Thread: Making chisel handles without a lathe

Originally Posted by Andy_B

Thanks for the link, CK. That led me to your pole lathe and subsequently the file guide threads, which I have missed somehow. Very impressive! Thanks for sharing your creativity.

Cheers,
Andy

Nice; but also remember, as MA illustrated, that chisels do not have to have turned handles.

Pfeil of Switzerland make a lot of very good quality chisels and carving tools with shaped octagonal handles.

Pfeil Chisel.jpg

I have made square handles and have then rounded all edges, especially the end where square edges cut into your hand.

Chisel Handle.jpg

EDIT; A mate has just alleged that this looks like a paring chisel handle because it does not have a hoop. Its not, I do strike them, often with a claw hammer, and, providing the end is nicely domed, get a surprising long life from each handle. If it splits just make another.

My preference for paring chisel handles is longer and thinnner, but essentially the same design. [With a thinner cross section, the roundover of the edges makes the handle appear much more rounded.]

If you are looking for an easy way to make up square , octagonal or even round handles using the likes of hand planes, drawknives and spokeshaves, this may be an option:

P1080107 (Medium).JPGP1080108 (Medium).JPG

It was made for roughing out dowel material before being forced through the steel hole (actually the hole is empty; the surrounding material is steel). You may already have one of these. It was made with a router and a vee bits, but could easily be fabricated with strips of wood bevelled on one edge and glued up too.

I noticed that Cklett in his post had incorporated a leather washer between the bolster and handle, which was a trick seen on chisels for quite some years. A good source of leather for small projects....

P1080106 (Medium).JPG

Not too much gets thrown away around here, although the boots are currently in the waste bin.



Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Nice; but also remember, as MA illustrated, that chisels do not have to have turned handles.

Good point. I've made quite a few handles for my chisels. Some turned, others are 5, 6 or 8 sided. I prefer the segmented, if that's the correct term, handles. I like how the corners where the facets join fit into the creases of my hands. I've found five segments with one segment flat on the bench with the chisel works best for me.