tool handles

[Slow6]

Hello turners :)

I have had my lathe for less weeks than I have fingers and am enjoying myself immensly.
the crappo handle on my parting tool started to slip today so I had a go at making a replacement out of a slab of redgum that I'm guessing has to be 100years+ old (old train sleeper) and also had a go at making a mallet with a bit of weight to it.. something I've wanted for a while.

the redgum has a wonky sheen (I dont know how else to describe it) that is stunning when wet.

I'll post a happy snap.

I have a couple of questions if I may..
1 what would be a good finish for a tool handle that will cope with prolonged use?
2 I would be interested to know where I could find the brass rings that hold the tool firmly in the handle.. or if anyone has found an alternative method or product or trick that might do instead.


I spyed a few handle-less tools in a store last week and if I have some luck with this one I fancy making myself up a set, might make me feel better about not being able to afford a set of hamlets.

edit: excuse the smear on the photo.. I have to learn not to touch the lense with greasy fingers.

[arose62]

For "brass rings" do a search for "ferrule".

I use copper pipe, others use various tubing or piping.

You can buy them from Lee Valley, maybe CarbaTec.

I found some crimp-on hose fittings at BOC Gases which worked for me.

I use boiled linseed oil on my handles, but you'll get a stack of suggestions from others on here.

Welcome,
& cheers,
Andrew

[rsser]

Pretty much anything will do for handle finish, even nothing, which equals sweat and body oil!

Good call for ferrules Andrew.

Edit: looks like nice timber and nice work Slow6

[ss_11000]

i like the handle, looks good. if you want to see one made and what this turner does, try to find the video: Turning wood with Richard raffan.
pretty good video.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I use the same as Andrew for ferrules: copper pipe. Having done some time in air-con installs, I've a few lengths of various diameters, so I can pick'n'choose depending on what sized handle/tool I'm making.

I simply wax my handles when they're turned, after that they're left to wear naturally with the occasional wipe down with linseed oil; they've develop a lovely patina all of their own and feel good in the hand. I dislike a PolyU or similar "sealing" finishes as they give me sweaty hands and blisters after prolonged use. A bit like the silly buggers who lacquer their shovel/pick handles. :rolleyes:

That's a lovely piece of figured red-gum in that handle, the only suggestion I'd make for future handles is to consider turning a more bulbous end, not quite so "squared off." It's a reasonably short handle and methinks you'll probably find that once you're more practiced there'll be times you'll end up with your hand cupping the end during use... so you you might as well design for comfort. ;)

[ss_11000]

For "brass rings" do a search for "ferrule".

I use copper pipe, others use various tubing or piping.

You can buy them from Lee Valley, maybe CarbaTec.

I found some crimp-on hose fittings at BOC Gases which worked for me.

I use boiled linseed oil on my handles, but you'll get a stack of suggestions from others on here.

Welcome,
& cheers,
Andrew

ct sell them for $2 each...

[Wood Butcher]

ct sell them for $2 each...
And if you went to a plumbing supply shop you could get a metre of pipe for that and cut it up yourself:p

[ss_11000]

And if you went to a plumbing supply shop you could get a metre of pipe for that and cut it up yourself:p

fair enuf

[Andy Mac]

I use copper pipe too, but it seems to come in a set range of diameters and I'm always after one that sits between!:(
One of those plumber's pipe cutters are a great investment, square dressed edges every time :D although you need to file the inside burr off.
I have also used tube from a push bike frame, which has quite a range of diameters (and tapers) within the one bike. Yes, its steel, doesn't look as good as copper or brass, but does the job.
Have recently been game enough to try putting the ferrule on the lathe centre (not the spur drive), and turn down the wood to fit. The ferrule is there ready to use as a test piece, no need for calipers etc. and you don't need to undo anything again to fit it on.
BTW, the handle and mallet look great.

Cheers,

[Slow6]

Copper pipe it is then :) sometimes we need the obviouse handed to us eh. thanks guys.

yep the handle is a short one.. same length as the origional tho. I found the bit of timber as a short next to a whole pile of Sleepers and carried it home. the length of the stump is the length of the handle.. I'll pop back and offer the establishment something achoholic for a load of the full sleepers. I agree with you about the stump of the handle.. I have yet to make any cuts so I can re-mount it and round it off.
I started it this arvo after frustration with what I should have been spending my time on, just to take a break.. but its kinda got me goin a bit, the cover of this months Aus Wood review is giving me all sorts of ideas for my wood chisels.

thanks again Folks :)

[goodwoody]

If you know any diary farmers as all the pipes are tin coated brass. The dia is about 30mm so its a good size. Nice and straight aswell. Just a thought.

