Step-by-step: Changing a garden tool handle

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There are misadventures that the gardener would do well, and breaking a tool handle is certainly one. The most annoying thing when it happens to him is that he suspected it, sensed it. Instinctively, we all know the limits not to cross. However, in the heat of the moment, as if animated by a diabolical energy, the nice gardener transforms the space of a second into a beast of burden and, in less time than it takes to say it , break the handle! And do not think that this only happens to men cut like lumberjacks, not at all, even a wrist of the fair sex can be right.

Rest assured, this is nothing extraordinary and in no way reveals the character of the gardener. Most of the time, the cause is due to a weak handle, poor initial design, poor quality control or simply poor maintenance. Even the hardest of woods has its limits, and hoping to keep a spade handle all your life seems very illusory. Today, in garden centers, you will hardly find anything but ash or beech or even fiber handles. The latter are very resistant, much more than wooden handles. As a good defender of ecology, some will find something unhealthy in it, we cannot deny them. However, when one arrives at ten broken handles, one can wonder if it is not preferable to opt directly for a "durable" handle (in the literal sense). They are accused of a lack of sensation and of not absorbing sweat - which would cause blisters - this may be true for a professional gardener, but the amateur does not use it often enough to stop at these kinds of considerations. Note that if you feel the soul of a handyman, nothing beats the manufacture of a handle on its own. For that, it is enough to find in the surroundings a hazel or an acacia tree with straight branches. Other species such as chestnut and maple will do just as well. Let us not forget that the ancients used common sense by using only local wood. Difficulty : easy Cost : around 10 € Tools required : - pincers (nail pliers) - a screwdriver or an electric screwdriver - a fine hammer - 1 agglo flat head screw diameter 2 and length 20

Step 1: Inspect the handle before replacement

Curiosity often pays off. The end of the handle is sanded to highlight the grain of the wood, that is to say the direction in which the fibers of the wood go. We observe flames which correspond to a change in their direction.

Looking at another angle, we notice that the wire is straight, but turns outwards at the very place of the break, that is to say just before arriving in the socket of the iron. the spade. This shows that the machining around the sleeves does not respect the direction of the fiber, and causes brittleness of the wood at the very place where they are cut. This observation is only valid for what it is, an observation. We will therefore carefully choose the next wooden handle, checking that at this crucial place, subjected to the strongest forces, the wood grain remains straight. It will be less fragile, but not unbreakable.

Step 2: Remove the broken piece

Using pliers (nail pliers), remove the original nail to extract the part that is stuck in the spade socket. Position the pliers to help you by pressing on the socket.

Like this, you will not be able to lever to extract the nail.

Remove the rest of the handle remaining trapped in the socket, by placing one of the sides of the spade shoe on a step, as in this example. A low wall or even a workbench will also be perfect.

Step 3: Position the new handle

Place the new handle (composite) so that the angle of the tip looks like in the photo. In the other direction, you would always have soil which would be wedged between the end of the handle and the iron of the spade. Another point of attention: check if the handle does not have a specific curvature, which would condition the direction of installation. If you do not know, imagine that your sleeve is straight, and place the curvature of the handle as you would imagine it if it were subjected to a strong stress.

Step 4: Push in and fix the handle

This part is not always very logical for some. To push the head of a tool on a handle, we strike the ground on the opposite side of the tool, that is to say the top of the handle, to bring the tool iron down along the handle, until it stops completely. Tap the head of the handle with several sharp and strong blows to properly grip the spade iron.

Place yourself on the ground and screw your screw into the handle. There may even be a pre-hole that you should see in the hole or in the hole (oblong hole) in the socket. If it is not the case, check its existence elsewhere in order to remove any possibility of bad assembly. If it does not exist, it is perfect, you can screw where you want. On a composite handle, use a long and thin screw, otherwise you will have all the trouble in the world to push it, because in addition to not breaking, these sleeves are very resistant to external aggressions.