New Tool Handle From Scraps

I have a garden sickle that has a fantastic Japanese blade with a very soft wood handle. Then the handle broke while harvesting bananas. I had to do something quick. And better than the original. Since the wood handle was both too short and too slippery I needed a new way. Repair with left over copper pipe from a recent plumbing job? Hopefully I will be back to work tomorrow.

Copper parts: 3/4" x 4", 1/2" x 3', female thread 1/2 coupling, 1/2" to 3/4" adaptor and 3/4" cap.

Various tools: plumbing tools, something to take the broken handle apart, a drill with bits, dremel tool and some epoxy.

Since there are already 'ibles for soldering, I will skip those details.

Solder on the 3/4" cap to the 3/4" x 4" pipe and break apart the rest of the tool handle around the blade. Then dremel out a slit to receive the blade.

Small detail: the rivets took some lube spray and pulled apart (no threads).

Mark where the blade lines up in the new handle. Then take out the blade and line it up so it makes marking the holes easy. Use a pilot bit and drill 2 holes on one side (don't drill through). Then, use a nail or another drill bit to hold the blade in place while the pilot is drilled all the way through the other hole now. Once one hole has been drilled all the way through, use the drill bit (same diameter as rivet) to widen the holes, install the one rivet, then drill out the other hole and after re-drilling with a larger bit, install the other rivet.

This is probably the hardest part. To make the holes straight so everything fits right takes a lot of attention as the holes in the blade tang aren't on center.

Now that the blade is in the handle, time to make is stable. Put some plumbers putty or beeswax around the rivets and where the blade meets the copper. Put the assembly so the epoxy can go inside and not fall out. Vertical is a pretty good way. I used a vise but even piling gravel will work. Then fill with epoxy and wait for it to dry.

Easy, put the handle on now. Also solder on the 1/2" female thread coupling on the handle end (sorry no pic). You can see, I like to solder upside down so I can see the flux draw up the solder.

Back to work tomorrow! The other image is one for a sickle I broke a wile back. I turned it into a harvester. Not sure if it would work good or if it was safe so no 'ible for that one, but I think you can figure it out now.