# Home made over strike protection....



## xjnuttier (Feb 3, 2009)

hey guys, I wanted to share a little bit of info with you all.  myself, like many of you, are guilty of overstriking when slitting every once in a while, and some times, it is an expensive mistake. I made a great over strike protector for the handle of my fiberglass mauls. I have an 8 LB and a 4.5 LB. You go to the local hardware store and go into the plumbing section, and get an 1 1/4 fernco, or what best fits your handle,  which is basically a rubber joint for plumbing, with indented areas at each end that have hose clamps for tightening down. I went one step further, and seen that even when they are tightened down, they tend to slide down the handle due to the taper. I have found a solution to that issue as well. You need to go to the section of the store that they sell adhesives in, and get "automotive goop", it is like a silicone based super glue. You slide the fernco on the handle from of course the bottom end, it may be tight but you want that. when you get it under the maul head, you can tighten up the top, closest to the the head hose clamp, and I mean a lil just to stop it from sliding. with the maul sitting on the floor apply automotive goop to the bottom of the fernco, the end w/o the hose clamp on at this point, and squeeze the goop in between  the fernco and handle, and get a popcicle stick or something of the sort to push the goop in, get as much in as possible. HINT: if you wet the popcicle stick with you spit, the goop will not stick, not water, spit. let the maul set up for a little bit once you think it is filled. go back in about a half  hour, and the goop should have settled in a il bit more, apply a nice bead around the base of the fernco, and wipe smooth with your finger, again with spit applied to finger, to stop from sticking. I used to be a contractor for a living trust me this is pro advice on the spit deal..lOL water does not work the same LOL good luck hope this helps keep your tools in better order for longer. I have also been toying with the idea of doubling up the ferncos, like wearing a double layer of overstrike protection..LOL, Less than 5 bucks to protect your 40 dollar investment..


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## LLigetfa (Feb 3, 2009)

Over the years I've done all sorts of things to protect the handle near the head.  Tin can lids, galvanized sheet metal, wire wrap, pipe strapping, etc.

I don't know how well rubber would protect and I wouldn't care for gear clamps to be sticking out but hey, if it works for you then great.


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## xjnuttier (Feb 3, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> Over the years I've done all sorts of things to protect the handle near the head.  Tin can lids, galvanized sheet metal, wire wrap, pipe strapping, etc.
> 
> I don't know how well rubber would protect and I wouldn't care for gear clamps to be sticking out but hey, if it works for you then great.



LOL they actually help keep the handle tight if you would and they dont get in the way at all they are supposed to be towards the back of the maul... it works trust me, I have overstruck both of them since install and they kinda bounce off.. I just enhanced what the factory already had there if you would.. hey if you want try it, and if you dont  that is cool too, I am just sharing something i think works very well for a common problem.. I am happy with the set up, take it for what you will, LOL, it is my contribution and it is free....I only ddi one at first and after i seen how well it worked i did the second one...


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## savageactor7 (Feb 3, 2009)

I tried a lot of different fixs that never worked either. A fella on a tractor forum I belong to recommended a 6" length piece of that black pvc pipe cut down its length. Haven't tried it yet but I will soon as I buy another couple of handles from TSC.


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## Risser09 (Feb 3, 2009)

cool topic, I may have to try that. I've tried so many things that result in falling off, or breaking away.

It's phenomenal that nobody sells some sort of adjustable strike plate.


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## xjnuttier (Feb 3, 2009)

savageactor7 said:
			
		

> I tried a lot of different fixs that never worked either. A fella on a tractor forum I belong to recommended a 6" length piece of that black pvc pipe cut down its length. Haven't tried it yet but I will soon as I buy another couple of handles from TSC.



I would have to assume PVC will shatter on impact, excuse me for not understanding, but isn"t PVC the plastic pipe for plumbing you are talking about? Has any one ever welded a piece to the head, say a piece of angle running down the handle a few inches? I don't even know if you could weld to the head or if would screw up the temper, that was another thing that ran through my mind, and have a couple rubber spacers between for recoil action...


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## savageactor7 (Feb 3, 2009)

^yep that's what he said black plastic water pipe. My 1" coiled pvc seems pretty malleable to not crack...but it's not big enough to do the job.


