhile making up special wooden jigs to hold particular tools in the vice, although others prefer to hold the tool directly in the vice. If doing the latter, then use timber padding or plastic inserts to prevent damage to the haft.
Some examples of jigs are shown on this page.
Hafts and handles
Hafts can either be ash, which is the traditional English wood, or hickory, which is an American import. Hickory is stronger and less elastic than ash, but it is also more expensive. Heavy striking tools such as mells, sledge-hammers and axes should always be rehafted with hickory. Hickory is also recommended for slashers. Picks, mattocks and claw hammers, which have to withstand striking and levering actions, should also have hickory hafts. Ash is best used only on light hammers or those with short hafts such as lump hammers, and on spades, shovels, forks, rakes and hoes.
Choose handles that are knot-free, and without bruises or splits. Bare wood, which will absorb linseed oil, is better than varnished wood. If buying hafts with pre-sawn wedge slots, check that these are centrally cut.
The size of the sockets in otherwise similar tool heads can vary considerably. If you need to buy a handle for a specific tool, take the broken tool or its head with you. If you are stocking a large workshop against future needs, order a range of sizes, unless you know all your tool stock has heads of the same weight and size.
In matching a head to a haft, choose a haft that is slightly oversize in thickness (you are unlikely to find one that is an exact fit!). Considerably oversized hafts can be used, but shaving them down to fit requires a lot more work.
Cutting wedges
Cutting a wedge is not easy, and is best done with a tenon saw. Use hardwood, such as oak, aligned so that the grain runs the same way as the haft. The sides of the wedge should be flat, with no bumps or hollows. The wedge should have the same length and depth as the length and depth of the slot in the haft. The width at the fat end depends on the degree of taper of the tool socket. You will almost certainly need to make the wedge thicker than you think. As a rough guide try 5mm for mells, 10mm for sledgehammers and 15mm for axes. The thin end should be the same width as the slot, or very slightly fatter.
