Homemade Wooden Body Hammer Handle

Garage Journal member afazz sent me some drawn templates of the Snap On handles that he posted of in his thread on restoring Snap On body hammers here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94925

I finally(!) got the first prototype completed this weekend. I cut out two profile templates from the pictures that afazz provided - one from the broad side view and another from the thin side. I then used my router table with a pattern following bit (it has a ball bearing at the top) that follows the template shape, reproducing the profile on the piece of wood underneath.

Below are the pictures of the end result. I've got to make more elaborate jigs to hold the templates in place and allow replacement of the rough cut lumber in order to produce these things quicker. My plan is to possibly sell some of them if there is a demand.

Very Nice work! But, have a look at this thread:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135315

The handles tend to break easily when the growth rings are layered sideways like yours..........

Here's an example from my shop. Light duty work it was OK. When it broke the first time, I just shortened it up and re-mounted it. Broke off again when it was really put to work.