Getting ready the Dolabra

[Ebusitanus]

I just received my Dolabra but I have to provide my own wooden handle. I do not have much experience in this, so, when I get the handle should I let the Dolabra slip on it? When it reaches the maximum width, should I hammer her down as to ensure it does not slip back on my hands when using it? Is there a special way to secure this piece or is it just hammering it down the wooden shaft?

Thnx

[Neuraleanus]

These usually come with little wood or metal wedges. Use a rasp to reduce the size of the handle end so that it fits into the dolabra and hammer in the wedge to secure the assembly.

[Ebusitanus]

So it is by hammer then...brute force all the way

[A_Volpe]

I found going to a hardware store and getting a Sledgehammer handle quite good for my Dolabra. I have no idea if they have anything like that where you are, I hope so.

Either way, you'll want to get the head onto the shaft down and as tightly as possible, that could mean, as Neurealeanus mentioned, some filing/rasping or sanding the top of the handle to get it to fit well.

Once you have it on there, hold the handle tightly in your hand about 1/4 down from the head, hold it upright, and strike the butt end down on a hard surface - concrete, asphalt, brick/stone. And do that two or three times to tighten it down further. (And when the head loosens and rattles, you can tap the handle like this and that should get the head tight again)

You can probably get a wooden wedge into the middle of the shaft top and hammer that down to try and lock it in place....Metal wedges seem to wreck/crack the wood....As it has on mine.

You might be able to drill a hole just above the top of the head of the tool and stick a wooden dowel in there, so if the head did become loose, it won't fly off the handle....Is that authentic? I don't know...But I'd rather have the head on there tight than have it fly off somewhere.

[Ebusitanus]

I got me a hardware handle which gets slightly bigger at one end. I let the Dolabra slip down the handle to its maximum point and then proceeded to hammer it down as much as I could futher down the handle. Its quite held in place now...Guess I will need to try it out for real before knowing for sure if I need to place something else between the dolabra and the handle (like a small wooden wedge).

[Primvs Pavlvs]

After you have fitted it I would suggest soaking it in a bucket of water just enough to cover the dolabra itself. This will cause the wood to swell and fit the "eye" of the head better. This will make it more secure.