Fixing my hammer . . .

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

As long as I'm bothering everyone with how to fix my tools . . .

So I've got this little hammer (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Hammering/Fretting_Hammer.html) from Stew Mac that I bought a long while ago as a fretting hammer and have since used for all sorts of things, although less so since I bought the deadblow version.

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Anyway, after the maybe ten years or so I've had this thing, the heads become a little loose - just enough you kind of feel it when using it.

I figure, no big deal, I'll just rap it against the bench top a little tighter. That didn't work. So I figure I'll drive it off, cut a slot and reinstall it, and then drive a handle wedge in it.

After giving a little rap in the other direction and realizing it didn't budge, I unscrewed the heads, and this is what I find on each side:

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So its riveted through the head.

Any idea how I could retighten this? Should I just drill out the rivet and reattach the head however seems best, or make a new handle, or has anyone got an idea on how to tighten the rivet? Given the way it feels. I'm assuming the the cross-hole through the head has wallowed out.

[Jim Ritter]

Inject some epoxy would be my first try.

[Jim Palmer]

I'd drive out the galvanised nail and re-fit the handle properly, or re-handle it using a wedge or wedges.

[Mark Baldwin III]

If that was a regular rivet, I'd say to put a fat faced punch (or other suitable piece of hard metal) in the vice to use as a bucking bar, then use a another punch to give the rivet a whack or two. However, it looks to me like a large pop rivet. Pop rivets, when properly used aren't bad. When not properly used (like in a hammer head) they drive mechanics like me up a freakin' wall.
The only plus is that the rivet provides you with a nice center to make it easy to drill out.

[phil harold]

I would first try tightening the rivet
then soak the head in linseed oil for a day or more

[Leigh Betsch]

I'd buy a lathe and make a new hammer. After I had about $2000 invested I'd have a good hammer. But that's just me.