Thread: 25 bucks worth of chisels

Originally Posted by IanW

I know lots of folks use burning to seat handles, but I reckon it's crude & unnecessary. I prefer to drill a pilot hole, which I enlarge in a step-wise fashion until the tang goes in enough that a few firm wollops will seat it nicely. My routine is to chuck the blank, rough-turn to settle it, then drill a pilot hole the depth of the tang, at a diameter approximating the narrow end of the tang. Then re-chuck & turn the spigot for the ferrule (this makes sure the tang hole is nicely centred). If it's a hooped handle, I do the hoop end first, then the ferule for the tang. After you've turned it, you can drill the steps in the tang hole out easily enough with your battery drill.

Mortice chisel set.jpg Titan & Marples rehandled.jpg

I venture the stepped-hole method is quicker (& safer) than burning, & I don't think I've ever had one come loose (yet!)....
Cheers,

Thanks for that, I like you method better and that sort of what I did with the ringer.

But I obviously didn't drill large enough because I still have a 1/4 inch sticking out and it almost split.

How much would you have hanging out before you give it its final whack to get it in?

Do you drill the larger section to the smaller dimensions of the tang (flats) or the larger (points) r in between?

Still hunting for a logo of a preston to see if thats what the one with the red triton handle is, spent hours looking already.
If I need to make a new handle for that I'd like it to look like the original.

Last thing how punished will I be if I use a diferent timber than the original handle.
I have some very nice Jarrah here for handles??

Peter

Originally Posted by _fly_

Last thing how punished will I be if I use a diferent timber than the original handle.
I have some very nice Jarrah here for handles??
Peter

Derek used Jarrah to rehandle some Bergs ... you could ask his permission ...

Originally Posted by _fly_

...How much would you have hanging out before you give it its final whack to get it in?

Do you drill the larger section to the smaller dimensions of the tang (flats) or the larger (points) r in between?

Peter - it depends on the wood I'm using. If it's the sort that's inclined to be a bit splitty, like She-oak, I get it so I only have to drive it home over 5-mm or so. You can have several goes at it - if it's too tight, tap it off and adjust a bit. (Use a piece of hardwood for a punch, so you don't damage the ferrule). I find that I usually need to use 3 drills, the original full-depth, small diameter, then one that's about the diameter half-way along, and one that's a bit less than the maximum diameter near the bolster (just drill a teeny way with this one). Most old tangs are pretty irregular, so you have to judge what you think are good drill sizes. The idea is to get the tang reasonably firm at least or the first 25mm or so, or it will work loose. Once you've done a few, you'll get the hang of it - it's easier to do than explain! You shouldn't split too many if you take it easy, but occasionally, it may happen - that's w'working - I console myself that it was a dud bit of wood that would have split in use, anyway...

Originally Posted by _fly_

...Last thing how punished will I be if I use a diferent timber than the original handle.
I have some very nice Jarrah here for handles??

Certainly not by me! I'm an inveterate handle-replacer, and I delight in trying different woods to see which ones work. There are so many woods that look far better than boring old Ash or Birch or Beech, and many of them are tougher, to boot, so feel free to use whatever takes your fancy.

Some day, some galoot is going to start collecting chisels with non-standard handles. Let's give them a good menu to choose from....

Cheers,

Edit: I don't have much trouble with old-style chisels, but replacing handles on many modern chisels is a bit of a PITA, because they often have thick, stubby, tangs. The plastic handled type tend to have cylindrical tangs with no taper, so they're a real challenge. Likewise, turning chisels are a challenge, too, because most have thick, non-tapered tangs. Virtually all the handles that have split on me when being fitted were for turning chisels.....

I have replaced 2 plastic handles with wood and both had strait tangs. One even had side lugs that I had to grind off first.
I found the nearest to size drill bit for the hole, then cheated a bit and set them with epoxy. I toyed with the idea of using a file or grinder to taper the tang but it seemed like a lot of extra work so I went the eazy way.
Regards
John

John, Yes, I did more or less the same, & found a drill that was the right size for the round tang, but in my cases I was lucky that it gave a firm enough fit that nothing more was required. I haven't had a lot of luck with epoxy in situations where it's exposed to shock, it usually cracks up on me in short order. So far, the banged-on handles have held & show no sign of loosening. I think I was lucky in finding a drill that was just right for the job - it could've gone either way!

Cheers

Update:

I redid the handle on what people were calling the ring-in.
I wasn't happy with the old one and I'd split it anyway.

I also made a new one for the Taylor that had waterpipe as half the handle.

Also found another Mathieson at the trash and treasure today. Has tiny crack in the handle that you can see but it looks to already have been cleaned up properly.

I'll have lots to re-grind next week.

Peter
fix up chisels.jpg

I the new handle jobbies

Cheers,
Paul

Originally Posted by pmcgee

I the new handle jobbies

Cheers,
Paul

Thanks Paul.

I just finished the Mathieson one, seems a bit short but it will do.

Still want to find the PReston Logo so I can check it is, Then find out what the Handle needs to be and take the titan plastic handle off.

Peter

I haven't seen another Preston logo than the EP circles ... unless it might be an early Preston, no sons ????

EPreston.jpg EPreston 2.jpg Prestonsmoother-2.jpg

Can you take another picture in natural light? maybe raking light or with a licked thumb over the logo?
Or a paper/pencil rubbing.

Cheers,
Paul

I'll try another picture tomorrow during the day.
Starting to think its the EP in the circles but its sideways, The top one (the P) is what I thought was part of the rams horn.
The E portion doesn't look stamped well.

Still not sure whats under the Preston name, starting to think it has TRADE, its what I though was AARG.

I like the rubbing idea, I've got to try that tonight already.

Did they really have boring handles on prestons? They just seem to be a boring 'barrel shape'.
Like the Titan shape, may use that instead.

Peter

Doesn't look right to me.

Edward Preston Sons 1 1 4" Firmer Gouge | eBay

Edward Preston 5 8" Firmer Paring Chisel Boxwood Handle | eBay


Toby

skelton logo1.jpg

Maybe?

From Timeless tools Trade marks

Toby

Paul/Toby

Took a couple last night thru a magnifying glass.
One with and one without flash.

Below that is what I think it is.
You can see the RESTON pretty clearly and the sideways P on the left.
Peter

Preston.jpg

Yep, looks pretty good.

Toby