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## fossil (Feb 3, 2009)

I just use Fiskars tools the way they come from the factory.  The handles are pretty much indestructible in normal use.  They shrug off the occasional overstrike.  Rick


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## LLigetfa (Feb 3, 2009)

savageactor7 said:
			
		

> ^yep that's what he said black plastic water pipe. My 1" coiled pvc seems pretty malleable to not crack...but it's not big enough to do the job.


Rigid black pipe is ABS, Coiled black pipe is polyethylene, not PVC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pvc


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## xjnuttier (Feb 3, 2009)

glad to see that my idea helped..


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## LLigetfa (Feb 4, 2009)

Pre-Formed Band Clamps would be nicer than gear clamps but they need a $200 tool to pull them really tight.


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## Jamess67 (Feb 4, 2009)

I just wrapped my handle with 9 rolls of electrical tape... believe me dont you???? :lol:


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## fyrwoodguy (Feb 4, 2009)

i just pay attention to what i'm doin' and everything works good.........lotsa broken handles during the learning curve though.


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## savageactor7 (Feb 4, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> savageactor7 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



OK Now I know thanks LLigetfa. ..then I'm trying out the ABS black hose fix cause of the flex factor. Do you think it will work?


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## LLigetfa (Feb 4, 2009)

ABS is brittle.  PE is more durable.


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## savageactor7 (Feb 4, 2009)

PE... never heard of it.

ahhhhhh forget it I'm so used to replacing the handles anyway...it's become an annual right of passage.


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## mayhem (Feb 4, 2009)

The only tool I have that might actualyl suffer from a broken handle is my sledgehammer.  The maul and axe only hit wood, so I'm not too sure where an overstrike might come into play...any wood thats big enough to really swing at with some muscle behind it is big enough that its virtually impossible to miss it...anything small enough that a miss is a legitimate possibility is either already small enough to stuff into the stove or I'm making kindling and I'm not swinging over the shoulder...any misses there are so low impact as to be negligible.   

My solution for handle wear and tear problems is I buy craftsman fiberglass handeled tools.  If I ever manage to snap a handle I'll take it to Sears and get a new one for free.  The Fiskars solution is also good...same basic concept...buy indestructable tools and don't worry about them breaking.


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## LLigetfa (Feb 4, 2009)

Most of my axes met their fate at the hands of friends taking a whack at splitting.  That said however, sometimes the log simply doesn't split straight, leaving a jag of wood directly beneath the handle and while it has never broken a handle for me, it has slivered off a bit of wood.

The Gransfors splitting axe comes with a protector.


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## xjnuttier (Feb 5, 2009)

mayhem said:
			
		

> The only tool I have that might actualyl suffer from a broken handle is my sledgehammer.  The maul and axe only hit wood, so I'm not too sure where an overstrike might come into play...any wood thats big enough to really swing at with some muscle behind it is big enough that its virtually impossible to miss it...anything small enough that a miss is a legitimate possibility is either already small enough to stuff into the stove or I'm making kindling and I'm not swinging over the shoulder...any misses there are so low impact as to be negligible.
> 
> My solution for handle wear and tear problems is I buy craftsman fiberglass handeled tools.  If I ever manage to snap a handle I'll take it to Sears and get a new one for free.  The Fiskars solution is also good...same basic concept...buy indestructable tools and don't worry about them breaking.



LOL maybe in the perfect world you dont have an over stike, but I have had an old log split, on the other half of the round and allow the overstrike to happen... I buy decent quality tools, and LOL, I had not considered the crafts man thing. I also wanted to update used both mauls yesterday, for the whole day, had a few misses and such,a nd the sleeves are holding up well...


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## TreePapa (Feb 7, 2009)

My super splitter maul has a fiberglass handle and I certainly have had my share of overstrickes, but it does not seem to damage the FG handle in any way. Now the hardwood ax handle and the HW sledge hammer handle, OTOH ... I used to use duct tape, but the wood shattered anyway. I paid about $6.00 each for the store-bought handle protectors. I put the one on the ax - kind of a pain to get it on (used white litium grease to lubricate) but eventually it went on okay and I got used to it being there. The sledge hammer, though .... I took the duct tape off and the top of the handle looked like a bunch of toothpicks sticking out of a branch. I saved the head but haven't gotten a new handle yet. It's only a 6 # sledge, so when my back is better (whenever the bleep that is), I'll prolly get me an 8 # sledge w/ a FG handle.

When I replace the handle on the 6 #, I'll put the handle protector on before I put the head on the handle. Should be a little easier.

Peace.
- Sequoia


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