Maybe try forcing the new handle in as far as it will go and twisting it around that should brake up the old pieces and clean it out.Do do have the rivets out I assume?

Hi Larry, thanks, this is one of those "press fit" type fork heads....no rivets. There's a spike inside the long collar that I assume corresponds to a drilled hole in the handle. The problem is that there are two thick splinters wedged in between the spike and the inside wall of the long collar. So until I get those splinters out, I can't force a new handle in. I think my best bet is to try to yank the fork head off the collar if I can...maybe hold it in a vise and have somebody with good upperbody strength pull!

What do you think of this idea: If I got a propane torch and directed the flame INSIDE the long collar (it's like a 7 inch tube of steel), do you think it would char/burn the wood splinters enough without damaging the temper of the collar?

Think I found the answer on a YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/X0ivBZ9RkQQ

Annie i can see your problem,..i tried looking for "how to remove pieces of wood handle remaining in the metal of a fork",..nada,..they all tell how to insert the handle and of course there were no pieces of wood preventing the handle from being inserted

I have come across friends burning out the remaining wood and it didn't weaken the metal,..seems like your idea is the only solution,..using the propane torch best of luck.

Hi Philip, I found a YouTube video where the man replaced a fork head exactly like mine...He knocked the fork part out of the collar/wooden handle with a hammer. I'm going to try that...the only problem is that my handle broke off far down into the collar so it's going to be tricky trying to hold the fork head and whack it at the same time. If I don't post anything for a while, you will all know that either (A) I whacked my finger with the hammer instead of the fork or (B) the vibrations from whacking a metal fork with metal hammer while holding onto said fork numbed my fingers! *HA*

Ha ha ha - great video. That guy just appears to be some average joe rural homeowner who is having fun with making his own videos, gotta love it!!! I think you do have a challenge on your hands whacking at it with the handle broken so far down in the collar for yours. Hope you get yours fixed without any busted fingers

Sometimes those average joe vids are more informative than the "produced" kind... At least I know what to do...if I CAN do it, that's another story!

Do you have a large vise you can just lock the broken handle part(collar) in to hold it and then drive the pitch fork head out? If there are only a couple of spliter like pieces of wood left in the collar I would think the head would pull out pretty easily. Got a farmer neighbor?

Yep, agree. It constantly amazes me that you can find out how to do anything just by googling a phrase and in seconds, there are articles and videos about it! The best ones ARE from the average joe's and that is what seems to make me smile when I find them - just knowing that they took the time to set up the video camera, put music to it, the whole nine yards.

A few months ago we had wood ducks find our pond for the first time after all these years. I started googling how to entice them to nest, and low and behold in seconds I had access to whole articles and nest box how to construction plans. My brother in law just finished making me two of them from the reclaimed cedar from the recent siding replacement on my sister in law's (his and my husband's sister) house. I need to take pictures and add a short bit about it on my blog. Going to try to get them hung this weekend.

Larry, I used my housewife knowledge instead. I wrapped a piece of drawer liner...that rubbery nubby kind...around the metal collar and held in my gloved hand. A few good whacks with a hammer and it came right out. Got a new handle and whacked it in place...I'm back in bidness!

Aspen, I think YouTube is the only thing I'd really miss on the Internet (and this site!). I know you can waste a lot of time there but I find SO MANY educational videos, documentaries, etc. I'm a big fan! Yay on the wood ducks. We have a marsh near us, I wonder if I could talk the neighbors into putting up boxes?

Great ! I was thinking the head should come out pretty easy. Driving it back on I was thinking would be the hard part.
For me, without a doubt, YouTube is one of the very best sites on the internet. I seldom watch T.V. any more, but spend hours on YouTube. I am trying to learn to play the Keyboard, and they have tons of videos that really help. So often just watching instructions instead of reading them is a real lifesaver for me.
Yes, I have been spending a lot of time on the keyboard, obviously I have zero musical ability and did not inherit a single gene related to music. It has been six months and I am still trying to learn the very basics. Still having trouble just humming!

Oh Larry, you're one up on me. Everybody in my family has some sort of musical talent except me and my niece Cathy. When anybody says to us "And what do YOU play?" We say "the radio." *har har*

I have learned SO MUCH from YouTube...I was able to replace the oven element in my electric range by myself after watching a vid, and my husband and I repaired our dishwasher (inlet valve or something) same way.

Someday, you will make a video on how to take good pictures without getting the thumb in the picture (That
one will be for me)