All, I like to use hammer shanks, (cedar), for the stir stick in my glue pot. I first sharpen the hammer shank in the pencil sharpener. Attach a "Wire Nut", (as used in electrical work connecting wires), for a handle. It makes the stir stick easier to grip. Next, I take the hammer shank to the vertical sander and reduce the tip down to about 3/16" and give it a bevel on the very end. As I use the stir stick to "swab" the hole in the new hammer, this will let it do the swabbing w/o jamming up in the hole. BTW, you should ALWAYS have a thermometer in your glue to let you know if it's at the proper temp. (130-150degrees, no more no less!) I use a "stick" type baker's thermometer. It comes with a little sleeve/guard w/pocket clip. This thermometer is in the right heat range and is easy to read. Best Regards, Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
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