[bdar]

When making handles for my chisels I generally make the handle the size of the chisel plus half again, sometimes I double the size. Most of my handles taper and are about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 diameter at the butt. Comes down to how you prefer shape size and weight.

Cheers
Darren

[hughie]

[1 what would be a good finish for a tool handle that will cope with prolonged use?
2 I would be interested to know where I could find the brass rings that hold the tool firmly in the handle.. or if anyone has found an alternative method or product or trick that might do instead
.

Hi I generally make my own handles out of hardwood ..whatever is to hand actually. The length varies as to what to which tool its for, dia 1.25-1.5" and I generally run a few beads in places where I will need some good grip, sand them a give them a light coat of shellawax. The wax gives a good grip in the beginning and as it wears off the the hand usage brings up the grain and the beads do the rest.

As for ferrules, any thin walled tube will do. In my case, stainless, as we had a lot of really short off cuts lying around 1", 1.25", 1.5" dia and an 1" or so long, just perfect. But anything will do, as long the wall thickness is not massive.

Hughie

[Schtoo]

If it's a heavy use tool, oiled but not linseed. Some local kinda flower based oil that goes off very quickly.


Light use stuff, I'll either oil or french polish. Good excuse to get some practise with that finish, and it lasts.

Anything else, likely shellac or maybe laquer, depending on what it is and who it's for. ;)


I inhereted bags of little brass plated steel 'things' that are cup shaped and used to stop off ends of rope cleanly. Small and large, and they be perfect size for file and rasp handles. Turn to size, push one on, dent in a few spots to hold, drill out the handle and ferrule in one hit. Leaves a very clean end result due to the ferrule covering the endgrain there too.

BTW, the handle and mallet you made look very nice. :)

[JackoH]

Do A Search!
The handle will aquire a patina of it's own from use. I usually finish with Shellawax(cream or liquid) for initial good looks.
English Ash is my preferred timber, but any good tight , straight grained wood will suffice.

[arose62]

"As for ferrules, any thin walled tube will do."

Well, not quite ... I had a auto place nearby close down, and I grabbed a bag of things that looked like they'd be perfect ferrules.
Just the right length, a useful diameter, slight bevels on the ends.

Unfortunately, absolutely NO resistance to splitting whatsoever. I found that I could actually tear these apart by hand. I went back and found out that they were bearing sleeves, designed to resist being squished simultaneously from both sides, but about as tough as warm chocolate when it came to resisting a load from inside OR outside. Grump!

Cheers,
Andrew

[Slow6]

The Copper pipe worked well!

I knocked up a few little handles for the files laying unused in a heap so's to practice a little and I found heating up the ferrule and then giving it a bash over the end of the handle resulted it a tighter fit when cool.
sadly I turned the three handles in one go out of the one blank so I was unable to re-mount and pollish it all up and turn a little stripe in the copper.. next time, next time. I found that once re-mounted you can sand the Copper down to round off the edge to give a very nice finish.

overkill for cheap files I know.. but it seemed a good excuse to have a go.

good advice from all:)

oh.. I got the hole for the lathe chisel a little out of whack.. so I think I'll have to knock up a jig to hold them straight in the drill press.

[hughie]

Unfortunately, absolutely NO resistance to splitting whatsoever. I found that I could actually tear these apart by hand. I went back and found out that they were bearing sleeves, designed to resist being squished simultaneously from both sides, but about as tough as warm chocolate when it came to resisting a load from inside OR outside. Grump!

Hmm It sounds like you used something that is often called ''speedy sleeves'' a low cost bearing sleeve. Very soft material and often coated with a silver of dark coating. Definitely no good for ferrules.
hughie

[soundman]

The brass sleves from carbatec are quite good and solid and pre shamfered.
It is argued that copper pipe is prone to split but lots of people seem to have no problem.
Bits of copper pipe are easy to find on construction sites. If you are so inclined to go to such places a trip to your scrap metal dealer will quicklu and easily yeild a variety of copper tubes at scrap prices.

I've made up some split mandrels that go in the lathe for truing up the bits of tube.
Just turn up a short section of hardwood to a neat slip fit in the tube in question then cut a cross down the endgrain across the centre at one end.

mount the device up between centres using a plain conical tail centre as a wedge to spread the mandrel.
It can help to chuck the mandrel up in the lathe and bore a slight conical recess in the end to be split with the tip of a skew. this recess makes a better mate for the conical tail centre.

I then true up the copper using a skew chisel or a parting tool on its side.
Light carefull cuts are the go with a firm hand.

while you have it there its easy to put some groves in the sleve and give it a whizz with some fine sand paper.

I've found it wise to make th fit on the handle as tight as is reasonable and use dry wood or the ring will fall off a few weeks later.

cheers