Homesteading Skills: Shovel Handles and Seed Types

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on March 1, 1988
article image
ILLUSTRATION: KAY HOLMES STAFFORD
If the handle broke off flush with the shaft, or too short to provide a hand hold, you'll have to build yourself a grip.

MOTHER’s column gives MOTHER EARTH NEWs readers a chance to ask our experts about a variety of homesteading problems that are in need of a good answer.

Homesteading Skills: Shovel Handles and Seed Types

Getting a Grip

I need to replace the handle on my favorite shovel, but I can’t figure out how to remove the old broken-off stub so I can get the new handle on. As I visit other people’s yards, I’m always seeing broken shovels lying around, so a lot of us must have this problem.

First, file the head off the pin that helps hold the wooden handle in the metal shaft of the shovel. If the pin goes just into the handle, pound the headless pin into the wood; it will come out with the handle. If the pin goes all the way through to exit on the other side, pound in the filed-offend until you can remove the pin from the other side.

Now look at the back of the shaft. If it is not welded together, take a couple of screwdrivers and pry it open, then pop the handle out. If it is bonded shut, things get a tad more interesting.

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