reduce diameter of broom handle to fit broom head

Feb 20, 2012 Last reply: 6 years ago 19 Replies

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christopher 14 years ago

The broom handle has broken near the head.

I want to cut the broken bit of the handle and refit the head

The original handle was reduced in diameter at the end to fit the hole in the broom head.

The fitting on the head is plastic so can't make hole bigger

I need to reduce the diameter of the handle along a length of 2" to fit into head. It needs to be uniform for a good fit.

I have no lathe.

I've tried to do this before using a table saw tuning the handle held against the mitre gauge against the blade.

It sort of works but it really needs a jig of some sort to be safe and accurate.

Any body got any good ideas other than buy a new broom ?

Chris

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Newshound 14 years ago

I'd go for sanding rather than sawing. I happen to have a bench-mounted belt sander, and it's not too difficult to do by hand with one of these. Otherwise, the quick way to sand wood is with a sanding disk in, yes, you've guessed, an angle grinder. You can finish off by hand with sandpaper.

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The Natural Philosopher 14 years ago

power planer works(-ish) at least to pull material off fast.

You could make a pole lathe

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Huge 14 years ago

Or (shock horror), a Surform.

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Graham Jones 14 years ago

Buy a new broom, life's to short!

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Ian Jackson 14 years ago

Just an aside...

I've had a Surform plane for around 40 years. It was only used occasionally, and I hadn't seen it for several years. Recently, I realised that it was a good tool for what I wanted to do, so I dug it out from where it was hiding. Then it suddenly dawned on me, "Is it pronounced "sir form", or is it "sure form" (which is what I've always called it)?

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Bill Wright 14 years ago

I used to have a mate like that.

Bill

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Huge 14 years ago

AFAIK, the latter.

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Mr Pounder 14 years ago

Buy a new broom, life's to short!

That is the correct answer.

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Camdor 14 years ago

Reminds me of the Only Fools and Horses sketch with trigger saying he had the same broom for 30 years....

It had 10 new heads and 7 handles it that time though....

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John Rumm 14 years ago

I have always used the former...

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Mike Barnes 14 years ago

Ian Jackson :

surf-orm in our family.

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Ian Jackson 14 years ago

In message , Mike Barnes writes

Thanks for the three 'verdicts'. Actually, I really meant to say I called "sir form", so I guess that "sir-form" or "surf-orm" wins 4 to 3.

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Frank Erskine 14 years ago

Me too

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F Murtz 14 years ago

all wrong, "cheese grater"

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jim14142135 7 years ago

Surfirm pronounce like ?sir? form. From the Latin word sur meaning over and above.

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Tim+ 7 years ago

You?re replying to a 6 year old message and you can?t even spell ?Surform? correctly.

Tim

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Brian Gaff 7 years ago

Yes I have had this same broom for 10 years its only had two new handles and4 new heads. Bryan

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BIGKRISS 6 years ago

Never reduce the diameter with a sharp tool. Timber is a natural product and expands and contracts. Take a hammer and hit around the end of the pole to flatten it just enough to bang the handle home. The timber will return to its original size and shape and give a solid tight fit. Wack the screw in and bobs your uncle ?

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Brian Gaff (Sofa 2) 6 years ago

Maybe but I used to take the opposite approach, making the hole slightly bigger, otherwise you get the lateral wobble issue I found. Brian

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