handles are shorter now!!

[Zed]

Some of you may have noticed that I have been inquiring about lathe chisels so I had a look at the P&N lathe chisels today and noticed that the handles are much shorter than what i've seen at lathe class and remember from my school days... why is it so ?? does this affect the performance ? should I be having length envy ?

Fargin' 'ell!!! in class last night right?... found a picture on the web of some wood carving mallets all nice and round, clean and sexy looking - dead easy to turn up - so I gets me peice of iron bark - lovely bit of stock - spend a whole hour shaping it up nice and neat and when I get to the sanding stage I notice theres some score marks in the handle section, so I sez to meself i'll just clean that up with the flat angle chisel to get rid of the cut and guess what ?? I farged it up didnt I ? just kept slipping and sliding all over the peice till there wasn't enough thickness in the handle to support the hammer end!!! I had it all nicely dimensioned too ! very disappointed in myself!... when I told SWMBO that I had reduced a peice of 100x100mm iron bark to so much toothpicks she just her self laughing...

I have so much more respect for you expereinced turners now, All I can say is i'm glad I got the ironbark blank for free...

[Baz]

Zed, make your own tool handles then you can have them as long as you want and better still the timber of your choice, another plus is that P&N sell unhandled tools for about $10 less.
Cheers
Barry

[Woodencrux]

Barry, I'm hoping to have the equipment to make some handles in a while (I know I need some chisels with handles first). For me, and any others new to turning, can you suggest a few timbers that are readily available for handle turning please.
Many thanks.

[Baz]

Woodencrux, basicly you can use use any timber that is available to you, one of my handles is made from a stud out of my house, a local hardwood. Other handles are made from Red Gum, Myrtle, Mulga, Gidgee, Vine Tree, Dead Finish, Mallee, Jarrah and Brigalow. Yes I do like my tool handles made from some of our inland timbers, I also like a bit of weight in them. My 16mm spindle gouge and 16mm bowl gouges have the ahndles hollowed and filled with lead shot. Hope this has been of some help.
Cheers
Barry

[Woodencrux]

Barry, thanks for the suggestions. When I'm next in Canberra and notice a house with a two foot hole in the wall I'll wonder if it may be where you removed the section of frame to make your handle! Sounds like I should stick to hard timbers when considering my options.
I appreciate the answer.

[Geoff Allen]

Woodencrux,

I make my handles out of old chair parts. When there is hard rubbish collection on a nature strip I look for the oldest timber chairs. Often the really good old ones have lots of beads and coves that you can keep or modify to suit your own hand. Of course you have to turn plugs every so often to fill holes where the rails etc. have been but its a small price to pay.

Doesn't work with modern stools etc. since they are usually now made from "Clayton's timber" (pine).

Keep on handling
Geoff

[gatiep]

Geoff

I guess those 'chair' handles make the tools 'sit' nicely on the tool rest....chuckle

Very good idea and a cheap source for some good timber for handles tho.

Thanks for the tip

Cya

Joe

Have fun.......................keep turnin

[Geoff Allen]

Joe,

I think if you have the handle resting on the toolrest you will probably find that you have a lot of dig-ins.

I just like the idea of to getting my hands on a well turned leg.

keep spinning

Geoff

[Big Mac]

I have turned handles from old, long handled shovels that had broken at the base,they come up very well.

[Baz]

Woodencrux, next time you are in Canberra call in and I will give you some timber for handles.
Cheers
Barry

[Woodencrux]

Baz, thanks for the offer. I liked geoff's suggestion as I have already commenced scanning the cleanups for possible turning timbers and I will now keep an eye out for chairs as well. As usual, the cart is moving further ahead of the horse as I am still to obtain a lathe! Hopefully it will be with me well before any timber I collect is seasoned - anyone want to start a thread on microwave seasoning techniques I have head about?
As The Byrds said, "Turn, Turn, Turn".

[gatiep]

Those cleanups not only yield good used timber but quite often people have trees lopped at thet time and the loppers put the timber on the verge for council to remove, thereby saving dump fees.

Whenever it is cleanup time in nearby 'wooded' suburbs, I drive through and look for timber. When I see some nice logs, I knock on the door to find out what timber it is. The occupants are usually very excited at the thought that their 'tree' is going to be turned into ...uhm...something.

Cya

Joe

Have fun....................keep turnin