Thread: Found the round tuit!

Originally Posted by IanW

Brett, the brass is just a trim washer. The handle is attached by a 'hanger bolt'. I'm having a brain fade here (LOML & I have just sat & chatted for an hour plus over a bottle of red), & can't remember if that's the North American name for it. Anyway, it's a 1/4" NC bolt at one end, which screws into the body of the shave, & the other is a blunt wood-screw that screws into the wood. So you see, it's a matter of just screwing the wood back & forth a bit to get it to tighten where you want it to.

I can think of a way to make it easier, make a stud that goes right through the handle. Put a countersink in the outer end of the handle, and attach it with a cup-nut like on the totes of your typical Stanley plane. Then you would simply slide the handle over the stud & tighten it down at whatever angle you please.

could you use an insert nut

and adjust the depth of the nut to get the alignment "just right"?

Originally Posted by ian

...could you use an insert nut and adjust the depth of the nut to get the alignment "just right"?...

Ian, I guess I haven't explained myself very clearly. Putting an insert in the wood would not help at all, in fact it would make things worse. Take a look at LVs handle replacement kit and I think you will immediately grasp the situation.

The coarse-thread end of the 'connector' is screwed into the wood, which I pre-drilled on the lathe to keep it straight & centred. That was dead easy, once I figured out the right-sized hole for end-grain in she-oak (7/32 was as close to the Goldilocks point as I could get). The trim washer is tapped for the metal-thread end , i.e., the part that goes into the shave body (1/4" NC),. That's handy because it can be screwed onto the stud as a reference point.

So now you just screw the handle into the body til it snugs up to the washer. With a round handle, it matters little at which point it snugs up, but with shaped handles, you obviously want them to tighten at a precise point so the the 'flats' on the handles are oriented just so. The way to achieve that is simple, you just remove the handle, and screw it a bit more, or back it off a bit, then try again (& again & again!).

I've used those brass inserts you show quite a bit, & one thing I can tell you is that they are a bear to fit in end-grain of very hard woods. The hole has to be just right - they won't go into a hole drilled to the minor diameter like they'll do for softer woods. Too tight & they either seize halfway in, or you split the wood, Too loose, they won't hold properly. But apart from that, it would only make matters worse when trying to position the handles because you would have to screw the insert back & forth to alter the tighten point. Once they're properly in, those things are very difficult to move!

As I said, I whinged too much about it, it isn't rocket science, just needs patience, something I need to cultivate more...

Cheers,

Those look great, Ian! I love the shape and, of course, the wood. I'm convinced you somehow managed to get all of the best SheOak on the East Coast.

Great shape too. I can imagine they feel great in use.

So whatcha gonna use em on!?

Nice work. I’d like some of those Round Tuits if you have any spare!

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

I'm convinced you somehow managed to get all of the best SheOak on the East Coast....

Don't know about that, Luke. Rose She-oak is among my favourites (partly 'cos I can have a ute-loads of it whenever I get up north). It's pretty much the same as the W.A variety (A. fraseriana), but it's harder & denser, so while I'd choose Rose SO for handles, I would prefer the W.A. oak for furniture, I think. Hairy & Bull oak are pretty special, but they aren't really 'coastal' They are restricted to this side of the island, so the westerners miss out on those goodies..

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

......So whatcha gonna use em on!?....

Nothing particular in mind atm. I did use the flat shave on something a couple of days ago, and it felt pretty good. Next job on the list is a large & weighty refectory table for one of our various offspring, so that will occupy me for a week or two. Going to be a lot of hand-planing due to the size of the bits, and the weather is pretty warm down here, so I'll be taking it in small bites...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by hiroller

Nice work. I’d like some of those Round Tuits if you have any spare!

If I had a couple more I'd be happy to share them, Gavin, but they seem awfully hard yo come by!!

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Warning: It does take a bit of faffing to get the screw in just the right position to tighten so that the handle is orientated in the right spot, so give yourself a good half an hour to fit them!

Cheers,

Probably why Veritas made them round in the first place

Originally Posted by Lappa

Probably why Veritas made them round in the first place

Yep, I came to that conclusion very early in the exercise, Lappa. The 'easy' way to fit shaped handles (other than round shape, that is), would be to use a through-stud, as I mentioned, but that would add a few dollars to the cost. Multiply that up the retail chain, & you'd be paying substantially more for Veritas shaves, I suppose.

I guess there is little incentive for Veritas to change, since most owners seem to learn to live with the dinky round handles, as supplied. I nearly did - if I hadn't had some unexpected time on my hands last week, mine would still be wearing them, but I'm pleased I finally got the round tuit!

Cheers,

Thanks for this thread. Ive big meaty hands (no violin for me!) and the round handles made the spokes unsatisfactory to use.


Not that its a bad tool, I just couldn't get the grip right


This Made By Ian handle is an excellent idea. Thank you.